Member review

so... Alvin!!!!!! and the Chipmunks.

It was a weird experience the fact that it got pretty popular, let me explain. You see I only seen one of their films (Chip-Wreck) and the TV show and I wasn't aware it was popular in America. I live in Northern Ireland (if any of you Americans think this country doesn't exist).

I also wasn't aware they existed right in the 50s!

To give you the background, the creator is Ross Bagdasarian, born in 27th January 1919 in Fresno California to an Armenian American family. When WW2 started he was an control tower for over four years, he travelled in Europe in a town called Seville in Spain (remember that name).

After the war he started become a star writer and he's first hit was "Come on to my House" but it was rejected by many record companies for being (get this) "too ethnic". Um, oh... yeah that happened.

He did continue the novity records and he bought a tape recorder for 200 dollars (that is the US word for pounds in the UK) and ended up speeding up to create the Chipmunk sound, he literally spend he's family money! Which ended up being a huge success that was the Number One Hit in America.

So a new TV show was created and the name Seville is now Dave Seville and on top of that he based the character on himself.

He sadly passed away in 1972 of an heart and never got to see the success and the influence on pop-culture.

I mean you can argue that they are crude and low quality but that was change in a new TV show with an NPC series in the 80s that introduced us to the Chipettes. The creator of the show "Janice Karman" want to keep the original spirit but also updating them. How? By making it an comfort show by fleshing out the characters to make them relatable and also better animation quality because for an show from the 80s you can do a lot worse.

The three gods in Hinduism are Brhama, Vishhu and Shiva.

Brhama is The Creator (one with the three heads).

Vishhu is The Protector (one with the beautiful hair).

Shiva is The Destroyer (one with a different colour skin).

It has been compare in media like Star Wars, George Lucas is The Creator of the franchise, The TV shows like Clone Wars or Mandalorian keeps the original spirit but also making something new is The Protector and The Destroyer is Disney, yeah its pretty self-explanatory isn't it.

Now we are at the Live action movies, now its quite important that he's son help out both of the movies and the 80s cartoon. Oh god so maybe comparing it to The Destroyer is wrong I guess.

He also says this from an behind the scenes clip "We didn't want to make a movie that was just for four years olds or for five years olds. We wanted that group who'd grown up with them in the 80s and 90s who were now in their 20s to have something that was smart enough, sassy enough and fun enough for them not only to recognize the characters from their childhood but still able to enjoy them."

Are you sure about this?

Well I'm going to go in. Is Alvin and the Chipmunks really that bad? So without a further-a-do let's get into it:

Review:

The movie opens up with the Chipmunks singing Bad days in the woods but a tree gets cut down and transport to into Hollywood and we get our first moment of Dave. Well I guess Jason Lee A.K.A Syndrome is in this movie.

Before he go to show the song he made an awkward moment with he's ex if that's the intension.

Dave: "How's it going, I haven't seen you since, uh........"

I guess he's flaw he doesn't play the romance seriously, I've no idea what's the movie is going for. So the Chipmunks was in Jet Records and convincedly so is Dave.

I think its best to stop here and issues I had with this movie:

What's up with the design of the Chipmunks?: I don't know I'm not really the biggest guy on making characters more realistic in a live action scenario. I get the thought progress and granted the animation from a movie from 2007 isn't bad but I think they messed up the designs.

I get that kids would still enjoy it but I think it would better to make them a little colourful which that was why many recognize the originals then this which is more meme-able.

So I guess its now forgotten in pop-culture in a twist. Again they are nicely animated its that the designs what ruined it for me.

They also sing annoying pop songs which they are wild animals, where did they get that from?

Also Jason Lee's performance feels off, like when later after he got fired he is barely feels angry or frustrated after throwing the equipment out of he's house. Maybe he's secretly doesn't enjoy it and sorry for him.

So we are introduce the best character apparently, David Cross as Ian Hawk, he has been he's "friend" from collage and he's is just so mean spirited in this movie, oh wait! Its written by a Simpsons writer! So that's why he acts like Mr Burns to best compare. Also when you paused at 7 minutes making that clinch face is truly the most iconic face is movie history. He honestly steals the show and really my only interest, honestly watch this movie just for him.

Like when he first saw Dave he looks mad, surprisingly a little subtle here and also this dialogue:

Ian: "Let's talk about your song Dave."

Dave: "Well as crazy as it sounds uh-"

Ian: "Your song sucks Dave."

Dave ; "What?!"

Ian: "Your song, its awful. I hate it. There is no sense in writing songs that no one is ever, ever going to sing. If I wasn't your friend I'd say have you go right back out of this office and you keep writing music!"

So anyways Dave gets fired but the basket he steal ended up being with the Chipmunks, he steals a basket, is it supposed to make him any relatable because he did that out of spite.

