Alvin and the Chipmunks? 2007 Original Review

By: Angie Simmons & Curtis Ray Bizelli

 

As I gazed at the DVD cover of “Alvin and The Chipmunks (2007)” for the very first time I thought to myself, “This is going to be a total flop.”, but just then, I remembered how much I sincerely loved viewing the animated show when I was little – years ago on days that there wasn’t any school and I was munching on breakfast – sitting on the floor in front of “the tube”. So, I gave it a shot, and in the same sense the movie was similar and brought about the same feelings of the original series.

The three chipmunks Alvin (Justin Long), Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler), and Theodore (Jesse McCartney) are gathering nuts for the winter to put in their tree house when Alvin gives up because he is tired of struggling for survival. He begins jumping on the tree and suddenly the tree comes barreling to the ground – with the three “little munks” still in it! Soon, they’re headed off to the city as their house becomes a Christmas tree at a place called Jett Records.

The main character, but surely not the star, Dave Seville (Jason Lee) oversleeps and is late for his interview to present his music to his friend at Jett Records. They hate his song and basically say that nobody in their right mind would want to sing such garbage. Dave proceeds out of the office grabbing a basket of muffins. The chipmunks saw this as an opportunity to jump in the basket and go where ever the basket took them. Naturally when Dave gets home, he is distraught by the fact that his friend didn’t like his music. He throws his keyboard and equipment outside and then he hears some noise going on in his kitchen. Suddenly, He finds himself face to face with the chipmunks. They’re in a cabinet making a horrible mess. Dave is so astonished that he falls to the floor when the chipmunks begin to speak. Not only can the cute little chipmunks talk but they love to sing. As they started singing for him, Dave came up with a bright idea that as long as they sang his jingles for him they would have a place to stay.

Dave’s friend Eean finds out about the chipmunks’ talents, and they are soon on the road to fame and fortune. Later they discover that this isn’t all that it was cracked up to be and they want to go home to Dave. Dave realizes the same thing; He misses “the munks” and wants them to come home so they can be a family. The Chipmunks struggle to get loose from the grasp of Eean, but it isn’t going to be easy.

This movie is worth the viewing. It makes us think of how much family is truly important to one’s own heart, regardless of their geography in the world, and sometimes (just sometimes) … the lost may just find their way back home.

Note: 2009 Squeakquel possibly coming to “our review section” soon! Sorry for the delay!