Friday, December 25, 2009
'Chipmunks' squeaks by as fun for families
20th Century Fox
"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakel"
Movie showtimes
Every instinct screams there's no way "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" should be any good.
Sequels tend to be bad. Rodents with falsetto voices can be annoying. And Jason Lee, who plays the haggard Dave Seville, is barely in this follow-up to the 2007 box-office hit.
Despite those potential negatives, this "Squeakquel" is a furry funfest.
It works as a sequel because of the clever script. A major accident leaves Dave in the hospital. While he's recuperating, Alvin (voiced by Justin Long), Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Theodore (Jesse McCartney) enroll in school to try to live a normal life.
No one reacts to the computer-generated chipmunks any differently than if they were new human students. Such acceptance of the critters, which includes Alvin making the school's football team and Simon being hassled by school bullies, makes it easier for the audience to buy the concept.
The sequel also benefits from the arrival of the Chipettes (voices of Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate). Their desire to be as famous as the Chipmunks gives the film a workable plot point -- and they double the fun. They are just as entertaining as the Chipmunks.
You would think a heavy playlist of Chipmunk tunes would make you want to plug your ears. Because the soundtrack includes spins on popular tunes like "Single Ladies," "You Really Got Me," "I Want to Know What Love Is" and "The Song," the music becomes parody. It's like listening to Weird Al Yankovich sucking helium.
Lee's not missed because Zachary Levi ("Chuck") steps in as the bungling guardian of the group. Levi knows how to play likable nerds and that makes him a great foil for the Chipmunks.
All those potential negatives becoming positives makes "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" family-friendly fun.
Maybe that shouldn't be such a shock. "Squeakquel" director Betty Thomas was able to make Howard Stern palatable in the 1997 film "Private Parts." After that, the Chipmunks must have been a breeze.
