MOVIE NEWS: Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Fun fact: the Chipmunks are over 50 years old. Well, the characters themselves — Alvin, Simon, and Theodore — are teenagers, but they were created in 1958. Since that time, they’ve had multiple hit songs, albums, TV shows, and even movies. I had a chance to see their new movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (clever title alert!) last weekend, and I’m here to share my thoughts.

The story picks up where the last movie left off. The Chipmunks are huge singing stars, touring Europe and playing sold-out shows.

Dave, their guardian, wants them to lead normal lives. He sends them to high school, where they discover they’re not the only group of singing chipmunks in the world. As the boys try to fit in at their new school, they must face off against the Chipettes — Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor — in a school singing contest.

Here are three observations about the movie:

1. It’s goofy. The filmmakers don’t spare any expense here putting the Chipmunks — and Chipettes — in strange circumstances to get a laugh. Think chipmunks playing dodgeball is funny? What about a chipmunk joining a high school football team? What about chipmunks making sure they’re all home at the same time to watch Animal Planet on TV? (What else would they watch?)

2. It’s seamless. If you think about it, the idea of talking chipmunks is pretty ridiculous. Where’d they learn to talk? How can people hear them at all? (In my experience, chipmunks don’t often have booming voices.) Somehow, the movie makes it all seem totally natural. The computer-animated chipmunk characters fit in perfectly with the live actors, and all the situations seem somehow normal.

3. It’s… the same old story. “Alvin!” If you’ve seen one Chipmunks movie, you’ve pretty much seen this one. The over-arching lesson is that you should share the spotlight and always support your family, but it takes a ridiculously long time for Alvin to learn that — even after his selfish antics put his family in harm’s way several times. By the last scene in the movie, I was ready to give Alvin a rest.

To be sure, this movie is intended for a younger audience, but it’s packed pretty full of the same goofy brand of fun as the first film in the franchise. If you were a fan of the original Chipmunks movie, and enjoy your laughs with a few tunes on the side, you’ll be a fan of the Squeakquel.

Talk to you soon, OWL readers!

Craig, owlblog@owlkids.com