Hey everyone, my name is Anthony, and welcome back to my movie review.
Back in the 80's, cartoons on TV was grown much bigger that kids love to see, ranging from cartoons to sell toys like Transformers or He-Man or for fun stuff like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or my childhood favorite (Though im not an 80's kid), Inspector Gadget. Meanwhile, while Disney was in bad shape in the 80's but their cartoon shows are much opposite, thanks to their channel simply called "The Disney Channel". In mid to late 80's Disney's cartoons are about to get fascinating, they started with The Wuzzles in 1985, then it went famous with two iconic shows that we all know and loved, with Ducktales in 1987 and of course, Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers in 1989. However, i've never seen these shows, cause i was born much later, 1995, though i've seen a couple of clips and such others that really god my curiosity, though Disney did brought Ducktales back in a remake that was surprisingly a welcome return and recently, they decided to do the same with Chip n' Dale, but in movie on Disney+.
"Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (The Movie)" is a 2022 hybrid live-action/animated film that was directed by Akiva Schaffer, produced by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, and written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand.
Before we have Disney+, back in 2014, Disney announced that they're gonna have a live-action with CG film based on Chip n' Dale in a similar fashion (and cringy) of "Alvin and the Chipmunks", which it was meant to be a prequel of the show, but the project is probably left in dormant until 5 years later, after Robert Rugan (who's meant to be both writer and director of the project) was replaced by Akiva Schaffer and his fellows of his group "The Lonely Island", the story has been changed from prequel to taken place long time after the show to more meta and "self-referential". And of course, they also decided to make this into a similar style as one of my favorite movie that i reviewed before "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and when we saw the trailer, its gonna be interesting how they brought us, especially that i called "Its Who Framed Roger Rabbit on Steroids with Chip n' Dale".
So, with all that said, will their rescue will bring us back to the good'ol days, or is this rescue rangers is no longer the same as the late 80's?
Well, lets find out.
The Story
Remember when i said that the movie is like "Who framed Roger Rabbit"? Well, it has a similar story, only about Chip n' Dale, but without a murder mystery.
It begins in the past of 1982 (in a world of combination of humans and cartoons), we introduce Dale who was freshman at the elementary school for his introduction, but not in a good start to not having human friends, that is until he meets Chip, who gives a compliment to Dale that he likes Chip's well-respect that they becoming best friends, they mainly like to do an acting careers as an extras on the show or even on commercials, thanks to the support on Hollywood since they've been located, they were given a shot to having their own show "Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers", first aired in 1989 and they became a superstars with Monterey Jack, Gadget Hackwrench and Zipper. However, Dale received a call that he was asked to having his own show "Double-O-Dale", but Chip don't want his best pal doing his own since they were friends, but they ended losing each others, not only the pilot "Double-O-Dale" was only aired, but their show was canceled in 1990. Fast forward to present time (lets say, 2022?), where Chip (now having a CG appearance from surgery) likes to reflecting his good'ol days of Rescue Rangers in conventions, along with hanging with Lumiere from 1992's Beauty and The Beast, Tigra from The Avengers: United They Stand and the Abomination Sonic (I know he's called "Ugly Sonic", but i refused to called it due to my Vietnam flashback from IT...!), while Chip works as an insurance salesman who likes to live normal and forgetting about his show. But one day, Chip n' Dale got a call from their old friend Monterey Jack due to hearing about something horrific occurred around in Hollywood, where Jack was unfortunately owed money for stinky cheese (due to his addiction) from the bootleggers called "Valley Gang" are hiding around and kidnapping cartoon people to changing their looks into altered appearance (or possibly an abomination look) to put themselves into a bootleg movies forever, Dale wanted to going back to work with Chip about the evil gang, but Chip refused to work with, because its all just the show. But in one night, Chip n' Dale received a police call that Monty Jack has been disappeared from kidnapping, which Captain Putty (a police captain in Gumby style) and Officer Ellie Steckler (who's a fan of Rescue Rangers since her childhood) are asking Chip n' Dale if they wanna get Monterey Jack back, its up to Chip n' Dale to find the case in order to not only save Jack, but also dealing with Valley Gang once and for all.
