Cheryl Chia
(All pictures courtesy of Filmofilia)
As much as the incessant blast of the soundtrack from the first Chipmunks movie was annoying, the Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, was an enjoyable film.
Joining Alvin (Justin Long), Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Theodore (Jesse McCartney) are the Chipettes, Brittany (Christina Applegate), Jeanette (Anna Faris) and Eleanor (Amy Poehler) who are the female version of the Chipmunks. Don’t underestimate the power of 6 singing animated rodents; they’re almost too cute for words.
The movie starts off with Dave (Jason Lee), their “father” of sorts, being sent to the hospital, thanks to Alvin. The Chipmunks, who were told that they had to go to school, temporarily fall under the care of their incompetent slob of a cousin, Toby (Zachary Levi). Mad props to Jason and Zachary for acting convincingly across non-existent CGI animated co-stars.
Hijinks, like accidentally hurling the Nintendo Wii remote into the TV, ensue.
Typical high school stuff comes next with Alvin indirectly causing Simon to get “swirlies” and also making Theodore’s worst nightmare come true. Their old nemesis, Ian Hawke (David Cross), also comes back to haunt them. To top it all off, they fall in love with the Chipettes too.
Apart from the predictable storyline and slapstick humour, the movie was thoroughly entertaining with a very upbeat soundtrack, especially from the Chipettes.
The Chipettes, comprised lead singer Brittany, bespectacled Jeanette and chubby Eleanor, sang covers of popular songs like Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold”. Their rendition of Beyoncé Knowles’ “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” is a crowd puller and a personal favourite, complete with dance moves.
Filipino singing sensation Charice Pempengco, who recently performed at the Singapore Idol finale, makes a surprise appearance as herself belting out Alicia Keys’ “No One”.
The movie followed the tried and tested storyline of imparting the wisdom and importance of teamwork without being too cheesy, which makes for good fun for the whole family. However, a little more exploration of Toby’s backstory instead of showing the odd snippet of his geek days in high school, would have had an added compelling factor for the movie.
Official Trailer:
https://youtu.be/H1Wz6UGP0DU
Release Details:
Opens : Dec 24
Duration: 89 min
Language: English
Rating: PG
Genre: Animation/Comedy
Director: Betty Thomas
Cast: Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney, Anna Faris, Amy Poehler and Christina Applegate
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox