एलविन एंड द चिपमंक्स

Alvin and the chipmunks. I guess just about anyone that has ever watched television cartoons knows them. Right before their 50th birthday they make another appearance, this time on the cinema screen in a film that just like Garfield (2004) combines live actors and computer graphics. The story of the film is no new one: a guy becomes the more or less unwilling host to the chipmunks as their tree is demolished and together they roll from one adventure into the other.

For the rest there is not much to tell about this film. It is worked out well enough and most kids will enjoy it. I know the one I watched it with did. It isn't half bad for the adults either. Graphics have been done well enough and the actors work with it well enough to make a nicely working film. Storyline is rather straightforward and very predictable, but not really to the point of being irritating.

All in all, typical children's film that works out well enough for the younger audience and that doesn't put the parents to sleep right from the start 6 out of 10 chipmunks singing

When the box office figures for the US came in this weekend I was absolutely horrified! Sure I expected I Am Legend to do well, but the amount that Alvin and the Chipmunks got ($40+ million!) seemed absurd. Added to that the fact that it had earned more than Golden Compass did in its opening weekend just seemed ludicrous. The trailers I had seen seemed very mediocre and I wasn't looking forward to seeing it that much. So what a surprise, and a delightful one, to say how much I really enjoyed the movie. Sure its a kids movie through and through, and if you're not into talking animals then you will come out of this movie and criticise its plot, script and usual more adult things that critics criticise about. But if you go in willing to sit back and enjoy the movie you will realise there is a lot to enjoy. The three leads themselves, Alvin, Simon and Theodore if you've never seen the Chipmunks before, are all very likable and have some hilarious moments. The movie features consistent humour that ranges from fart jokes for kids, to some really subtle references, most notably one to Die Hard where for one moment I thought Alvin was going to complete his Yipee Kiyay moment and make the parents gasp in horror, he doesn't so don't get too excited. The script itself is pretty decent, there are the obligatory clunky sentimental bits, but generally the movie is consistent and full of laughs. It does outstay its welcome admittedly and feels that little bit too long, but these are mere quibbles as this is a movie that is bound to entertain many kids and adults alike, and the fact this did better than Golden Compass no longer frustrates me, as this is admittedly a much better movie than Golden Compass.

The three leads of the movies are CGI creations, they are also surprisingly voice by Justin Long (Alvin), Matthew Gray Gubler (Simon) and Jesse McCartney (Theodore), though you'd never know as obviously their voices have been morphed so they sound much more like the Chimpunks. Anyway their voices sound perfect, Theodore's being the most distinct and will make many audiences world wide sit their and go awww. Alvin is a great lead and has some brilliant moments. Simon is the most dull of the three but has some pretty funny moments as well. But its when the three start singing the movie just comes to life, the Chimpunks Christmas song definitely gave the older members of the audience to relish in, and their rendition of Funky Town is by far the highlight of the movie. The actual adult cast themselves are pretty decent. Jason Lee, from My Name is Earl, is a decent enough lead and at least does better than the adult actors in Garfield who seem almost asleep. When the sentimental stuff kicks in admittedly he does stumble a little bit, but generally Lee is on top form and definitely isn't always overshadowed by the chipmunks. David Cross does the traditional villain role pretty well, although he does start to irritate after a while and when he goes into pure evil mode later on in the film he just seems a bit silly. But by far the worst character in the movie has to be Claire, played by Cameron Richardson, she is out of place in this movie and the romance thing never plays off at all.

Where Alvin and the Chimpmunks succeeds where movies such as Garfield and Scooby Doo have failed is the fact it succeeds in the comedy department. Sure the movie has its nostalgia factor, but if it wasn't funny then the movie would be a disaster. Thankfully this is a very funny movie. The fart jokes are obviously aimed at kids, but thankfully there aren't that many of them, in fact when you compare this to something like Garfield you realise how well the scriptwriters have done keeping this to a minimum. Slapstick is obviously a big part but done very well and there are many set pieces that will please audiences. The songs as I have said are definitely the highlights and as I've said before the Funky Town rendition is just pitch perfect. There are many one liners to be found as well amongst amongst some of the clunkers that appear later on. The sentimental scenes also are not as horrific as some more recent family movies have been. In fact some of the scenes generally do warm your heart.

