I've never been a Chipmunks kid- as mentioned before, I was raised primarily on superheroes and dark comedies- but I do understand the basic premise: a music producer named Dave discovers three chipmunks who can sing, and the trio quickly become a hit while making mischief and having one-syllable personalities (Alvin= Jerk, Simon= Smart, Theodore =Fat). This franchise was huge in the early days of cartoon tie-ins, and led to a popular TV show adaptation that received a live-action reboot in the recent decade. Personally, I never saw the big deal- the characters were bland (especially the Chipettes- Girl Alvin, Girl Simon and Girl Theodore) and the high voices kind of got on my nerves- but I can see why people like it. What I can't see, however, is the point of the moral choices in The Road Chip.
Here's one of those comedies that gets the idea of divorce confused with a plot device. Self-appointed Chipmunk father Dave begins seeing a lovely woman named Samantha, and the chipmunks look forward to having a mother. The only downside is that this woman has a terror of a son by the name of Miles, who does not get along with our protagonists- except on the decision that his mother is better off without a husband. So when Dave takes a wedding ring to his vacation with Samantha, leaving Miles and the 'munks (that really sounds like a band name) home alone, they decide toput their differences aside for the purpose of getting to Miami and stopping the proposal- after which they never have to see each other again. Armed with only their wits and some cash, they start their odyssey with an air marshal by the name of Suggs in hot pursuit (no word on if he is related to Marvin Suggs, who plays the Muppaphone).
The main problem with this film comes not from the squeaky-voiced main characters, but from Miles- or, more specifically, his story. His father died when he was a toddler and this has turned him into a jerk, resilient to change and cruel to those he does not know. As someone all too familiar with the concept of having divorced parents, it's fair to say that not all kids turn out as jerky and misguided as Miles (or maybe he just doesn't want to be related to three singing chipmunks) Divorce used as a plot point or reasoning for a character's behavior has always been a pet peeve of mine, and here it's no different. I've harped on this before, so no point in it- but the forced emotion in these scenes drives me nuts.
The comedy here is no different from the other films- primarily jokes about small furry animals and butt waggling. It would be nice to have jokes aside from, "Look! Chipmunks!" once in a while. The one exception comes from a cameo by John Waters, involving Alvin making a reference to Pink Flamingos. I'll admit, it wasn't what I was expecting- but it did get me thinking how much more interesting it would have been for Dave's newly acquired beau to be the late Divine.
OVERALL RATING 4/10
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I wasn't a chipmunk fan before, and I'm still not. Those squeaky voices can carry some tunes, but divorce comedy isn't one. The best way to counter a bad film on a topic is with a good one- and luckily for us, there are two great ones in the Oscar nominated animations this year currently in theaters. Both the simplistic We Can't Live Without Cosmos and the wonderful and inventive Bear Story deal with separation much better than this while starring fewer characters and shorter running times. In a case like this, take quality over quantity.
The main problem with this film comes not from the squeaky-voiced main characters, but from Miles- or, more specifically, his story. His father died when he was a toddler and this has turned him into a jerk, resilient to change and cruel to those he does not know. As someone all too familiar with the concept of having divorced parents, it's fair to say that not all kids turn out as jerky and misguided as Miles (or maybe he just doesn't want to be related to three singing chipmunks) Divorce used as a plot point or reasoning for a character's behavior has always been a pet peeve of mine, and here it's no different. I've harped on this before, so no point in it- but the forced emotion in these scenes drives me nuts.
The comedy here is no different from the other films- primarily jokes about small furry animals and butt waggling. It would be nice to have jokes aside from, "Look! Chipmunks!" once in a while. The one exception comes from a cameo by John Waters, involving Alvin making a reference to Pink Flamingos. I'll admit, it wasn't what I was expecting- but it did get me thinking how much more interesting it would have been for Dave's newly acquired beau to be the late Divine.
OVERALL RATING 4/10
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I wasn't a chipmunk fan before, and I'm still not. Those squeaky voices can carry some tunes, but divorce comedy isn't one. The best way to counter a bad film on a topic is with a good one- and luckily for us, there are two great ones in the Oscar nominated animations this year currently in theaters. Both the simplistic We Can't Live Without Cosmos and the wonderful and inventive Bear Story deal with separation much better than this while starring fewer characters and shorter running times. In a case like this, take quality over quantity.
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