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Alvin and the Chipmunks
Movie Stats & Links |
| Starring: |
Jason Lee, David Dross, Cameron
Richardson |
| MPAA Rated: |
PG |
| Released By: |
20th Century Fox |
| Web Site: |
alvinandthechipmunksmovie |
| Kiddie Movie: |
It's really for
them. |
| Date Movie: |
Only if you're
bringing the kids. |
| Gratuitous Sex: |
Nope, but some
skimpy outfits on the back-up dancers. |
| Gratuitous
Violence: |
Cartoonish. |
| Action: |
Not really. |
| Laughs: |
Mostly for the
kids. |
| Memorable
Scene: |
Nothing really. |
| Memorable
Quote: |
Nothing comes to
mind. |
| Directed By: |
Tim Hill |
| Produced By: |
Ross Bagdasarian
Jr., Janice Karman |
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Alvin and
the Chipmunks
A Movie Review |
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Maybe it’s just me, or maybe it’s because I’m old, but
you would think that with the advances in technology that
our beloved Chipmunks, namely Alvin, Simon, and Theodore,
would still have the chipmunk voice but you would be able to
understand them a little better. Not so. And you would also
think that they could write a story a little more creative
than the Chipmunks being seduced by a dirty record company
executive. Not so. Even so, I didn’t think "Alvin and the
Chipmunks" was all that bad.
As I eluded, the story for "Alvin and the Chipmunks" is
pretty simple. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are living in the
woods when their pine tree gets chopped down for an office
Christmas tree, and the boys come along for the ride.
Seeking a life of ease, the boys then stowaway with Dave
(Jason Lee), a struggling songwriter who is friends with the
evil record dude, Ian (David Cross). Sure, Dave quickly
accepts the fact that he has talking Chipmunks, especially
when he finds out they can sing, but they are rambunctious
creatures, messing up Dave’s pad, but all seems well when
the boys have Ian record "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t
be Late), and Dave does his best to keep the boys grounded
as they enter the rock star world.
But Ian sees an opportunity to exploit the Chipmunks for
financial gain, he splits them up from Dave as sleazy record
company people do, gives them a life of excess, and works
them until they become tabloid fodder.
Can Dave save the heroes from a life of booze, drugs, and
cheap women? Of course he can, this is a children’s movie,
and he does so just in the nick of time.
And, oh yea, of course the movie has a love story built
in for no real reason, namely Dave trying to woo his
ex-girlfriend, Claire (Cameron Richardson).
For the kiddies they will probably really like "Alvin and
the Chipmunks," and most of the kids in the theater when I
saw it seemed entertained, although they did start to become
distracted during the romantic dinner scene. For the adults,
it’s not horrible. Jason Lee does a nice job as Dave,
keeping him friendly enough in a quirky sort of way, and
David Cross is good as the sleazy record dude. The CGI of
the Chipmunks themselves is done fairly well, giving each of
the boys their own character, but I still can’t believe they
are so hard to understand.
There’s nothing special about "Alvin and the Chipmunks,"
but it seems okay in a kids kind of way, and of course what
would a kid’s movie be without a fart joke. It’s 2 ½ stars
out of 5 for "Alvin and the Chipmunks."
That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!!
L8R!!! |