Like i said, its a similar mystery case in Roger Rabbit, but its an opposite direction, where its all about stop the nasty group for making bootlegs (though SPOILER ALERT, its not a group of Chinese, cause it will be a different story, my friends), trying to saving their important friend of Rescue Rangers, but also a reunion attempt to reflecting the good'ol days, its quite of nice idea for the story. This is all thanks for the idea with the sense of meta, which i gotta say, even though it sounds risky for a movie about Chip n' Dale behind the scene, but i find it to be fascinating and somewhat related, especially when they wanted to have a heart moments that Dale wants to reuniting Chip since their good'ol days for not just a new mystery case, but rather reflecting the past for remember, even if its a struggling for both Dale having a CG surgery and Chip's changing life after what happened. Though its nice to have a creative story and sense of meta, but the downside is that the film is kinda too much focus of crossover, yes, i know, its about dealing with the bootleggers, but its just sometimes, its too much we can do an Easter Eggs, which il get to the presentation later on.
As for the humor of this movie, its mostly funny, i did chuckle at some moments, along with some made me laughing out loud, not gonna lie, but sometimes, some other jokes is subpar, especially with once again, a crossover reference lines that some i chuckle and others not, but then i again, i like crossover, but IF the execution has to be done right.
While the story has a great idea for the sense of meta, the reunion and fighting against the bootlegs, but its flawed with mostly funny jokes and nearly weak progress.
The Presentation
Sweet mother load of Christmas of candies with cameos, this movie has a one helluva presentation! *clears my throat* Sorry sorry, got too excited about the presentation how unexpected it brought us.
The filming isn't as much, its basically filmed in good'ol LA, California from convention, to Hollywood to other locations in LA, but in fairness, its a perfect place for the movie takes place in. So, comment on that.
Of course, the highlight of this movie is the animation of combination of 2D, 3D, claymation (aka stopmotion with clay) and even a puppet (Which some, like myself are debatable to calling it "Animation"), they're like all over the place from our main and secondary's to cameos, and i do mean a lot of cameos that you like to see, which il talk about the cameos a bit later. This is thanks to the company Moving Picture Company, they've done a bunch of 2D and 3D animations of the characters like Chip n' Dale, Sweet Pete and of course, the Abomination Sonic, though in their credits, its the same company who did the Sonic animation in Sonic The Hedgehog the movie both the horrible design and the perfection design. Anyway, while the CG is still looks nice for the details, the 2D cel-animation is surprisingly looks pretty good for its smooth and keep the respect the model that we all know with some update. Though MPC isn't the only one, its mainly we've seen some with different style like Passion Pictures, Mercury Filmworks and Top Draw Animation.
Anyway, if you've watched "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", since this film took place in the golden age of animation, we've seen plenty of familiar non-Disney characters from Warner Bros, MGM, Fleischer and couple others, but in this movie, they went ALL IN with more crossovers, its not just Disney props like Pixar, Marvel, Marvel and 20th Century Studio, i mean all the non-Disney props like the aforementioned Sonic (the abomination one, sorry, but im always gonna say that) My Little Pony (The FiM one, i love when they brought it back), Shredder, the 2019 Cats (At least they act like, you know... Actual Cats?) and bunch of others. While i love what they did here, but the downside is that those cameos are pretty much in either distraction and possibly no purpose for the plot, i mean i like playing Easter Eggs, but i just wish that some of the cameo characters (exception for Sonic) could give us a plot convenient for our heroes Chip n' Dale in order to find more clues about the Valley Gang and the bootlegs, but in my defense of their cameos, at least they're maybe reasonable to be show up unlike Space Jam: A New Legacy, which is nothing but a product placements of WB.
One last thing that i wanna give, aside of some musicals (like the main theme show in remix by Post Malone), the movie's soundtrack is composed by the fascinating modern composer Brien Tyler, who only did the soundtrack of movies, the shows and video games, but also involved with Formula 1's main theme (along with using it for F3 and F3), yes, im a fan of Formula 1 since my childhood and its no wonder why i like to give an interesting note and no wonder why im doing my F1 Grand Prix review.
Aside of cameos are sadly pointless for plot-point, the presentation is easily the highlight of the movie that like to see from finding cameos, the animation styles, the soundtrack and even some action scenes, which they're pretty cool and even some are funny.
