REVIEW: Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers Proves There Is No Case Too Big Or Too Small For The Dynamic Duo
Chipmunk brothers, Chip and Dale are back in a brand-new original film for Disney+, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Directed by Akiva Schaffer, this new live action/animated crossover finds our beloved Chipmunks, not as Rescue Rangers, but as former actors at two vastly different points in their lives. It’s been decades since the pair last saw or even spoken to one another after Dale (voiced by Andy Samberg) decided to leave the Rescue Rangers series for a failed pilot. Now, Chip (voiced by John Mulaney) is selling insurance and living alone with his dog, Millie, while Dale is trying to reboot his failed acting career by attending fan conventions. However, their mundane lives won’t last much longer when their beloved friend, and fellow Rescue Ranger, Monterrey “Monty” Jack (voiced by Eric Bana), informs them that he is trouble and on the verge of being bootlegged by the notorious Sweet Pete (Will Arnett). Chip and Dale must now team together, once again, to save their friend and to stop Sweet Pete before it’s too late.
The movie has a very similar feel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The mix of live action, CGI, and hand drawn animation will remind older fans of the film, which took the world by storm in 1988. Like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, this film has a little bit for everyone. Children will laugh at the silly jokes and hi-jinks that the characters find themselves stumbling into, but it is the adults that will have the most fun with it. Filled to the brim with cameos and nostalgia, adults will have a tough time not pressing pause or rewinding to see which animated characters just passed by onscreen or what piece of merchandise popped up on a shelf. I am honestly not too sure how Disney and the Lonely Island managed to get so many characters from a variety of companies, but whatever they did was the right move.
When first announced as the voices of everyone’s favorite chipmunk duo, Samberg and Mulaney were met with a lot of skepticism especially when they head the voices coming from the characters were Samberg and Mulaney’s actual voices. But don’t worry, the original voices from the series are used, just not in the way some would have hoped. With that being said, both Samberg and Mulaney do an excellent job voicing the characters and their comedic chemistry is outstanding. Seth Rogen, Eric Bana, Will Arnett, and J.K. Simmons round out the rest of the voice cast while KiKi Layne does a wonderful job playing one of the few live action characters, Ellie. Bana is unrecognizable as Monty as is Arnett as Sweet Pete. Simmons is great as Captain Putty while Rogen is his typical self.
This movie is not a reboot of the 1990s’ hit Disney Afternoon cartoon, so if you go in thinking that, you will be disappointed. Disney+’s Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers sheds new light on the characters and their story. Schaffer has managed to create an original and clever film, which is a fun time for the entire family.
Grade: A