Space Chimps (2008) |
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Space Chimps (2008) |
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| General | Extras | ||
| Category | Animation | Menu Animation & Audio | |
| Rating |
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| Year Of Production | 2008 | ||
| Running Time | 77:19 | ||
| RSDL / Flipper | No/No | Cast & Crew | |
| Start Up | Ads Then Menu | ||
| Region Coding | 4 | Directed By | Kirk De Micco |
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Studio
Distributor |
 Roadshow Home Entertainment |
Starring |
Andy Samberg Cheryl Hines Jeff Daniels Patrick Warburton Kristin Chenoweth Kenan Thompson Carlos Alazraqui Zack Shada |
| Case | Amaray-Opaque | ||
| RPI | ? | Music | Chris P. Bacon |
| Video | Audio | ||
| Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None |
English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) English Dolby Digital 2.0 (320Kb/s) English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0 (320Kb/s) |
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| Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 2.35:1 | ||
| 16x9 Enhancement |
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| Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
| Original Aspect Ratio | 2.35:1 | Miscellaneous | |
| Jacket Pictures | No | ||
| Subtitles | English for the Hearing Impaired | Smoking | No |
| Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
| Action In or After Credits | Yes | ||
There have been a lot of animated children's films made in the last few years which have ranged from incredible to diabolical and all points in between. This one falls somewhere in the middle of the range in terms of quality as it is an entertaining and amusing kids movie but doesn't set any new standards in terms of animation quality or voice acting. Having said that the animation is quite good and the voice acting certainly doesn't let anyone down especially the always reliable Patrick Warburton. It is also entertaining enough for adults to get some laughs and while away a fun 75 or so minutes with the kids.
The story involves an unmanned probe which Earth has sent out into the galaxy. While on its mission, the probe gets sucked into a wormhole and lands on a planet inhabited by various aliens. One of these, a grumpy outcast called Zartog, finds the probe and uses its technology to take over control over the planet (in a fairly amusing and non-threatening way). Earth realises that something has gone wrong and want to send a new mission to find the probe but they are concerned that it is too dangerous for humans. Accordingly, they decide to send a team of monkeys in a rocket to see if the planet is safe for humans. The space agency has a team of monkeys who are basically a tourist display to remember the original monkey who went into space, Ham. They are Commander Titan (Patrick Warburton), Lt Luna & Comet, a young technical specialist. In order to round out the team their boss, a senator, demands that they include Ham III, the grandson of the original Ham who is currently a circus performer and full-time buffoon. Other voice cast members include Andy Samberg, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Daniels & Stanley Tucci.
As I said above this is a fun film but there are a couple of scenes which may scare younger viewers. My 4 year old said there were a few bits he wanted skipped when watching it for the second time. There are some good jokes, mixed in with some very sad ones, and an amusing reference to Flying High.
Recommended for the kids but it will not be fighting WALL-E for the Animated film Oscar.
The video quality is excellent.
The feature is presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio 16x9 enhanced which is the original aspect ratio.
The picture was very clear and sharp throughout with no evidence of low level noise or grain of any description.This film was made digitally so the transfer would be direct from a digital source.
The colour was excellent, vibrant and bright.
There were no noticeable artefact issues.
There are subtitles in English for the Hearing Impaired which are clear and easy to read.
There is no layer change in the main feature.
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The audio quality is very good.
This DVD contains three audio options, an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack encoded at 448 Kb/s, an English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo soundtrack encoded at 320 Kb/s and an English Audio Descriptive Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo soundtrack encoded at 320 Kb/s.
Dialogue was generally clear and easy to understand and there was no problem with audio sync.
The music by Chris Bacon & The Blueman Group is quite good and suited to the film but doesn't really stand out.
The surround speakers were well used, filling out the sound stage with lots of atmosphere and effects.
The subwoofer is also used well for takeoffs and explosions without really standing out.
| Dialogue | |
| Audio Sync | |
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| Surround Channel Use | |
| Subwoofer | |
| Overall | |
No extras other than a couple of pre-menu trailers for other films.
The menu design is quite good with an intro, motion and music. There is an unskippable anti-piracy warning at startup but at least the trailers can be skipped.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The Region 4 version of this disc misses out on;
The Region 1 version of this disc misses out on;
On this basis the Region 1 seems to be the best however the difference is pretty immaterial based on reviews I have read.
The video quality is excellent.
The audio quality is very good.
No extras.
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| Review Equipment | |
| DVD | Sony DVP-NS708H upscaling to 1080p, using HDMI output |
| Display | LG Scarlet 42LG61YD 106cm Full HD LCD. Calibrated with Ultimate DVD Platinum. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 1080p. |
| Audio Decoder | Built in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Ultimate DVD Platinum. |
| Amplification | Pioneer VSX-511 |
| Speakers | Monitor Audio Bronze 2 (Front), Bronze Centre & Bronze FX (Rears) + Sony SAW2500M Subwoofer |