Alvin and the Chipmunks arrived in theaters in 2007 as a live-action hybrid built on characters Ross Bagdasarian Sr. created, and it is a film that knows exactly what it is selling. Tim Hill directs from a screenplay by Jon Vitti, Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi. The runtime is 92 minutes. The pitch is simple: three singing chipmunks, one broke songwriter, and a record deal that goes wrong. It is the first installment in the live-action Alvin and the Chipmunks series, and it plays like a pilot for a franchise rather than a movie with its own reason to exist.
Trailer, via MovieStation.
A Fir Tree and a Rejected Demo
The plot starts in a fir tree. Brothers Alvin, Simon and Theodore live there until JETT Records buys the tree as a Christmas tree and ships it to Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Dave Seville, a struggling songwriter, has his latest demo rejected by JETT chief executive Ian Hawke. Ian is Dave’s former college roommate. He tells Dave to quit writing songs.
Dave goes home. The chipmunks, now in the same building, leave the tree and follow him. A struggle leaves Dave knocked unconscious. He wakes, is terrified, and orders them out. Then he hears them sing “Only You (And You Alone)” and “Funkytown.” He makes a deal: they sing his songs, he gives them food and shelter.
That is the whole engine. The film never bothers to make the deal feel like a choice for the chipmunks, because the chipmunks exist to serve the plot.
Stage Fright and a Dinner Gone Wrong
The next day the chipmunks practice “Christmas Don’t Be Late.” When Dave tries to present them to Ian, they freeze. Stage fright. The same day Dave is fired from his marketing job because the chipmunks unknowingly ruined his presentation boards.
Then Claire comes to dinner. Claire is Dave’s former girlfriend, played by Cameron Richardson. Dave tries to hide the chipmunks. Alvin tries to create a romantic atmosphere. Claire leaves uncomfortable. The scene is meant to be chaos comedy and lands as noise.
Here is the running order of the film’s major beats:
| Order | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fir tree cut down, shipped to Los Angeles |
| 2 | Dave’s demo rejected by Ian Hawke |
| 3 | Chipmunks follow Dave home; he passes out |
| 4 | Dave hears them sing, offers food and shelter |
| 5 | “Christmas Don’t Be Late” rehearsal; stage fright before Ian |
| 6 | Dave fired from his marketing job |
| 7 | Dinner with Claire; Alvin plays matchmaker |
| 8 | Chipmunks take a taxi to Ian’s mansion |
| 9 | “Witch Doctor” performance; Ian pushes harder marketing |
| 10 | Dave objects; the family question goes unresolved |
To make amends, the chipmunks take a taxi to Ian’s lavish mansion and sing Dave’s song. Ian signs a record deal and restores Dave’s career. Dave becomes their manager. The chipmunks start to see Dave as family. Dave tries to dismiss the idea.
Jason Lee and the Voice Cast
Jason Lee plays Dave as a man permanently behind schedule. He is not given much to do beyond reacting, and he reacts well enough. Justin Long voices Alvin, the middle-sized leader. Matthew Gray Gubler voices Simon, the tall brainy one. Jesse McCartney voices Theodore, the short timid one. Ross Bagdasarian Jr. provides Alvin’s singing voice, Steve Vining handles Simon’s, and Janice Karman handles Theodore’s.
David Cross plays Ian Hawke, and he is the only person in the film who appears to know what movie he is in. Ian is the villain by job description. Cross plays him as a man who has already spent the money. Jane Lynch appears as Gail, Dave’s ex-boss, in a role that amounts to one scene and a firing.
“Witch Doctor” and the Marketing Problem
After a successful performance of “Witch Doctor,” Ian pushes Dave to market the chipmunks more aggressively. Dave objects. He says the chipmunks are too young to handle fame. That is the film’s one real idea: the difference between a family and a product. It states the idea and then drops it.
The animation comes from Rhythm & Hues Studios, which studied real chipmunks and earlier versions of the characters to build CGI models that kept their original essence. The integration of CGI with live-action footage required match-moving techniques and advanced visual effects software. Christopher Lennertz composed the music. The film is dedicated to the memory of Ross Bagdasarian, the creator of the Chipmunks.
None of that craft rescues the pacing. The film runs 92 minutes and feels longer, because every scene is a setup for a song or a gag about chipmunk size.
The Score
Alvin and the Chipmunks is a commercial delivery system with a tagline — “The original entourage” — and no interest in the characters beyond their ability to sell a soundtrack. Development began in 1997 when Ross Bagdasarian Jr. expressed interest in a live-action film. The project changed hands repeatedly before it was announced in September 2004 as a hybrid collaboration between Fox 2000 Pictures, 20th Century Fox Animation and Bagdasarian Company. Seven years of development produced a film whose most memorable element is a cover of “Funkytown.”
The published critical score is 3.9/10, with a Metacritic score of 39/100. That is the right number. The chipmunks are not the problem. The problem is that the film gives them nothing to want, and gives Dave nothing to lose. Cross is worth watching. The rest is a licensing exercise with a runtime.
3.9 of 10.
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