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Audiences may be ga-ga over WALL•E these days, but as far as space-faring animation for the family goes, Space Chimps is a respectable also-ran. It packs a lot into a brief sojourn, from high-flying circus high jinks to wormholes and numerically anal NASA geeks; there’s even romance. Ham (voiced by Andy Samberg), the narcissistic circus chimp of note, is also the progeny of the first simian in space and is thus (reluctantly) enlisted as part of an all-primate crew to retrieve a space probe that’s gone off course. The flight takes the chimps to a far planet inhabited by technologically inept hobgoblins, one of whom, Zartog (Jeff Daniels), has used the probe to become a tyrannical overlord. The alien world, which includes gummy-bear beings and neon-headed humanoids, is ingeniously conceived, and that, along with director Kirk De Micco’s sprightly pacing and some witty dialogue, enables Chimps to shoot for the stars. 81 Minutes | Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Circle/Chestnut Hill + Suburbs
