Following the commercial success of the live-action movie, “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” a follow-up was greenlit by 20th Century Fox (pre-Disney purchase) to bring back families and animal lovers back for more. This time, The Chipettes make their live-action film debut in “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.” Released in 2009, (same year Coraline came out) The Squeakquel earned negative reviews and became a commercial success. Two more sequels came out in 2011 and 2015. They’re all garbage.
It doesn’t matter If SPOILERS are listed. The Chipmunk movies are really bad.
Right & Wrong Aspects
Right: Jason Lee & David Cross reprise their roles. They did a solid job for their respective performances.
Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler & Jesse McCartney reprise their roles as the titular band. Another easy paycheck. Let’s face it, anybody can voice a chipmunk. Editing software alters your voice to high pitch.
Speaking of another easy paycheck, Christina Applegate, Anna Faris & Amy Poehler voice The Chipettes. Again, anybody can play a chipmunk.
Mr. Lee didn’t appear that much. At the time, he was busy filming “My Name Is Earl.” A darn shame NBC cancelled it after ending on a cliffhanger. As I’ve mentioned on my review of the first movie, I’ll never forgive NBC. This is why we can’t have nice things.
Zachary Levi did an ok job for his performance as Dave’s brother, Toby.
Only two jokes made me laugh. The Chipmunks & Chipettes have a love at first sight moment. While Toby’s asleep, farts on Theodore.
Wrong: Betty Thomas (The Brady Bunch Movie, Dr. Dolittle 1998) did a poor job directing The Squeakquel.
Visual Effects still look fake. Seeing The Chipmunks & The Chipettes interact with a human looks obviously fake. Dr. Manhattan’s C.G.I. body in “Watchmen” felt 100% authentic.
Jason Lee didn’t improve Dave’s catchphrase, “ALVIN!” Still stiff. Christian Bale yelling F-Bombs at a crew member on the set of “Terminator Salvation” felt real.
Unlike The Chipmunk Adventure, The Chipmunks & The Chipettes never form a rivalry. Both of ’em are in love. What if the contestants from “Rat Race” only worked together thought the entire movie instead of every man or woman for himself/herself. By the way, Rat Race is one of my guilty pleasures growing up. It’s a classic.
Although two jokes made me laugh, the rest of the jokes aren’t funny. “Land of the Lost” starring Will Ferrell had better Comedy. Another guilty pleasure of mine besides Rat Race.
Dave’s girlfriend, Claire is absent without further explanation.
Alvin participates in Football game. “Stuart Little 2” did it better. Except Stuart played soccer.
I didn’t care about every single character going through heck. That’s its greatest sin, not give a crud. No real stakes or Character Development involving our main leads. To paraphrase “Seinfeld.” “It’s a movie about nothing!”
Digger the NASCAR mascot randomly shows up. Non-NASCAR fans won’t get the reference.
When Dave’s aunt got injured, the trio try to come up with an excuse she’s not around. Theodore said, She’s practicing her pople dancing.” UGH! Did the producers forget this is a kids movie, not Lindsay Lohan’s “I Know Who Killed Me?”
The Chipettes never got a proper origin story. They arrive in a FedEx package.
Unfunny Pop Culture References to R-rated movies like “Taxi Driver” & “Apocalypse Now.” The worst reference, Alvin quotes Hannibal Lecter’s line from “The Silence of the Lambs.” “Fava beans and a nice chianti.” “Madagascar” did it better. Skipper said this bit. “We killed them and ate their livers.” Heck, “Shark Tale” made better references to R-rated gangster movies.
Toby manages to win the girl of his dreams by singing off-key. In the words of Simon Cowell. “What the bloody hell was that?”
Alvin doesn’t wear his signature hat. He worst at the end of the last movie.
Ian’s scheme to use The Chipettes as a franchise is basically the first movie all over again.
The Chipettes become famous singing cover songs rather than original material like “The Chipmunk Song” from the first movie.
Towards the end, Dave adopts The Chipettes. Making them adopted sisters to The Chipmunks. This never happened in the cartoon. The girls were adopted by their human mother, Beatrice Miller. The Squeakquel did them dirty. They’re not alone, Fox also effed up Goku & Wolverine in their movies, “Dragon Ball: Evolution & “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”
The Final Verdict: F, FOR FAKER!
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel is one of the worst movies of 2009. The live-action Chipmunk movies belong in the sewage. Skip them in favor of the ’80s cartoon and The Chipmunk Adventure.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 