Space Chimps is a fun movie, even though I expected far less than the film actually delivered. The creatures are none too scary, and the good guys—the chimps as well as the friends they acquire while on their mission—are, admittedly, pretty cute. Several positive themes and lessons are woven into the movie as well: friendship, self-sacrifice, and mutual understanding, in addition to numerous others. Another important message within Space Chimps is that none of us is immune from taking advantage of those weaker than ourselves—a clear and gentle reminder for each of us. This is one of those rare occasions where a simplistic story is at least entertaining enough to keep adults interested.

Occasionally, a “merely entertaining” film goes beyond entertainment and reaches into innovation; and as hard as 21 tries to reach the realms of thoughtful and innovative, it falls smoothly back into the fairly fun Las Vegas romp one would expect. The “fact-based” film follows a group of MIT students who count cards—a hobby which (under a professor’s guidance) eventually becomes extremely profitable. Unfortunately, the adapted screenplay (based on Ben Mezrich’s Bringing Down the House) squeezes out all the mathematical intrigue (as Barbie famously said, “Math is hard.”). So, while this is no Oceans 11, there is enough to like about this film to keep it squarely in that “entertaining” category. And ultimately, though lacking MIT-level excellence, a solid “B” may still provide an enjoyable time at the movies.