'Chipmunks' a squirrelly movie that will drive you nuts
No matter how dumbed-down the dialogue gets, no matter how stupid the characters act, baby boomers won't be able to resist Alvin, Theodore and Simon warbling "The Christmas Song."
It's the nostalgic highlight in this otherwise dimwitted comedy titled "Alvin and the Chipmunks."
Wait! Isn't Alvin a chipmunk, too? When you think about it, "Alvin and the Chipmunks" is a little like saying "apples and fruit." Isn't it?
Jason Lee stars as the legendary Dave Seville (real name: Ross Bagdasarian Sr.), here a frustrated songwriter whose songs stink so bad that his college buddy Ian Hawk (David Cross), a bigwig record company executive, gives him the icy cold shoulder.
When three talking chipmunks wind up in Dave's kitchen one night, what does Dave do? He gets really mad at them for messing up his place and orders them out into the pouring rain. Hey, a single guy can't have chipmunks running all over his pad.
Then, when the chipmunks start harmonizing, Dave changes his tune.
Singing chipmunks! Now that's a novelty act!
Dave bangs together a tune based on the harmonized snores of the little critters.
Voila! "The Christmas Song" puts Dave on the pop tune map. (This, despite the fact that the "real" Dave Seville employed the Chipmunks on an earlier hit, "Witch Doctor.")
Soon, wily Ian swoops in and lures the chipmunks away from Dave. Ian gives the computer-animated trio a new set of duds and a new, edgier attitude. Simon's old, round eyeglasses, given to him by Dave, get replaced by the cooler, square frames worn by Ian.
Will Dave ever get his chipmunks back?
Will Dave ever actually date this film's flimsy excuse for a romantic interest, a dullard photographer named Claire (Cameron Richardson)?
To director Tim Hill's minor credit, the distinct original personalities of the chipmunks have miraculously survived their rocky transition from 2-D cartoons on their 1960s TV series to this merger of live action and CGI.
Alvin is the scamp with the 'tude. Theodore remains the ditz, the furry equivalent of the trio's dumb blonde. And Simon stays wise without the cracks, which belong to the snippy Alvin.
Kids who just want to hear the chipmunks talk like their Uncle Bill after a toke of helium at a family reunion will not be disappointed by "Alvin and the Chipmunks.
I have to admit, when the emotionally arrested Alvin finally fesses up his true feelings for Dave, it's an "aah" moment in the midst of many more aaaahful ones.
Note: The Chipmunks made their first record album in 1958. In this movie, Seville's address is 1958. The Chipmunks have also won five Grammys and zero Oscars. Since an Academy committee ruled "Alvin" to be ineligible as a "Best Animated Film" nominee, it looks like it will stay that way.
"Alvin and the Chipmunks"
1 1/2 stars out of four
Opens today
Starring As
Jason Lee Dave Seville
David Cross Ian
Cameron Richardson Claire
Justin Long Alvin (voice)
Matthew Gray Gubler Simon (voice)
Jesse McCartney Theodore (voice)
Screenplay by Jon Vitti, Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi. Produced by Ross Bagdasarian Jr. and Janice Karman. Directed by Tim Hill. A 20th Century Fox release. Rated PG. Running time: 91 minutes.