Children always love to watch movies where a heroic character defeats his enemies and gets some valuable thing for which he is looking for or where he saves a princess and marries her or any other such story. But there are some children who get excited by watching movies in which there are humans and cartoons both.
Such is Alvin and the Chipmunks Movie where three cute chipmunks and two men – one good and the other not so good make up the story.
Directed by Tim Hill and produced by Janice Karman, Ross Bagdasarian Jr, the movie is all about how three chipmunk brothers become famous because of their voice and face a difficult time because of a cunning man.
Alvin and the Chipmunks Movie have a running time of 92 minutes. John Vitti has written the movie, Peter Berger has edited it and Peter Lyons Collister has cinematographed it. Moreover, the screenplay is done by John Vitti, Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi.
Alvin and the Chipmunks Cast
Alvin and the Chipmunks Movie star Jason Lee, David Cross, Cameron Richardson, Jane Lynch, Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubbler and Jessey McCartney.
Jason Lee – David Seville
David Cross – Ian Hawke
Cameron Richardson – Claire Wilson
Jaine Lynch – Gail
Justin Long – Alvin (voice)
Mathew Gray Gubbler – Simon (voice)
Jessey McCartney – Theodore (voice)
Several Actors such as Chevy Chase, Tim Allen were selected for the role of Dave. Finally, in March 2007 Jason Lee grabbed the role of Dave. Lee appreciated the role of Dave as it was a different character than what he used to play before. The role of Ian Hawke was expected to go to Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn but both of them declined it.
It was then given to David Cross. Justin Long, Mathew Gray Gubbler and Jessey McCartney were given the voiceovers for the Chipmunks instead of Ross Bagdasarian and his wife due to marketing reasons. McCartney described voicing of the Chipmunks as a very tedious process and it had even taken them 40 takes for a single line.
The phenomenal performances of the cast and the beautiful voicing of the supremely talented voice-over artists has made the movie a real success and worth watching.
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Alvin and the Chipmunks Release
The principal shoot of the film began on March 28, 2007. This movie was the first to be produced under the leadership of Vanessa Morrison, the Fox Animation President. The first poster of Alvin and the Chipmunks was revealed on July 4, 2007.
The film was finally released on December 14. 2007 and was distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film received both praise and critical response. With a budget of 60 million dollars, the film grossed 361 million dollars worldwide. It became Fox’s highest-grossing film in the US to be released in 2007.
A video game of the film was also released on December 4, 2007. It was written and produced by DeeTown entertainment.
Alvin and the Chipmunks Movie Music
Christopher Lennertz has given the music of the film. The soundtrack was released on November 20, 2007. It has a combination of old songs and new songs and most of them are very pleasing to the ears.
Bad Day – 3 minutes 47 seconds
Chipmunk Song – 2 minutes 34 seconds
Follow me now – 3 minutes 7 seconds
How we roll – 3 minutes 54 seconds
Witch Doctor – 3 minutes 3 seconds
Come Get it – 3 minutes 34 seconds
Funkytown – 3 minutes 34 seconds
Get you goin’ – 3 minutes 16 seconds
Coast 2 Coast – 2 minutes 47 seconds
Mess Around – 3 minutes 20 seconds
Only You – 2 minutes 50 seconds
Ain’t no party – 2 minutes 43 seconds
Get Munk’d – 3 minutes 1 second
Four of the soundtrack album managed to hit the Billboard Hot 100 list. Most of the songs of the film feature the Chipmunks and a few have been played in the background. The voices of the Chipmunks in the songs are dubbed by different artists to avoid vocal lethargy.
Alvin and the Chipmunks Summary
The film begins with the three Chipmunk brothers namely Alvin, Simon and Theodore and their treehouse being cut down. Moving to David’s life, the film shows how he struggles to get his songs accepted. Also, the film shows how David always gets berated by Ian Hawks, his chief executive and college roommate.
The film then moves on to the Chipmunks and they hop into a Muffin basket and follow David home. David tries to kick them out but once he hears them sing, he gets impressed. Unfortunately, the Chipmunks ruin his day badly and then go to Ian’s place and show him their singing talent. This in turn prompts him to sign the recording deal.
In no time, the Chipmunks become famous and David, who is concerned for them insists that they can’t handle this much fame. Ian stuffs the Chipmunks’ ears that David is jealous of their success and thus the trio starts living with Ian.
