Yes, the movie is juvenile and occasionally stupid. What do you expect in a story about singing chipmunks?
Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:100
Fresh:27
Rotten:73
Average Rating:4.4/10
Consensus: Though cutely rendered, Alvin and the Chipmunks suffers from bland potty humor and a rehashed kids' movie formula.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Jan 3, 2008 Wide
US Box Office: $217,172,612
Synopsis: This live-action/computer-animated update of Ross Bagdasarian's squeaky-voiced cartoon characters finds the chipmunks (in CGI form) transported from their woodland habitat to the city, where they... This live-action/computer-animated update of Ross Bagdasarian's squeaky-voiced cartoon characters finds the chipmunks (in CGI form) transported from their woodland habitat to the city, where they wind up in the home of Dave Seville (Jason Lee). Dave, a down-on-his-luck songwriter, realizes the potential of a singing chipmunk pop act, and becomes an unlikely mentor/father figure to feisty Alvin, brainy Simon, and dopey Theodore. Meanwhile, the threesome causes chaos in his life, leading to plenty of fun, frenetic scenarios. When a devious record executive (David Cross) enters the picture, however, Alvin and the Chipmunks must deal with both the trappings of fame and their loyalty to the amiable, hapless Dave. Directed by Tim Hill (GARFIELD: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES), ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS simultaneously modernizes and pays tribute to the classic title characters, who first appeared in the late 1950s and became wildly popular in the '60s. While Lee (MY NAME IS EARL) is well cast as the perpetually exasperated Dave, Long (LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD) steals the show as the voice of Alvin, who provides the group's lively spirit. Though some older viewers may wince at the prospect of their beloved Chipmunks rapping, the movie is generally respectful of the franchise's long legacy, and will easily win over a younger generation. [More]
Starring: Jason Lee, David Cross, Cameron Richardson, Jane Lynch
Starring: Jason Lee, David Cross, Cameron Richardson, Jane Lynch, Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney
Director: Tim Hill
Director: Tim Hill
Screenwriter: Jon Vitti, Will McRobb, Chris Viscardi
Story: Jon Vitti
Producer: Ross Bagdasarian, Janice Karman
Composer: Christopher Lennertz
Studio: Fox 2000 Pictures
Reviews for Alvin and the Chipmunks
Hollywood continues its tired milking of old television properties with Alvin and the Chipmunks, a slick updating of the musical-cartoon franchise.
Shockingly, the movie's easy to like -- an anti-Hannah Montana parable in which young performers discover they prefer the comfort and security of home to the high-pressure glitz of rock and roll stardom.
Alvin and the Chipmunks goes in one eye and out the other, featuring a CGI Alvin, Simon and Theodore interacting with a human-ish world.
Sure, rodents are hot this year. But unlike Ratatouille's chef prodigy Remy, these mischief makers bring nothing new to the table.
Between the occasional amusing joke and catchy musical number, this Alvin update is a very soulless movie.
It's a free-fall into total plastic. Kids deserve better. Alvin, Simon and Theodore deserve better. But 'tis the season to take what you get.
The film engages for about 30 minutes, or about 10 minutes longer than you might expect. This picture, after all, has only one idea: chipmunks that talk and sing. It's the same idea that fueled novelty recordings and a two cartoon series.
For adults, it's like being hit over the head with a mallet every 10 seconds for 90 minutes. Two days later, I still had a headache.
Oh, come on. Do you really care? And even if you do, you shouldn't.
Dang it, the little animated rodents are cute. Not as cute as the über-rendered daemons of The Golden Compass, but they'll do.
Could've been a lot worse; it's a singing chipmunk movie, for Pete's sake.
Alvin And The Chipmunks moves, little children love it and it's not too painful for adults. All in all, an okay little hit of helium.
Young viewers will enjoy the slapstick, while parents will relate to Lee's amiable frustration as the trio's surrogate dad.
I was also grateful that Alvin wears a red sweater with a big 'A' on it as an aid to identification, since otherwise all the chipmunks seem to be identical, like Mutant Turtles or Spice Girls.
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