Also product placements but to be fair its not that bad. Also a hilarious moments of things going on and oh look, Chipmunks doing pop songs after he kicks them out. Before we go any further this might be the worst paced movie I've see (so far).

What I'm trying to say is the movie is way too long like this is longer then your average Disney movie and why does it has to be an two hour an half movie. Like things kind of happens and I think the movie does an poor job for you get invested to the characters. At for 15mins running time I feel like I watched for 30minutes!

There isn't much room for character development unfortunately, Theodore is the fat, stupid one, Salmon is the smart one and Alvin the cool one. Wow what amazing character trades and sadly the movie doesn't explore it. Their motivations is way too similar of being family and you can know for 30 seconds, oh jeez I wonder if the movie's theme is family later on.

Also their parents are hippies so they can speak I guess, who cares!

Dave: "Guys we're going to have food all winter so if start storing it it's going to get gross and we are going to have roden-"

Shut up Dave! You do really need to lay off those slurs.

So they play a Christmas song and we get our iconic line "ALVIN!". Ha! He said it!

So they did went back to Jet Records but they got stage fright. See what I mean about the running time? Jeez you just want to pad out the running time in the most annoying ways! Like I want to get this movie over and done with!

Dave and Clare start their date but some how are eating slow roast that was somehow made in half an hour and this makes no sense because up until half an hour Dave forgot the date was even happening and of course for no reason Alvin tries to ruined it and makes him a creep.

Man I hate when CGI characters trying to ruin the humans life, compare to Paddington Bear in the first movie he did ruin the family house, twice but it works because he is unintentional did it and it shows how he's not very familiar with human daily lives simply because he's a young cub. Also he tries to protect himself from the lady that he thought it was some kind of elephant.

Here it doesn't work because Alvin did it on purpose and I'm like: Is it supposed to be funny because that's quite on an D move Alvin.

Clare leaves (for good) and Lee's acting is so brilliant.

He says "Alvin" again. So the Chipmunks leaves to Ian and he was impressed, (oh wonder he is going to do a bad thing).

So it was Christmas (well not this time) and does he has an family?

Dave: "I need an adult!"

Me: "I'm almost an adult"

Dave: "AHH-"

But then Ian comes in and the Chipmunks wins over to him and mess around a bit. So he actually wants to make them work to death because they are so popular, what a twist guys. Dave all for a sudden cause to care them? Dude, the only thing they benefit you is the music and that's it! So the Chipmunks realised that Dave doesn't need them and now wants to be with Ian, who a misunderstanding sub-plot. That is so sad guys!

We get this sigma line from Ian:

"I told you Dave, I never lose." He's the greatest villain in fiction.

So yeah they work them too death. That is illegally for conventions and this dude this so "EVIL". Also forgot to mention they play SpongeBob in the background.

Alvin: "This is absurd, I feel like P Diddy with fur." Huh, what you said? P Diddy with fur? That aged like milk if you know anything about Sean Diddy...

So they are tried and want to be with Dave now but got kidnapped and a chase scene happens but they are actually in Dave's car. Again there is no sense of pacing in this movie and the climax is barely there. So Clare is back, yeah. It ends off signature line "ALVINNNNNNNNNNNNN-"

Final Thoughts: So that was Alvin and the Chipmunks, it is Cinematic Classic Junk? Let's be real, yes it is:

"Your movie, its awful. I hate it. There is no sense in writing movies that no one is ever, ever going to watch."

Okay its not that bad but still its more of an guilty pleasure which included the fart and doo jokes.

They completely missed the mark why people love this franchise in the first place, I mean yeah I'm not the biggest guy on this franchise but say what ever you want if you like it or not but we had to admit the idea behind it is not soulless, they should have stay back in the 60s and they don't need this big MCU cop-out live-action franchise.

That is why I review this movie in the first place because to shine out how Alvin and the Chipmunks was an creative way of sound.

Also the theme of family is so tired slop and done in a way that kids need to learn basic facts right in the most strict , cookie-cutter and juvenile way. The movie ticks all of the Hollywood boxes to make an below average kids movie.

Will I review the rest of the Chipmunk sequels? No, just no. This movie is an easy watch and the best one because it has the least amount of pop songs and cringe humour but I'll definitely not recommended this movie. Like these sequels are bad as each other and get release every two years and the last fourth entry made the least money, wow it feels like Hollywood is milking it too death and I wonder what it reminds me of!

If I was to fix this movie:

I would make Dave more sympathetic by he's past and not getting together with any one in life and the Chipmunks where left abandoned by their parents and after Alvin not getting along with Dave and desire to go with Ian he realised that he is such an D head and set things right by helping the date because he's ex is he's only chance to find someone in life. Alvin and Dave tries to find their voice and both come with a smash hit song that sings the main theme (if there's any).

Sure it does retain the family theme but I did it in a reunited way of found family. Does that sounds interest to you? Does that leans to the source material but also keeping something new?

So that's everything I got to say!