The Characters
When it comes to the characters, you expected to have their fascinating developments outside of the show, right? Well, yes and no.
Lets start of with our main chipmunks, though im not gonna relate to them to the show, because i've never watch (unless i will, since its now on Disney+), but they're basically another duo adventurers with split personality, where Chip (voiced by John Mulaney) who went from smart heroic to jaded and risky-averse after the show is canceled, and Dale (voiced by Andy Samberg) is a unchanged for being a friendly goofball, despite got himself into CG surgery and like to be in convention. Unlike the show, these guys have a split personalities that while its a nice development and related how they've been, but they're rather one-dimensional from Chip being normal that he wanted to moving on to Dale being comedic friendly, despite their one-dimensional personas, at least its nice to having their meta journey and Mulaney and Samberg had a fun work of their roles.
As for the remaining Rescue Rangers, they're not much, but they have a minimal appearances, there's Monterey Jack (voiced by Eric Bana)'s a cheese lover member that not only he loves the god'ol days, but also scared from Bootlegs, Gadget Hankwrench (voiced by Tress MacNeille for welcoming return since the 80's and 90's) is an engineering member who wouldn't show more until the third act.
Next up, we have Captain Putty (voiced by J.K. Simmons, aka J. Jonah Jameson or Omni-Man), the police captain in LAPD where he appeared to be based on Gumby, he's a fascinating captain in the movie since he appeared to be in stopmotion style, though he's depicted as a serious good cop, but J.K. did a great work as usual.
As for the Valley Gang, there's Sweet Pete (voiced by Will Arnett) who's obviously Peter Pan, but in a worst shape due to his reputation going down very badly that not only got fired, but also becoming the owner of the group, which despite kinda unoriginal, but il give a credit for his fascinating development, Bob (voiced by Seth Rogen) a Viking with blanked eyes based on motion capture style like The Polar Express and Beowulf who's like a bodyguard, but with fun performance from Seth, DJ Herzogenaurach (played by Youtube Personality Flula Borg) who's a DJ musician who's probably responsible for the remix of Chip n' Dale main theme (i'd say in my guess, since like i said, the remixed main theme is done by Post Malone), and Jimmy the polar bear (voiced by Da'Vone McDonald ) who's also a body guard of the gang who has no-nothing character unlike Bob the Viking.
As for the request, like i said, the cameos aren't much to telling which i mentioned some characters you can easily distract for Easter Egg game, but one cameo who's the only one has plot purpose is "THAT" Sonic (played by Tim Robinson) who, like Dale, likes to showing up on convention, but instead of going super speed like the original Sonic, he works on FBI for backup plan. And there's Ellie Steckler (played by Kiki Layne) who's the rookie of LAPD with Captain Putty and she's pretty much a waste of space character that i wish they could replace her with either our old friend Jessica Rabbit or maybe which Disney Princesses like either Jasmine, Belle, Merida or heck maybe Elsa.
The characters are descent, the main chipmunks are pretty nice for their meta developments, the others are ok, but wishing they could either give us a development or for plot convinients, but il give a credit that the voice acting are pretty fun to hear.
And now for my Final Opinion of this movie
Overall, Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers is a pretty good film in a very unexpected way for Disney+ film, it has a great idea of the story with the sense of meta, the animation looks pretty impressive for hybrid film, the voice acting is fun to hear, the jokes are, while some are meh, but others does made me having a Laugh Out Loud. While its a fascinating idea, but i just wish the crossover film need to give us a plot purpose for helping our heroes instead of easy distraction and some characters could've gone better for the execution of their development for, again, a sense of meta.
Its a nice film, but it would've been an unexpected perfect like Roger Rabbit, but its A LOT better than Space Jam: A New Legacy. So, if you're a fan of nostalgic of Chip n' Dale, a fan of The Lonely Island or a fan of Crossover like me, i'd say give this one a watch, if not, stick to Roger Rabbit.
For my rating, im gonna give this one a 7/10, it would've been perfect, but hey, its a good film than being a boring overhyped film.
So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on https://ko-fi.com/blackevil.
Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.
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