Alvin and the Chipmunks
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Movie Reviews of Alvin and the Chipmunks
Movie Review: Alvin? Alvin? Allllllllvin!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
My wife and I just bought this movie and after watching it, it proves that the T.V. and newspaper critics are wrong. But then again, that's what happens when you rely on an opinion. The best way to judge a movie is if it peaks your interest, go see it. If we see a commerical for a movie and it slightly peaks our interest then we wait for it to be released on DVD.
The story follows 3 chipmunks, Alvin and his brothers; Theodore (the one with the baby fat) and Simon (the intelligent one with the glasses). Remember the popular cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks? Anyway, after their tree is cut down by man, they cross paths with Dave Saville (Jason Lee from My Name is Earl and A Guy Thing), who is a struggling music writer. Dave thinks hes found his big break (he gets an idea to create a Christmas song that most of us had heard on the radio during Christmas time) and tries to convince Ian (David Cross from Men in Black 2 and Scary Movie 2) who is the chairman of Jett Records. They get cold feet. At times the little fury cuties get on Dave's nerves as he hasn't fully accepted them in his house. When Alvin and the Chipmunks go to Ian to try to fix their relationship with Dave, they inadvertnly cause themselves harm. Ian sees visions of money...in his pockets. He cooks up a scheme to lure the chipmunks (who are just kids) away from Dave so he can put them through a grueling European concert tour and a whole lot more. Enriching himself at the expense of the chipmunks. Will Ian succeed? Will Dave be able to save them?
This movie was very cute. The chipmunks while they are a product of CGI animation, they were so adorable. The movie does take place right before Christmas so it seems like a holiday movie. The movie does have its funny parts, drama, and heart warming charm. I will admit that I was like," Awwwwwwww", when Theordore had a nightmare and asked Dave if he can sleep in his bed that night. Dave reluctantly said yes and told him to sleep on the other side of the bed, however Theordore cuddled up on Dave's forehead and wrapped himself in a little ball. So cute! While the animated cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks wasn't at the top of my list when it was on ( I liked Scooby Doo, The Jetsons, He-man, The Gobots, Heathcliff, Tom and Jerry, The Real Ghostbusters, The Ghostbusters, Woody Woodpecker, Space Ghost, Transformers, and the Hurculoids; just to name a few ;-), this movie was indeed very cute with some spirts of comedy. I will admit that I did watch the cartoon when it was on before I had to go to school.
Hardly any foul language. Just one minor possible issue. Watch out for the part when the chipmunks are singing, Ian says," Make love to the music." Awkward moment alert! This is the only part that might make parents squirm but the scene moves very quickly so it will be unnoticed. I just happened to hear it, most times I'm oblivious, lol until I've watched a movie several times.
The movie has both fullscreen and Widescreen versions on one disc. Side A has fullscreen and side B is widescreen. The movie looked great on a LCD TV and playing it on a 1080p upconverting DVD (recordable) player showed an even beautiful picture. Some minor additions to the DVD include an extra about Alvin and the Chipmunks and a sampling of their music. Alvin and the Chipmunks is a great family addition to your DVD collection as well as anyone elses. Enjoy it!
Movie Review: OOO EEE OOO AH AH!
Summary: 5 Stars
For many of us our childhood was filled with the memory of three little voices singing in beautiful high pitched harmony. Granted those voices were sped up singers whose altered versions were representing three loveable rodents, but to us it didn't matter. Alvin and the Chipmunks were as real as anything else on TV. Now, Alvin and his brothers Simon and Theodore receive an update and it's not half bad.
David Seville (Jason Lee of MY NAME IS EARL) is a down on his luck songwriter whose songs are too cutesy for ex-friend and mega mogul record producer Ian (David Cross). But all that changes when he inadvertently comes across three singing chipmunks that turn his song about Christmas wishes into what is a potential blockbuster. Once Ian hears the song and realizes the potential, he comes across big time with a set up that will make the boys stars.
Dave, while trying to set boundaries up letting the three know that they are working together and nothing more, begins to grow attached to the little guys. He may be strict on a few items but he has their best interests at heart. Not so Ian.
Ian sees nothing more than dollar signs when he hears them singing. He begins a campaign to lure them away and make them the latest pop sensations of the world. His lavishing of gifts and wooing of the boys via their egos results in Dave being left behind while Alvin and his brothers live a life of luxury and non stop toys.
But all of this comes with a price as the chipmunks are worked non-stop. New records, merchandise and a worldwide concert tour take their toll and they reach a point of exhaustion. Too bad Ian sees them only as rodents that are there to do nothing more than increase the size of his wallet.
It's up to Dave and his old girlfriend to save the day and rescue Alvin, Simon and Theodore. But will they be too late? Will the boys finally realize that Dave was right all along? And will Ian be able to stop any attempt at rescue that is made?
Okay face it, you know the outcome of a movie like this. It's not the answer to that question that makes you watch. It's more about the interplay between the characters, even if three of them are computer generated. You still find yourselves attracted to the cute little guys and want the best for them.
The movie features over the top performances by all cast members, but that should be expected in a movie aimed at the elementary school level audience. They'll be more interested in the three main characters anyway and touched by scenes such as Theodore climbing into bed to sleep with Dave after having a nightmare.
At least two classic Chipmunk songs are featured here, one sounding much like the original while the second gets an update. A few scattered gastro intestinal jokes are offered for the new generation, but on the whole this is a movie that the entire family can watch together. That alone makes this movie a fun watch for everyone.
Movie Review: Allllvin!
