Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked Review

Rating: **1/2

Errr...oh ok. Fine, so we have yet another sequel coming out for the live-animation 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' franchise. With Christmas season in the motion, the stage was set for a fun movie that offered a lot to kids and adults alike with the message of family values camouflaged as entertainment. Fair enough though as an end result, 'Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwecked' just manages to pass muster.

Well, just about!

This time around these Chipmunks and Chipettes [Alvin along with Simon, Theodore, Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor] are aboard a ship with their father figure/manager [Jason Lee] and as expected, they engage into quite a few mischievous, though harmless acts. As a viewer though you do get an idea that there is a twist in the take just round the corner. Well, that does happen soon enough, what with the Chipmunks and Chipettes finding themselves marooned on an island. Of course the loveable father that Jason is, he too gets on a hunt but not without the man who hates this brat group most - Ian [played by David Cross].

Frankly, the sheer plot of the film doesn't quite make you jump you joy. All you expect is that this adventure tale will really get some hearty laughs on with the kind of visuals that would end up being breath taking. None of that happens though because even though Alvin and his team try to be all cute and nice and funny, the effect is minimal.

On a flipside though, none of it turns out to be an irritant (thank goodness for that) and that's a welcome relief since quite few kid films end up taking that route. However with no real depth to the plotline here and predictability at the core of it all, you do long for something surprising at the least.

Director Mike Mitchell (who has earlier made 'Shrek Forever After') does try to bring in some unpredictability to the plot by introducing Jenny Slate [playing Zoe] on this island who has been stuck there for over 8 years. However the way her characterisation goes is hardly convincing either as the way she flips from being good to bad to grey to all white is something that is difficult to digest. Really, at one moment she is striking friendship with the Chipmunks whereas on the other end, she seems to come across as someone sinister, something that is hardly seamless.

What is seamless though is the quality of animation here which does come across as quite believable. Other than the fact that there are scenes that feature live as well as animation characters are done extremely well, there are also points in the film where an out and out animation sequence finds an inclusion without giving that jerky feel at all. Now that is indeed commendable.

However with such technical finesse around, one would have expected more thrilling joy rides ahead. That is conspicuous by its absence as other than a really interesting tree trolley journey taken by the Chipmunks, there are hardly any sequences around that would make you revisit the film.

A special word for the dubbing artists though. They do their job well even the dialogues written for them are a mixed bag. Amongst the actors, Jason Lee and David Cross are decent though there isn't much for them to display histrionics. On the other hand Jenny Skate is barely passable (poor characterisation perhaps?) and since this is her first feature film, it would really require some push for her to make further headway into her movie career.

When a story is being told about Chipmunks and Chipettes with Alvin presented quite prominently in the film's title as well as other promotional material, you do expect the film to be basically centred on him with the rest playing peripheral roles. Well, that doesn't quite happen in 'Chipwecked' as Alvin stays on to be just one character even as others around him share good enough 'screen space' as well. Nothing wrong with that as long as the fun is constant and the drama engaging. However when the ensemble of players doesn't really lead to fun unlimited, you do want the central character to come to audience's rescue and get some entertainment rolling. Sadly, that doesn't quite happen right through this 80 minutes affair which means smiles and laughs are just sporadic.

Rating: **1/2