Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? If you like Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 92 minutes (~1.5 hours)
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” is the fourth instalment in the “Alvin and Chipmunks” franchise. It sees Alvin and the Chipmunks going on a (rather short) road trip to stop Dave from making a life changing decision. It stars Jason Lee (Dave Seville), Tony Hale (James Suggs), Kimberly Williams-Paisley (Samantha), and Josh Green (Miles). It features the voice talents of Justin Long (Alvin Seville), Matthew Gray Gubler (Simon Seville), Jesse McCartney (Theodore Seville), Christina Applegate (Brittany Miller), Anna Faris (Jeanetter Miller), and Kaley Cuoco (Eleanor Miller).
“Alvin and the Chipmunks” is one of those franchises that you either love or hate. If you grew up with those cartoons, you’re probably a fan, but if you didn’t then those squeaky voices are bound to grate on you. The thrill, of course, is seeing how these anthropomorphic chipmunks get into and out of hijinks, which this movie provides. Unfortunately, you also see a lot of humans in this film (without the Chipmunks), which isn’t really the point of Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Highlights
Brotherly vibe
The sibling vibe between the three Chipmunks is especially strong in this film, seeing as which there’s a possible disruption to the status quo of their family. When faced with a possible intrusion into their brotherly trio, the Chipmunks learn to appreciate each other more and stop bickering so much. It’s sweet to see them working together more for the greater good and also to learn what it means to be a family. The film even wraps this up with a touching gesture from Dave at the end.
Cute songs
If you don’t like songs sung in the sped up voices of the Chipmunks, then you’re totally missing the point of the movie. Once again, Alvin and the Chipmunks lapse into musical numbers complete with dance routines whenever the scene calls for it. It feels less forced and more organic this time, since the movie focuses more on the story than their singing.
Letdowns
Humans are annoying
The two new human characters, Miles and Suggs, are basically pests in a movie that is, ironically, about rodents. Miles is an irredeemably spoilt teenager who’s a horrible caricature of all the worst traits of the latest generation of kids. Suggs is a slapstick, unfunny antagonist who’s so unbelievably incompetent that you don’t know how to react to him. The problem is that the movie takes time to show us what these two characters are up to, time which could have been spent on showing us more of the Chipmunks.
More songs needed
The downside of having the songs be more organically integrated is that there aren’t enough of them. Even the final act seems to lack length and energy. The premise of the film is to see singing Chipmunks perform, so hey, why not give us more of them?
Not enough of the Chipettes
The Chipettes are put on a bus for the majority of the film, which is a pity because they add a fresh dynamic to Alvin and the Chipmunks. When they return, the Chipmunks all behave differently, which gives us more interesting interactions between all the six characters. More of the Chipettes, rather than the humans, would have been a much better directorial choice.
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” gives us back our favourite Chipmunks, but too many humans and not enough Chipettes waters down the appeal of the film.
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” opens in cinemas 24 December, 2015 (Thursday).
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