Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip

In the beginning of “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip,” we see Alvin, Theodore and Simon those three chipmunks throwing their dad/legal guardian Dave (Jason Lee) a surprise birthday party. Only it gets out of hand. A lot of people show up. A half-pipe is erected in the backyard and skateboarders fly through the air. A DJ spins tunes. All before Dave even gets there.

Finally home (he saw news of his party trending on Twitter), Dave throws everyone out, gives the chipmunks a scolding, then whisks us away on a plot that creaks into gear but whose opening party is the best thing about it: pure mayhem, entirely silly a chipmunk hangs onto the rim of a skateboard while another bumps and grinds on lawn furniture below.

There’s plenty that’s gross (literally: fart jokes, poop jokes, crotch-hits, burps, urine etc.), but if you can get past it you’ll find well, not much else besides what we’ve already discussed and some key musical numbers but also this: The whole point of this movie (which is great to have any kind of point at all considering) is that it’s a series of random events where our heroes either incite or calm down riots with their music.

Reminiscent of The Muppets’ road trip in “The Muppet Movie,” or of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney putting on shows in barns they found just lying around somewhere (“Let’s put on a show!”), or any number of those old comedies where anarchy busts up snooty drawing room parties “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” embraces mayhem.

The chipmunks are Alvin (the ringleader); Simon (the glasses-wearing nerd); Theodore (the roly-poly tagalong), voiced by Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney respectively. Dave, after the Birthday Bash Gone Rogue, lets them know he is extremely disappointed in their behavior. He is dating a new woman named Shira (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), and he wants the chipmunks to be on their best behavior when they finally meet her.

On a group outing to play miniature golf, the mischievous chipmunks meet Shira’s teenage son Miles (Josh Green), who makes jokes about super-gluing them together. The chipmunks like Shira, but are terrified that Dave is going to propose to her while on a trip to Miami. Miles is awful he couldn’t be their brother! and the chipmunks also have abandonment issues, fearing Dave will no longer love them if he got married. They find an unlikely ally in this attitude in Miles, who doesn’t want a new dad at all. The four set off on a crazy trip from California to Miami, tracking down their parents and busting up the proposal before it’s too late.

On the first leg of their trip via plane Theodore accidentally gets locked into cargo with all the animals and has to release them as they rampage down the aisles: parrots; goats; monkeys freaking everyone out. The flight makes an emergency landing and then an air marshal (Tony Hale) proceeds lose every last shred of his dignity, sanity and self-respect as he chases those evil chipmunks (who ruined his pristine flying record) across the country

The chipmunks find themselves on the No-Fly List, and (with their pictures on the FBI’s Most Wanted page) they get in a car and head off to Texas. There, they perform on a wooden sidewalk for a bunch of boot-tapping cowboys who toss tips in the box. Afterward, they play in a ratty dive bar down the street where, somehow, they manage to turn into something out of “Urban Cowboy,” with line-dancing couples whooping it up.

Somewhere in New Orleans’ French Quarter is an already awesome jazz parade that someone has turned into Mardi Gras by whipping the crowd into a frenzy behind a caffeinated version of “Uptown Funk.” Director Walt Becker knows how to handle big energetic crowds; those are the best scenes in this movie.

There are some fun cameos (the best one being John Waters). He’s there for just a second, but it’s great especially the crack one of the chipmunks throws his way. Jennifer Coolidge is completely under-used as Dave’s bizarre next-door neighbor; you can tell she’s insane because Jennifer Coolidge brings insanity with her wherever she goes! but she doesn’t have much room to do anything, unfortunately.

This is not a movie embarrassed to be a movie for kids. The bathroom humor is too much, the product placement (especially one extended bit for Carnival cruises) feels out of control and some of these women are too scantily clad for this audience demographic! Let kids be innocent as long as possible please! But still: Funny! Sometimes sweet!

Too much plot; who cares about Dave and Shira? Tony Hale makes a great villain though (“I’m Agent Suggs”) and I’ll never say no to hours spent watching Jason Lee bounce around like he just drank six pots of coffee while whining at CGI chipmunks from whom he will later learn a valuable lesson about love and family.

The road trip parts are pure, uncynical mayhem. When the movie wants to get sentimental, it has the flexibility to do so. And oh “Road Chip” also has a nice subtle message about families: Families don’t have to look a certain way, and they’re not just people related by blood. A family is people who love each other and take care of each other!

Watch Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip For Free On Gomovies.