Techtite's DVD Reviews!

"...perhaps the best live-action-and-CGI film I've seen in awhile."

--from the review

-------------

Sidebar ::

-------------

No Sidebar comments for this review. Yet...

-----------------

Feel free to contribute. As always, review submissions are accepted!

------------------

Alvin & the Chipmunks

(2007)

Click picture to order this DVD

A Review by Techtite

As always, a review of The Movie and the DVD extras.

The Movie Review: There's an urban legend that the original "conception" of Alvin and the Chipmunks occurred when someone put an old 45 record on the turntable at the incorrect speed. The result sounded so funny that Alvin & the Chipmunks were suddenly born. Whether that urban myth is true or not is another story; the story at hand, here, is how shockingly well done this movie is. A live-action movie with CGI characters, that is actually worth watching? Yeah; I'm as surprised as you are.

Allow me to ask something I've waited to ask for awhile: What went so right here? For one; the makers of this movie didn't try to reinvent the wheel. Very little "re-imagining" is attempted for a simple story that gives a rough approximation of how Alvin and his brother chipmunks became a "music group." The opening story is actually brilliant in its own simplicity: their pine tree home was cut down as a Christmas tree for a giant office. As it so turns out, this office is for new music groups. So: Alvin hitches a ride in the office bag of Dave (Jason Lee), the man who would become his owner and "father" of sorts, as well as the man behind the classic shouting line, "Aaaaaallllviiiiiinnnn!"

The chipmunks promptly begin to drive Dave crazy. Of course they do; how else is he to shout "Alvin!" if they don't drive him crazy? It's how they do so that leads to some of many funny slapstick moments in this movie. Yet the whole idea is that this rodent trio becomes a music group, so quickly enough Dave learns their singing talents, and uses a tune they hum in their sleep to pen their first hit single (which is what was actually "Alvin & the Chipmunks" first hit, way back when). The movie almost loses some footing around the time a seedy music mogul tries to "steal" Alvin from Dave and their comfy new life, though it picks back up again in time for an amusing finale, which caps off, on the most part, a very sweet holiday season movie.

Another thing that makes this movie work, is its constant shout-out to fans of the title characters. From the street number on Dave's home (which is coincidentally the actual year of their first hit single), to the costumes the chipmunks wear (which were all worn by the characters on either their album covers, or the hit 1980's cartoon), are all cleverly integrated into the modern-day story. What else can I say: the hit Alvin cartoon was geared to little kids, and my nieces and nephews all loved this movie, and not once squirmed in their seats. That's saying more than you know. They are really tough critics!

Props must especially go to Jason Lee, however, for making every scene he has with the chipmunks look...well, believable, if you can call it that. Viewers might almost forget Jason was pantomiming every moment with Alvin, who was never really there. This addition to the realism is a good thing indeed, when, to be honest, Alvin and his brothers don't look like real chipmunks at all. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the rest of the cast, who are clearly not as ready to believe they are talking to anyone other than a stage tech making hand gestures off-screen. Fortunately; the director wisely put Jason with the chipmunks whenever possible and in the end, the movie works.

The DVD Review: Two featurettes will entertain the kids as well as give them a glimpse at all the back story to Alvin & the Chipmunks' many years of fame, that they're too young to remember. Personally I would've liked a short look at the cartoon from the 80's, or perhaps a listen to the original Chipmunks song while a slide show of behind the scenes photos was shown, though these featurettes will just have to do.

---Techtite

Got a review you'd like to share? Techtite will post 2 of the best "guest" reviews received for any product, online, for all the world to see!