Summary: 5 Stars
The lackluster cover design on the DVD case in no way reflects the movie. It's true they pay people to design these covers, but I nearly always think they'd be better with actual stills, especially in the case of animation. Forget that bad marketing decision, and slip in the disc. Immediately you're transformed back to the whimsical sense of the original "The Chipmunk Song" which took radio by storm so many decades ago, and for those lucky enough to remember it, to the great '60s cartoon, "The Alvin Show". At the end of the film, the credits even include some of the sleeves for the singles and albums, including Chipmunk Punk, the album that spurred the Chipmunk revival and their eventual return to TV.
This film is a lot better than I expected, and the interview with Ross Bagdasarian explains why. He and Janice had the sense to try and make a family movie that wasn't dumbed down and stupefying. ABC Family, whose motto ought to be "No Kind of Family" could take a lesson here. Alvin has style and verve without trying to be Adult Swim. Jason Lee is dead on as Dave Seville, although the cartoon Dave yelled "Alllvin!" more often.
The Chipmunk Song arrives in a suitably ramped up version, but one wonders why Dave Bagdasarian's other early radio hit, "The Witchdoctor" was recast in a hip hop/ disco/ pop mash that manages to be both overdone and a snooze at the same time (like much radio pop). In the interview Janice B. says that they wanted to keep updating the Chipmunks to keep them fresh. That led to the addition of the Chipettes in the recast TV show. That show proved a popular comeback, but later efforts smoothed off so many rough edges that the later 'toon chipmunks could pass as Care Bears. This film brings back the curious trio's animal instincts (they are Chipmunks) while echoing their individual traits as developed in the cartoons.
What's missing from the mix, of course, is the '60s TV show. There's a tantalizing glimpse of it in an included featurette on the History of Chipmunkmania. This merely shows how great the modern, simple art of the '60s was compared to the later cartoons, not unlike classic "pie-eyed" Mickey Mouse compared to ghastly later versions as Disco Mickey. Disney had the sense to bring back the modern, retro Mickey, and hopefully the '60s The Alvin Show will also find its way onto DVD. The shows made a brief return as segments of Wienerville on Nick, which dropped the little orange Nick logo into the opening titles.
Hopefully the Monks don't go Garfield, and start appearing in every style of CGI and animation possible, but rather release their extensive back catalog, and as with this film, remain true to Dave Seville AKA Bagdasarian's original vision.
Movie Review: Unabashedly Cute
Summary: 5 Stars
The latest incarnation of the late David Seville's fuzzy musical rodents is a definite winner.
We are first introduced to the brothers, Simon (the smart one), Alvin (the "awesomest"), and Theodore, (the sweet sensitive one) in their natural habitat, a mountainous area with pine trees as they struggle to store nuts while singing the cutest version of "You Had a Bad Day", harmonizing perfectly.
Strangely, the humans about to cut down their tree don't notice their singing. But their adventure begins when their habitat is hauled away by truck with them inside, and their tree is decorated for display in the lobby of a recording studio where they have their first encounter with Dave Seville (Jason Lee), an amature songwriter whose latest idea has just been rejected by college mate, Ian (David Cross) the head and CEO of Jett Records.
Leaving behind their tree, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore ( voiced by Justin Long, Matthew Gray Guber, and Jesse McCartney) stowaway in the basket of muffins a dejected Dave stole from Ian's office.
Once in Dave's home, the trio initially get off on the wrong foot. But once Dave realizes they can sing, he lets them stay, and is inspired to continue pursuing a career as a songwriter.
Childish missteps and faux pas from the trio--especially Alvin-- test Dave's patience, and in the meantime, he works to rekindle a romance with his ex-girlfriend, Claire (Cameron Richards).
Soon, Ian gets wind of the trio's vocal abilities, and they rocket to fame. Dave is a careful and frugal surrogate parent to the critters he slowly comes to view as his children. But Ian seduces them away from Dave, and they end up spoiled, overworked, and mistreated. The scene where Baby Theodore realizes that Ian lacks the true affection Dave showed for him and his brothers might result in a charge of animal cruelty in real life, and there is a wistful moment where we watch the little critter wander away hurt and disillusioned.
But when they see how much Dave cares for them, the ending is predictable, and life for the musical, mischeivous, one-liner-filled "Fab furs" ends literally on a happy note.
There is a bit of unnecessary crassness in this production, but 50 years after his singing chipmunks first became a sensation, David Seville can rest assured that his legacy is in very good hands.
Movie Review: Probably in the minority on this one...
Summary: 5 Stars
When this movies came out last year I had a conversation with my mom like this about what movie to see:
Me: Mom what movie do you want you see?
Mom: Anything BUT Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Me: Why?
Mom: Because it looks really stupid and I refuse to go see it!
Well after two days of nagging my mom (mind you I was 22yrs at the time) I finally convinced her to go see it with me. We probably were the oldest people to go and see it voluntarily because mostly children under the age of twelve were there with their parents. By the end of the movie my mom still didn't like it, but admitted it probably wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be. As for me, I LOVED IT!!!
I ended up buying it and my best friend that I live with has a one year old baby and it is one of his favorite movies so it works out really well even though his mom is annoyed by it for the most part.
I am not sure if I love it because I have fond memories of watching the 1908's incarnation the of the Chipmunks or because I love music or both... Either way I thought that they very accurately represented what the television show was about: Family. Even though it is about a man raising three chipmunks, it is really just about a single man taking in three orphans and learning to love them as his own. The great thing about the movie is that it also plays very well on the perils of fame and how hard the entertainment industry is on children. On top of that has great music and a great sense of humor.
Granted, many adults like my friends and mother, will find this movie to be very obnoxious, but if you have children or are a kid at heart, you need to get this movie!!! Jason Lee does a wonderful job as Dave, and David Cross is hilarious as Dave's record industry mogel friend Ian. Yes, its juvenile, yes its silly, and yes its absoutely %100 percent ridiculous, but it is also great entertainment.
God Bless ~Amy