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Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
| Released |
16 December 2011 |
| Director |
Mike Mitchell |
Starring
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Jason Lee, David Cross, Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney, Jenny Slate |
| Writer(s) |
Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger |
| Producer(s) |
Neil A. Machlis |
| Origin |
United States |
| Running Time |
87 minutes |
| Genre |
Family comedy |
| Rating |
G |
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A wreck indeed.
If I desired an hour and a half of painful viewing, this film would be right up there at the top of my to-do list. Funnily enough, painful viewing is not normally at the forefront of any agenda and, thus, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked proved to be one of those unfortunate periods of time that you just know you will never, ever get back again.
The third instalment of the movie franchise is probably the worst out of the trio, which is really saying something given the fact I wouldn't rate the other two that highly either. As a child I actually enjoyed the cartoons so it is not like there is an overriding passion of disdain towards the high-pitched critters but that doesn't ultimately save the motion picture nonetheless.
In this bout of high-octane singing action, the Chipmunks, Chipettes and their owner Dave set off on a holiday cruise only to be separated and...ahem...chipwrecked...on a deserted island following a glider accident. While the furry animals attempt to comically adapt to life alone, making reference to other mainstream island classics like Cast Away and Lost, Dave and arch-rival Ian embark on a journey of their own as they attempt to find their little friends.
Strangely, there actually isn't as much of the trademark singing as you would come to expect, which is a welcome relief, as the story concentrates more on the escapades they all get into while trying to survive life in the wild. There are no laugh out loud moments and there are barely even any pity laughs, though Jason Lee and David Cross do provide some decent one-liners as the two hapless humans.
Kids under the age of ten will still probably gain sufficient amusement with it, particularly over the holiday season coming up. That, however, is not to say it is a film that will bring back fond memories of childhood for any adult forced to watch. Let's hope the Chipmunks have sung their final encore.
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David Caulfield |
