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‘munks in da hizouse

C- Rated PG 91 min.

I will never fail to be surprised by the things that enthrall American culture. From the pet rock to Jimmy Buffet, Americans love the inane creations that take no actual skill to create, other than creative marketing. Ironically, Alvin and the Chipmunks is one of these creations and the new film addresses them in just such a way.
I first became enthralled with David Seville’s Alvin and the Chipmunks when I was about eight years old. My family lived in New England at the time and it was around Christmas when Alvin and the Chipmunks’ famous ‘The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late),’ with their sped-up harmonies and silly repartee with manager David Seville first got me. It was the ultimate mixture of childish silliness and Christmas cheer and I loved it. As people had since the first album of David Seville and the Chipmunks.
David Seville was the stage name of musician Ross Bagdasarian, Sr, who originated the novelty style of speeding up recordings to create the chipmunk-like sound. Alvin, Simon and Theodore were Bagdarian’s vocalizations, just pitch-adjusted to varying degrees. Of course Bagdarian was also David Seville. The characters were originally introduced on albums in the late 1950s and they earned several Grammy awards, believe it or not.
These fictional characters extended their fame further in an animated series in the 1960s called The Alvin Show. The Alvin Show was predecessor to many cartoon series based on the animated trio and their perpetually agitated father figure, David Seville, including Alvin and the Chipmunks, the popular Saturday morning cartoon that I watched growing up in the eighties, with a theme song that will never escape my brain.
As Hollywood rummaged through their recycling bins looking for an exhausted franchise that could be brought back to life with CGI effects, they came across this old gem and saw dollar signs. And so the troublesome trio has made their way back into the hearts and minds of children with their silly novelty songs and their tumultuous relationship with David Seville, not to mention the heartwarming Christmas message of a mixed family.
In a surprisingly smart casting job for such a dumbed-down script, David Seville is played by Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl) and the typically self-involved head of Jett Records, the label that monopolizes on the phenomenon of the singing chipmunks, is played by David Cross (Dr. Funke from Arrested Development). Both of these actors are fantastic funnymen that have historically made good cinematic choices, more or less, but the big screen version of Alvin and the Chipmunks may well be a low point for each of their careers. Although I will admit that David Cross’ record executive that wears a suit and sandals is a hilarious mock up of the capitalizing entertainment industry executives, it doesn’t quit segue the film into the adult humor that it attempts.
Cross’ character (referred to by the Chipmunks as Uncle Ian) plays up merchandising opportunities and updates the Chipmunks’ songs to be more hip-hop and less heartwarming, thus the industry parodies itself. I appreciated this attempt to incorporate the parents that will be bringing their children to this film, but it was too little and too poorly executed to really engage me. That said, my children loved the movie.
The novelty schtick of Alvin and the Chipmunks is still endearing to children the way it always was. Those voices are just so cute and when Alvin (voiced by Justin Long, “Mac” in the Apple television commercials) is smarting off, Simon is outsmarting and Theodore (voiced by teenage heartthrob Jesse McCartney) wants David to be his dad, kids warm right up to it. And the singing rodents have never been more real than in this CGI rendering. And of course that troublemaking Alvin incurs the signature scream from David Seville that has been the trademark of the franchise since their first record in 1958.
Kids love Alvin, Simon and Theodore as much now as they did half way through last century, and this film is no exception. Try to enjoy David Cross’ ridiculous Uncle Ian in nuance and dialogue, or just take a nap in the theatre and let the kids laugh up the antics.