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Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked both made it into the Global Top 10 on Netflix, showcasing an unexpected comeback for the franchise. Along with the Chipmunks sequels, three other animated films also appeared in the Netflix charts, highlighting a dominance of animated content. It is possible that Netflix's algorithm is linking these animated franchises, as viewers who watched one film were recommended others on the list, creating a trend in multiple countries.

Two of the Alvin and the Chipmunks sequel movies squeak their way into the Netflix charts. Opening with 2007’s Alvin and the Chipmunks, the franchise is based on the animated band of chipmunks that first appeared in the TV series The Alvin Show in the 1960s. The first movie was followed up by three sequel films: Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip.

Ah, what Hollywood will do in the pursuit of family movie box office bucks. The studio executives love pre-sold properties, so for the past several years the rights to the Saturday morning superstars of yesteryear have been scooped up to attract not only the small set, but their parents who have nostalgic memories of wolfing down their sugar-blasted cereals in front of the old, glowing cathode tube babysitter. For most of these trips down memory lane, the classic characters are rendered in CGI alongside live actors, perhaps to set these new efforts apart from their limited cell animation roots. This may have begun with Casper, who frolicked with Christina Ricci and Bill Paxton, and continued with Scooby Doo ( and a CGI Great Dane ), Yogi Bear, this past Summer’s smash The Smurfs, and now the third of the movie series, Alvin And The Chipmunks : Chipwrecked. While they might be...