Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel  

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel  

Harmless but mostly routine comedy with music, mixing animation and live action, in which the familiar trio of harmonizing rodents (voices of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney) have a series of slapstick misadventures, eventually winding up in the inept care of a gadget-obsessed slacker (Zachary Levi), becoming school students, and entering a singing competition that pits them against a group of chipmunk divas (voices of Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate). A bit of gently rude humor aside, director Betty Thomas' extension of the 50-year-old franchise, which includes hit recordings, a pair of TV cartoon series and this feature's 2007 predecessor, "Alvin and the Chipmunks," is unobjectionable, though its positive lessons about choosing loyalty over selfishness come wrapped in an entertainment package that feels somewhat shopworn. A-I -- general patronage. (PG)

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (Full Review)

Though it contains positive messages about choosing loyalty over selfishness, "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" (Fox) -- a comedy with music that mixes animation and live action -- presents these lessons to young viewers wrapped in an entertainment package that feels somewhat shopworn. Still, a bit of gently rude humor aside, the proceedings are unobjectionable.

Director Betty Thomas' extension of the 50-year-old Chipmunks franchise -- which includes hit recordings, a pair of television cartoon series and this feature's 2007 predecessor, called simply "Alvin and the Chipmunks" -- opens with its familiar trio of harmonizing rodents, brothers Alvin (voice of Justin Long), Simon (voice of Matthew Gray Gubler) and Theodore (voice of Jesse McCartney), having a series of slapstick misadventures.

As a result of these, their usual protector Dave (Jason Lee) winds up in the hospital, and they end up in the inept care of Dave's cousin Toby (Zachary Levi), a gadget-obsessed slacker. On Dave's orders, Toby enrolls his new proteges in school, where Alvin's popularity with a clique of bullying athletes leads to membership on the football team and the temptation to leave his socially less successful siblings in the dust.

A school singing competition sees the high-pitched warblers pitted against their female opposite numbers, the Chipettes, made up of divas Jeanette (voice of Anna Faris), Brittany (voice of Christina Applegate) and Eleanor (Amy Poehler). Backing the Chipettes is unscrupulous producer Ian (David Cross), whose manipulation of the Chipmunks made him the villain of the previous film.

Out for revenge, and confident that the Chipettes are the key to his renewed success, Ian increasingly showcases Brittany to the disadvantage of her sisters, forcing her to face a moral choice between egotism and family faithfulness similar to the one confronting Alvin.

While this harmless, mostly routine offering may keep undemanding youngsters diverted, accompanying adults will likely find little to entertain them apart, possibly, from the spectacle of both singing groups giving the patented Chipmunks treatment to pop tunes by everyone from the Bee Gees to Beyonce.

The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

These movies have been evaluated for artistic merit and moral suitability by the media reviewing division of Catholic News Service. The reviews include the CNS 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;
L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
O -- morally offensive.

Note: Some movies previously were designated A-IV. Older films with this classification should be regarded as classified L.

Office for Film and Broadcasting | 1011 First Avenue, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10022 | (202) 541-3000 © USCCB. All rights reserved.