He spoils them and gives them immense work to do which eventually spoils their voices. The film then focuses on how David attempts to save them and starts to love them as their own children. The film ends on a good and cheerful note where the squad befools Ian and set out to their happily-ever-after.
Alvin and the Chipmunks Review
The most exciting sight in the film Alvin and the Chipmunks is not the singing chipmunks but the coordination between the human Dave and these three naughty chips. Some critics have praised the movie whereas some have given strongly negative reviews to the movie.
Accolades
Alvin and the Chipmunks beautifully portray the life of three little Chipmunks. The best part of the film is how the trio reaches Dave’s house in a Muffin basket. The love, affection and enthusiasm highlighted in the film keep viewers especially children glued to their screens. Some people say that the performance of Lee is worthy of an Oscar and also the voiceovers of the Chipmunks also deserve applause.
Moreover, the emotional scenes between Lee and the Chipmunks have been praised. The hard work that Lee has done while shooting is worth praise. He used to practice his scenes with stuffed toys and then remember the position of the Chipmunks during the shoot. To sum up, the film has been a great success and has not at all failed to impress its viewers.
Critical response
Alvin and the Chipmunks were not free from critical responses. Some labeled that the film only focuses on the cute big eyes of the Chipmunks and leave the live characters who have put their blood and sweat into the movie with nothing to do. The film also shows the characters’ attitudes opposite to what they have been cast for.
Ian Hawks who’s actually the villain appears to be utterly funny and does not at all look like a villain. Also, the Chipmunks have stolen the show and do not let any other character come to the limelight. There is too much exaggeration of the singing which doesn’t deserve to be so and also, the acting of the actors hasn’t been praised much.
Alvin and the Chipmunks Movies
Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007) was so very famous that the production company had to launch its further sequels. A sequel titled Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel was released on December 23, 2009. It is all about the Chipettes and the Chipmunks. Zachary Levi replaced Jason Lee due to his small role and Lee’s role in another film.
A third film was released on December 16, 2011, titled Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. It is all about a cruise trip. A fourth film titled Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip was released on December 18, 2015. It is all about how the Chipmunks set out to gain a spot in Dave’s life again. Most of the cast re-started their role in the sequels except some and many new characters were also introduced.
The sequels have been equally loved by the people. The love that the first movie imprinted in their hearts was still alive. Most of the sequels also received good reviews from viewers, especially children.
Alvin and the Chipmunks Toys
The fame of Alvin and the Chipmunks movie has reached to a place where many prolific companies make toys based on the Chipmunks.
You can buy the toys of Alvin, Simon and Theodore from the following websites
Amazon
Many toys such as cushions, dolls and robots are available in these designs.
PixArt Chipmunks Image Printed Cushion with Filler
Ty Beanie Babies Alvin & The Chipmunks Alvin, Theodore & Simon Set of 3
Flipkart
If you are an Alvin and the Chipmunks fan, grab your toy now from these sites.
Conclusion
Alvin and the Chipmunks has ruled the hearts of innumerable people. Despite its release in 2007, the movie is loved by people even after so many years. There are remakes made of many songs in the voices of the three Chipmunks. The love between the trio and the fatherly love of Dave has become an example for the world. The credit for the success of the film goes to the magnificent direction and the ultimate editing. We all know that the film couldn’t have been possible without the voices of the Chipmunks.
The Chipmunks in turn couldn’t have been possible without the voiceover artists. The credit goes to the whole cast and crew who have worked day and night to make this film a huge success.
Getting released in a time like 2007 is pretty difficult as there was nothing like the technology of 2022. Still, when you watch the film, it always gives a feel like it has been released in a highly technological setup. Concluding, Tim Hill has succeeded beautifully in making a movie that is loved by the people of the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many Alvin and the Chipmunks movies are there?
Ans. There are a total of four Alvin and the Chipmunks movies.
2. Where can I watch Alvin and the Chipmunks?
Ans. You can watch the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks movie on the following platforms:
- Amazon Prime Video
- Netflix
- Google Play Movies (paid)
- YouTube (paid or rent)
- Disney Plus
- 3. Which Alvin and the Chipmunks character are you?
Ans. There are many quizzes available on the internet to know about which character from the movie are you.
4. Who owns Alvin and the Chipmunks?
Ans. Alvin and the Chipmunks is owned by Bagdasarian Productions.
5. How to draw Alvin and the Chipmunks?
Ans. It’s not at all difficult to draw Alvin and the Chipmunks.