Movie Review: Alvin and the Chipmunks
If you go to see Alvin and the Chipmunks, you probably know what you’re getting yourself into. It’s a pretty thin premise, after all: Dave Seville (Jason Lee) and a chipper trio of woodland rodents—Alvin, Simon and Theodore, naturally—record catchy pop tunes whilst hijinks and hilarity ensues. The aim of this, the latest version of a franchise that’s mined these shallows for the past 50 years, is to present the basic origin story to an audience that probably has no idea what happens when you play a record at the wrong speed, assuming they’d even recognize a record player if they saw one. It’s also typical nostalgia-mongering aimed at parents who might be willing to take a chance on something they enjoyed as a kid. The good news here is that, due mostly to a pretty good cast and some excellent character design, the movie isn’t half bad, and may just be the best choice among the slim options of available kids’ fare this holiday season.
This movie’s Dave Seville is standard comedy cliche. He’s an undomesticated slacker, an aspiring musician terrified of commitment and growing cynical as he creeps toward middle age. When Dave discovers that a trio of talking, singing chipmunks have made a home in his Southern California bungalow, you can see the story arc coming a mile away. Fortunately, Jason Lee, dialing up his Gen-X slacker credibility, hits just the right notes. You know that he knows that this movie doesn’t need to try that hard. And knowing that he knows you know somehow helps. David Cross, best known for HBO’s Mr. Show, also contributes a solid performance as Ian, Dave’s former college roommate, now a soulless and manipulative Hollywood entertainment executive (yes, another cliche, but to be fair, is there really any other kind?). Ian is the id to Dave’s developing superego, and three tiny psyches hang in the balance. Lee and Cross have pretty good rapport on screen and Director Tim Hill, a veteran of SpongeBob SquarePants, manages to keep the whole thing silly and well-paced, despite the cookie-cutter kids movie plot.
As for the chipmunks themselves, the character design is surprisingly great. The animators managed to capture a well-considered mix of cartoon and furry creature. Even though, let’s face it (as the movie itself notes), the idea of singing, no-pants-wearing chipmunks is kind of creepy, these chipmunks are pretty cute. When they run on all fours, they look like you would expect chipmunks to look. At the same time, their little anthropomorphic faces are fairly expressive. And I had forgotten how much mileage can be gotten out of pop songs harmonized at a ridiculously high pitch (almost—but not quite—enough for a full-length movie).
The plot is the weakness here, but that’s not unexpected in a movie about pop-star vermin. The script often goes for the cheapest laughs. But I can say my three children I brought along to the screening (ages 4, 7 and 10) all really liked it. And the audience—mostly parents and kids attending a free preview—actually clapped when it was over. I also appreciated, as a parent, that the movie was good-natured and mostly age-appropriate. (If your child can handle the level of potty humor in a typical SpongeBob episode, there’s not much here to worry about.) The underlying messages in Alvin and the Chipmunks (kids shouldn’t be spoiled; parents should grow up, get over themselves and learn to say no; modern dance pop is insipid and evil) are pretty easy to get behind.
It’s not a great movie, but I was entertained and my kids had fun. If you’re looking for a movie to take young ones to this holiday season, you could do worse.
BTD Greg takes a bullet for the Kulturblog team! thanks, Greg. You can call dibs on the next one.
Comment by Supergenius — December 9, 2007 @ 10:32 pm
I want to see it just cause Jason Lee and David Cross (best known, I’d say, for his role as Tobias in Arrested Development!) are in it. But I doubt I’ll even catch it at the dollar theater. Probably catch it on TV sometime down the road.
Comment by Susan M — December 10, 2007 @ 9:18 am
Uh-uh. No way. Not come hell or high water am I letting my kids in on this horror. I remember the records (yes, I had actual records!) from my childhood of those noxious little rodents singing in their helium voices, and I will NOT SUBMIT AGAIN!
Comment by tracy m — December 10, 2007 @ 11:23 am
I’m sorry, but from the trailers and the pictures I have to say that the character design is grating. They look like annoying little self-assured shits.
Comment by a random John — December 10, 2007 @ 1:30 pm
This movie pretty much lost me in the previews, when Alvin ate Theodore’s feces. And that’s all I have to say about that.
Comment by Matt B — December 10, 2007 @ 2:48 pm
Haha! That seals it. Dollar theater!
Comment by Susan M — December 10, 2007 @ 2:53 pm
I must be shameless, but I thought the raisin/poop gag was kind of funny. I hadn’t seen any of the trailers. If it’s any consolation, this is as potty as the movie gets. (That, plus a single errant fart.)
Comment by BTD Greg — December 10, 2007 @ 3:31 pm
As someone whose father used to pull the old “eating raisinettes and pretending it was rabbit sign so we could freak the newb hunters out” joke, I’m not opposed to a raisin/poop joke. But I am totally and completely opposed to the movie on pretty much every other basis. I’m tired of watching shows I loved being mined and presented as half azz remakes to people who either don’t, or should, know better. If I wanted to see crap I’d have watched “Kangaroo Jack”, please don’t mess with my childhood!!!
Me, bitter? No, why do you ask?
Comment by mo mommy — December 12, 2007 @ 8:36 pm
hey alvin and the chipmunks is great i love it
Comment by brianna — December 19, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
hey alvin and the chipmunks are great i love them to death
signed:brianna lynne jackson
Comment by brianna — December 19, 2007 @ 3:37 pm
i think their cool whoever agrees with me say yes
Comment by lexxy — December 19, 2007 @ 3:41 pm
i loved the movie but i think the movie was really sad in parts so i didnt really like it
Comment by brianna — December 22, 2007 @ 9:56 am
Okay, since it was the only small kid friendly movie out (what do ya mean I can’t take my kid to Sweeney Todd?)dh and I took the kids. It was actually pretty cute and funny, and it kept the kids’ attention the whole time. For our 3 year old that’s a major feat. Plus some of the music had them dancing around. Hey, any family activity that doesn’t involve two boys trying to kill each other is tops with me.
Comment by mo mommy — December 28, 2007 @ 5:54 pm
[...] and learn to say no; modern dance pop is insipid and evil) are pretty easy to get behind. Kulturblog Posted on Thursday, January 3rd, 2008 at 9:03 am In Comedy, Kids | Comments RSS « I Am [...]
Pingback by Viewers Verdict - Alvin and the Chipmunks — January 3, 2008 @ 9:04 am
David Cross addresses in his blog the timely question of “WTF is David Cross doing in Alvin and the Chipmunks???” Very un-PG-rated, but funny, language within.
Comment by BTD Greg — January 3, 2008 @ 9:46 am
Alvin and the chipmunks rock!!!!
Comment by tree — February 27, 2008 @ 6:50 am