Overall Alvin and the Chimpunks is a surprisingly good movie that is definitely something parents should take their kids to see this Christmas. While maybe not as good as Enchanted this is definitely better than Golden Compass, and kids will lap this up. So the obligatory sequel that will arrive seems perhaps a more joyful event then it seemed before I saw this movie. In fact a sequel now seems quite a decent idea.

I'm surprised at the disappointing reviews of this film. I can agree that Jason Lee wasn't the perfect person to play Dave but he still did a pretty good job. I mean, let's be honest here and admit that none of the acting is great in this movie. It isn't horrible but it isn't great either. The thing is that the acting is on par for 90% of kids films. Also, how much can we really expect when it is a story about 3 singing chipmunks? The delight of the film and what people (my family anyway) want to see is the chipmunks get down and boogie. This movie in my mind accomplished everything and more that it might have set out to accomplish. It is extremely funny at times and also has a few heart felt moments. The overall story was very good. There are some morals taught here and you don't always see that with these types of movies. If you are in for some slapstick chipmunk boogie and rock and roll then check this out. I can almost guarantee you that any kid under 12 will love it and it is still enjoyable for adults.

When I first saw the trailer to Alvin and the Chipmunks, I was horrified, I'm 22 years old, I grew up with the chipmunks cartoon in the 80's and 90's. But after thinking about it, the chipmunks have been around since the 50's, my generation's chipmunks were a new introduction to us as well as this movie is to the kids of 2007. So my boyfriend and I checked out Alvin and the Chipmunks tonite just to see what it was about and you know what? I think it was cute for what it was. There are flaws here and there about the film, but it was meant for the kids, you have to admit. But the voices and characters are cute and the story works. It's a new story to the chipmunk's tale and adventures.

Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, three singing, talking, and dancing chipmunks have just got their home(a tree, naturally) torn down and they are taken into the city. They jump into a basket being carried by Dave, a failing song writer, and they go home with him. He first shoves them off, but after hearing their singing, he comes up with the idea to write songs for them and see where it goes. They are a success and everything seems to be going very well for them. But until the music business takes advantage of them and tears their family apart, they realize that Dave is really who they need.

Alvin and the Chipmunks of course is not the movie of the year, but for a kid's movie, it was very cute. Judging from my generation of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, yeah, it was strange seeing them through what this generation considers cute and fun was a bit silly to me. I wished that they would've focused more on the building of the relationship between Dave and the boys, but I guess that might leave room for a sequel. Now, if you're looking for Citizen Kane, don't see this movie, if you're just looking for innocent fun and a cute family flick, I think you might enjoy Alvin and the Chipmunks.

5/10

(Synopsis) Three chipmunk brothers, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are living their lives in the forest storing nuts away for the winter when one day their tree is cut down and carried off into the city to become a Christmas tree. They must find a new home and they end up at Dave's house. The only thing that makes them different is that they can talk and even sing. Dave Seville (Jason Lee) is a struggling song writer who has a great idea about making the chipmunks a new show act, singing his songs. The only thing is that you must remember is that they are chipmunks and they act like chipmunks by tearing up Dave's house and interrupting his love life. However, they also begin to bond as a family with Dave becoming like a Dad. The chipmunks become a big hit and superstars with cute voices and fancy dance moves. The record company executive Ian (David Cross) sees big money in his future and takes over the act and pushes Dave to the side. Dave must try to save his little family before they becomes a show biz disaster.

(My Comment) I enjoyed this movie because it brought back good memories. I can't believe that their first song was recorded 50 years ago. They have that certain sound that just makes you smile when you hear them. You recognize their sound immediately. The animated characters of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are lovable now as they were 50 years ago. I always liked it when Dave would scream the name of "Aaaaalviiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnn!!!" and Alvin would say "OooooK!!!" Those two words just make you smile. Children of all ages can see this movie without any problem. I am sure that all the parents will like it, and I know your child will, because it is a fun movie. (20th Century Fox, Run Time 1:30, Rated PG) (8/10)