Everybody has guilty pleasure movies and I’m no different. These are the kind of movies we know are flawed and have a ton of problems but something about them evokes a sort of interesting feeling that is rather comforting or evokes feelings of nostalgia. This is the case for me with the critically panned Alvin and The Chipmunks but only the first movie. Based on the characters created by Ross Bagdasarian Sr, This chipmunk trio has had its rise to fame with a couple of hit songs and eventually a cartoon in the ’80s. Then in 2007, a CGI live-action hybrid movie came out under the chipmunk name and was met with less than lukewarm reception, but is it even as bad as most people make it out to be.
Dave Seville is a struggling songwriter who has trouble getting his music career and his life in general off the ground. His luck changes for the better and even for the worse when he discovers three talking chipmunks named Alvin Simon and Theodore whose home was recently chopped down and are looking for a place to stay. Dave initially declines but after discovering that the taking chipmunks can really sing, he makes a deal that if they sing his songs they get to stay in his house. Of course, a bunch of mischief and wacky shenanigans are in store. However, when the chipmunks suddenly become huge singing sensations a greedy music producer named Ian Hawk wants to milk out all the chipmunk’s talents even if it means harming their well-being in the process.
Trust me, this is not all the story consists of because there are a lot of pointless subplots and story arcs including a pointless romance that Dave has with a woman named Clarie as it doesn’t add much to the overall messages the movie tries to push out. This is also a CGI live-action hybrid family movie so it needs to check off the cliches that plague most of these movies like potty humor, rush character development and of course, product placement that tries to make the movie look hip and relevant but instead makes the film more dated. Luckily, underneath its juvenile coat of paint, I found that there was a good movie trying to get out cause there were a few clever moments of humor and redundant but also nice messages about the acceptance of fatherhood and the dangers of fame and fortune. There are much better movies that have tried to do what this movie is doing a million times better but I give the creators credit that they were trying to tell a decent and heartwarming story.
I admit I never have grown up watching Alvin and the Chipmunks in past reincarnations as the 2007 movie was my first introduction to the characters. Even though they work in the context of the story I kinda wish they were given more personality. The Chipmunks themselves are cute and somewhat mischievous and they do have defined personalities, but I wish their characteristics could have been pushed even further from a developmental standpoint. Jason Lee as Dave Seville can have his funny moments as well as your been there done that moments you would see in acceptance of fatherhood type stories. He works fine even if he may not be the best person to play the role. The one character I think is legitimately trying to be entertaining is David Cross as Ian Hawk. he plays your average over the top greedy music producer who only cares about the money, but cross’s sarcastic humor makes the character more entertaining to watch then it has any right to be.
I’d be lying if I didn’t say I like the animation on the chipmunks. They get a nice update from their original designs in the ’60s and the ’80s and they are scaled-down in size to look like real ataophormic chipmunks and it turns out to be really adorable. I also have a soft spot for concert-like settings in movies and this film delivers in the ways I would usually expect with the large stages with choreographed backup dancers and the chipmunks taking the center of the stage with their songs. Speaking of songs, there are quite a few of them in this movie. Most of the songs are original and they are added with some familiar tunes from other songs. Still, the original songs like How We Roll and Witch Doctor are catchy and full of energy even if despite the fact they are not going to be timeless in the long run. One thing I like is when the songs at first start out simple and fun and then turn out more corporate and modern as Ian tries to take control of the Chipmunks.
This is a movie I know is not good and yet I still find myself returning to it the same way that 90’s kids return to watching Space Jam. Maybe its because I grew up watching it as a kid and my nostalgia is clouding the real issues the movie presents itself with. Whatever the case, I will say that compared to most CGI live-action hybrid movies, you can tell that this movie wanted to tell a heartfelt story that is mostly familiar, but was unfortunate to have the cliches that make up most of these types of movies. Trust me when I say the sequels or “squeakuals” that came out after this did a much worse job in its storytelling. Even though this movie isn’t good in any shape or form. I still find myself coming back to it cause somethings about it just makes me feel like a kid again.
(Final Grade: C+)