The other animated chipmunks you grew up with receive a live-action feature film in Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers from director Akiva Schaffer.
Chip and Dale live amongst cartoons and humans in modern-day Los Angeles, but their lives are pretty different now. It has been decades since their successful television series was canceled, and Chip (voice of John Mulaney) has succumbed to a life of suburban domesticity as an insurance sales clerk. Meanwhile, Dale (voice of Andy Sandberg) has had CGI surgery and works the nostalgia convention circuit, desperate to relive his glory days. When a former cast mate mysteriously disappears, Chip and Dale must repair their broken friendship and take on their Rescue Rangers detective personas once again to save their friend’s life.
David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman penned the script for the film, which features so many in-jokes and meta-references to reboots, sequels, and remakes, part of the fun in watching the movie was trying to catch them all. Former SNL cast mates Andy Samberg and John Mulaney are excellent in their voice roles, and I loved the route the filmmakers took of going away from the high-pitched tones we were familiar with as kids.
Primarily the film belongs to John Mulaney and Andy Samberg, but there is also some excellent voice work from the supporting cast. This includes JK Simmons, Eric Bana, Tress McNeill, and Dennis Haysbert in roles I will not reveal. Kiki Layne also pops up in the film as a rookie detective who grew up as a Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers superfan and is more than happy to help the duo out.
Easily one of the most surprising films of the year, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is quality family entertainment that I highly recommend.
Final Grade: B+
Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is streaming on Disney+ now
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