Yep, they’re still making these things.
At this point, it’s almost impressive (but really just kind of sad) that Alvin and the Chipmunks is on its fourth live-action/CG movie. Seriously, just let that sink in for a second: four movies. All the previous films, including the first one, were panned by critics and audiences alike, and yet somehow Fox is able to keep churning out sequels (or is that “squeakquels”?).
Granted, The Road Chip isn’t made for folks like me (a grownup), and I’m sure plenty of kids will laugh at the many, many poop and pee jokes scattered throughout the story, but Disney and Pixar this is not. This is dumb, silly, bottom-of-the-barrel stuff. At best, it will distract your kids for two hours, and you’ll chuckle at Alvin’s Pink Flamingos joke when he runs into John Waters.
In their latest adventure, Alvin, Simon and Theodore believe Dave (Jason Lee) is going to propose to his new girlfriend (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) in Miami and possibly dump them. They only have three days to get to him before he pops the big question and save themselves from gaining a terrible new stepbrother in Miles (Josh Green), who reluctantly tags along on the boys’ road trip.
We want to hear it.
Depressingly, the cast is great. You’ve got Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney reprising their voice roles as Alvin, Simon and Theodore, as well as Anna Faris, Christina Applegate and Kaley Cuoco (replacing Amy Poehler, who wisely jumped ship after Chipwrecked) voicing the Chipettes. Of course, the problem is that it’s impossible to tell who they all are since their voices are modulated beyond recognition.
Meanwhile, the human cast includes a very tired-looking Lee as Dave Seville (bless his heart, he’s been in every single one of these movies); Bella Thorne as an up-and-coming pop star; and, most notably, Tony Hale as a beleaguered air marshal and the requisite “bad guy” who’s after the Chipmunks.
Unfortunately, all these actors’ talents are wasted on obvious slapstick and a story that sounds like it was penned by a nine-year-old. Meanwhile, the Chipmunks themselves look no better than they did back when the first movie came out in 2007. (I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they were still using the original CG models.)
To its credit, The Road Chip features some catchy renditions of “Iko Iko” and “Uptown Funk,” which are right in the Chipmunks’ wheelhouse. But even the most avid Alvin fans probably won’t enjoy the oh-so predictable road trip storyline and cringe-worthy pop culture references. Better to just sit this one out and rent one of the classic Chipmunk toons instead.
Now four movies in, you probably know what you’re getting into with Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip. It’s conventional, nonsensical, pandering and crammed with potty humor. If there was ever any charm to this franchise, it’s long gone by now. Of course, this movie isn’t aimed at me, it’s aimed at children; but there are far better animated films that will entertain kids and parents, without resorting to the lowest common denominator. If anything, The Road Chip will just make you long for the days of The Chipmunk Adventure, which surprisingly still holds up. Actually, just go watch that instead.
