एल्विन एंड द चिपमंक्स: चिपरैक्ड

I hate it when adults try to dissect a movie obviously addressed to kids and start talking about concepts and ideas and cliches and so on. Ask your kids if they liked it or not, that's all! Mine loved it and asked to see it again and again (they actually loved all the movies in the new series). So from a child's perspective the low rating is undeserved.

Dave (Jason Lee) takes the Chipmunks and the Chipettes on a cruise ship. Ian (David Cross) is bitter for losing his job and is now the pelican mascot. Alvin's irresponsible ways get the Chipmunks stranded on a tropical island where they encounter Zoe (Jenny Slate) who has been stranded for 8 or 9 years. Dave and Ian get thrown overboard and washed up on shore.

This is pretty horrible for the first third. The Chipmunks are so fake already. Putting them on cruise ship only adds to the glaring artificially of the whole enterprise. This seems hopeless but the movie adds Jenny Slate to joke about 'Cast Away'. It should be a straight shot to spoof that movie. Zoe could ask the Chipmunks about the world in the last 8 year and they could make up a lot of fun misunderstood news. There are a million ways to add comedy to this but I don't think the writers care. This is strictly for the littlest kids and any real jokes are superfluous.

I remember when I was a kid and this was popular. I guess all things are new again. This is the third of the Alvin movies that have been made. It's a blend of live action and computer animation. The story is cute and will engage kids of 5 and younger but I did not think it needed to be on the big screen. This was a movie that was fine on a straight to DVD release. A mix of pop music and funny life lessons about family that only rates a yellow light.

Alvin and his friends are going on a cruise to attend an international award show. They get into typical Chipmunk shenanigans on the cruse and in a series of events they get swept off the ship and land on an island. Dave (Jason Lee) and his arch nemesis, and previous Chipmunk manager, Ian (David Cross) inadvertently join forces to rescue them.

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"Alvin and the Chipmunks" is a franchise that's been getting much popularity with many kids of passing generations. The film series, based on the 80's to 90's cartoon, based on the 50's album, tells the story of the relationship of Dave Sullivan taking care of 3 chipmunks who become rock stars, and it's been told as it's been. The film series is something that most people find to be anything, but masterpiece material.

With the first film, it was a decent film that introduced the new generation to Alvin, Simon and Theodore, on how they met Dave Suvil, played by Jason Lee, but didn't do as good as was expected. The film, however, was far from terrible, so it was something one could watch and enjoy from time to time. The second film however, didn't do as well as the first. It felt too much like the first film, with David Cross being the film's antagonist again, and repeating some of the same jokes. With the new film, only four words would describe it.

It's not the 'Squekquel'.

The new film does try to work in a new kind of concept and bring something new into it, but mostly falls flat due to most clichés. This is the only movie where David Cross isn't the villain and it doesn't involve any of the chipmunks or chipettes in cages. I do give credit for trying, but it's not enough to say that it's as good as the original. I'm not saying that it's TERRIBLE or anything, but it's not good either. Some of the jokes in the beginning along with some scenes with David Cross are what I seemed to have laughed. The pop-culture references and songs sung in the film are sort of recognizable, but some aren't ones that I'm not very fond of.

Another thing that is kind of upsetting is the cast of characters. If they're going to alter the voices anyway, then they could've just gotten some new actors to do it anyway. But then again, some people are desperate for work and will do anything for a paycheck. Would I say it's bad? Mostly, but it has it's moments sometimes. Would I pay tickets for this in the theater? Technically, I did, but for others, I'd wait to rent it.

Such an easy movie to bash but fairly enjoyable despite many flaws! It's beyond me how this movie got approved at least the trilogy is over. Jason Lee, David Cross and the rest of the cast are pretty decent shockingly! Sometimes I like a guilty pleasure even if its a little annoying.