Alvin and the Chipmunks
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Entertaining comedy with music in which the three familiar animated warblers (voiced by Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney) befriend a failing ad man and would-be composer (Jason Lee) and inspire him to write a hit Christmas song, which they record, while also trying to reunite him with the ex-girlfriend (Cameron Richardson) to whom he could not commit before then being tempted away by a greedy record producer (David Cross) who seeks to exploit them. Director Tim Hill’s film is full of enjoyable chaos, yet manages to send messages about family solidarity and rule keeping that parents will appreciate. Some crude and scatological humor. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2007
Those three familiar animated warblers, Alvin (voice of Justin Long), Simon (voice of Matthew Gray Gubler) and Theodore (voice of Jesse McCartney) return as CGI creatures to sing, dance and even rap in the live-action “Alvin and the Chipmunks” (Fox). Along the way, they also manage to send some messages that parents will appreciate.
When failing advertising executive and would-be composer Dave Seville (Jason Lee) inadvertently brings home three chipmunks who’ve stowed away in a basket of muffins, he can’t get them out of his house fast enough. Discovering that they can not only speak but sing, however, he changes his mind and welcomes them back inside.
His new companions soon inspire Dave to write a Christmas song. They also manage to convince his skeptical friend, hard-bitten music producer Ian (David Cross), to let them record it, with spectacular results.
Realizing, as well, that Dave has never gotten over his relationship with Claire (Cameron Richardson), the ex-girlfriend to whom he could not commit, the Chipmunks try to help him reignite their romance.
As they spend time with Dave, the three creatures -- especially nervous, nightmare-prone Theodore -- begin to regard him as a father figure. But the same instinct that led him to distance himself from Claire takes hold again, and he contemplates sending them back to the forest.
Dave’s ambivalence leaves the Chipmunks vulnerable to Ian’s manipulations. And therein lies the conflict for the remainder of the story.
Director Tim Hill’s comedy with music is full of enjoyable chaos. But this entertaining film also has a few serious points to make about family solidarity and rule keeping from which younger viewers should profit if they’re attentive.
The film contains some crude and scatological humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.