This time around, Alvin (voiced by Justin Long), Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Theodore (Jesse McCartney) have embarked on a cruise with their ever put-upon dad, Dave (Jason Lee). The "Chipmunks" franchise instead relies on badly done wordplay. The Chipmunks do have a certain cool cachet about them.īut for adults dragged out to the theater, "Chip-wrecked" isn't anywhere near the caliber of much smarter, wittier films that tout much better, sharper, more intelligent writing and are more successful at dabbling in clever pop culture references. And it's no wonder, considering the movie does barrage young film fans with Chipmunk-ized versions of their favorite songs from the likes of Katie Perry, Lady Gaga and even Willow Smith ("Whip My Hair," unfortunately, becomes "Whip My Tail"). They think our kids are stupid and it is this assumption that prevents the Alvin flicks from getting better and becomes, instead, the very reason for much of what is broadly wrong with children's movies in Hollywood - especially those that are made with a covetous eye on the ripe, festival season spoil.Sometimes you wish the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" franchise would just get stranded on a desert island somewhere, and it does in the latest Chipmunks film, "Chipwrecked," only not in quite the way you might have hoped.ĭespite stellar reviews for "The Muppets" and "Arthur Christmas," the young moviegoers in my charge insisted on seeing "Chip-wrecked" ? a film, by the way, they loved. This one, in particular, is given a nursery rhyme-like treatment. ![]() Its writers don't think hard enough and seem to rely too much on the Alvin brand, which they know ensures financial returns no matter how mediocre their effort. If you watch any of the Alvin trilogy, you won't be able to tell one from the other. An insipid treasure hunt subplot fails to pump any kind of suspense and thrill that could have made it enjoyable - if only slightly so.Īs a viewer, particularly an adult one, one looks for mirth and in that desperation, finds even David Cross' Chipmunks-hater Ian, the dullest character sketch in recent memory, massively funny. Simone is endearing and has the sort of energy and irreverent humour that the movie lacks. But it is, perhaps the closest you would come to having fun in this film. The Simone track, in any case, is inconsequential to the plot. A spider bite turns Simon into Simone, an amorous, French-speaking daredevil (Alvin floors a mademoiselle in the Squeakquel) who uses this opportunity to express his love to his amie. With the Chipettes around, there's scope for romance. ![]() ![]() ![]() With no roof over their head and nothing to eat (except a mango, causing them to behave like "animals"), they light fire, build a new home and adapt to their new surrounding with zest. Alvin, Simon, Theodore and the Chipettes (Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor) get separated from their daddy Dave (Jason Lee) and Uncle Ian (David Cross).
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