No matter what era you were born in, if you’ve been around long enough, then you have to be aware of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore became the most well-known rodents in the history of mankind, even more so than Stuart Little and Ratatouille, which is saying something!
They started out in the 1960s and quickly rose to fame, getting so many animated shows, movies, and eventually live-action adaptations when the technology was good enough. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is a result of this increase in technology, and while it isn’t a good film by any means, it’s fun for the whole family!
How to Download Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
You can download the film from a digital store. You can also stream it. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
Keep in mind that these characters and this film were made for children, so the main purpose of it was to be entertaining and funny for them. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are three little chipmunks who are also talented musicians in their own right. They have fantastic singing voices and prowess for musical instruments.
Adopted by Dave Seville, who is now their surrogate father, they are back in school and living their best lives. However, when the school’s musical program sees stagnation and is nearing cancellation by the committee, they must save the program by winning the battle of the bands.
Director Betty Thomas makes an entry into the Chipmunks franchise, after having worked on films such as The Brady Bunch Movie, Dr. Dolittle, I Spy and John Tucker Must Die. Those aren’t particularly good films, but they share the entertainment factor with Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. These are films that are meant to entertain, and they do so fantastically, including the Squeakquel.
Not only was this film fun, but it also had a cast of characters that were entertaining to watch on screen. Alvin, Simon, and Theo are a trio that is lovable, with personalities of their own and unique character traits. This makes them brilliant heroes in a story about redeeming their school through music. Speaking of which, the singers and their voices fit so perfectly on these characters that it feels almost uncanny.
The Visuals
The animation design of these characters is brilliantly done, each of them has a unique design and they feel different on screen. They’re the only animated thing on screen, whereas everything else is live-action.
This makes the Chipmunks stand out amongst the crowd, and since the animation is so great, they are very pleasing to the eyes. This is also partly due to the fantastic voice acting, done by industry veterans who have spent time in these roles. The live-action actors don’t do a great job though, but it’s still fun to watch them, even though it is laughable.
The visual fidelity of this film aside from the CGI is what you would typically find in a children’s live-action film. A lot of the locations feel very weird to look at as they are obvious sets, then they also incorporate CGI chipmunks into the scene which makes them feel even weirder. However, those are issues that will only remain visible to an adult eye. Kids will love the way this film looks, with decent children’s film color grading and fun character that look visually stunning almost all the time.
The Soundtrack
The key factor that could make or break this film is the music, and it’s safe to say that it does a great job in this film. The chipmunks do covers of various different songs in this film, from Stayin’ Alive to Mick Jones’ I Wanna Know What Love Is.
There’s even a bunch of songs sung by the Chipettes, which are also equally good including Hot n Cold by Katy Perry and Beyonce’s Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It). The soundtrack by David Newman on the other hand isn’t too good, with repetitive pop-rock and poppy tunes.
The Verdict
Look, this isn’t an untouchable masterpiece, but it’s a fun kids’ movie that is a romp for the whole family. The main purpose here is to entertain, and it does that sufficiently throughout its runtime. Despite the many filmmaking errors, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is at least a fun-filled fantasy.
