Rating: PG
Starring:
Zachary Levi as Toby
David Cross as Ian
Jason Lee as Dave
Justin Long as Alvin (voice)
Matthew Gray Gubler as Simon (voice)
Jesse McCartney as Theodore (voice)
Amy Poehler as Eleanor (voice)
Anna Faris as Jeanette (voice)
Christina Applegate as Brittany (voice)
Wendie Malick as Dr. Rubin
Anjelah N. Johnson as Julie
Kathryn Joosten as Aunt Jackie
Kevin G. Schmidt as Ryan
Chris Warren Jr. as Xander
Bridgit Mendler as Becca
Special Features:
‘Munk Music Machine
Music Mania Featurette
Munking History: 50 Years Of Chipmunk Mischief
Meet The Chipettes
Rockin’ Rising Stars
Music Mania
The Chipmunks: Behind The Squeaking
A Nut-omy Of A Scene
Meet The Stuffies
Shake Your Groove Thing With Rosero
Music Videos And Sing-Alongs
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.85:1)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Spanish Subtitles
Spanish and French Languages
Running Time: 88 Minutes
The Details:
The following is the official description of the film:
“Chipmunk singing sensations Alvin, Simon and Theodore are back for an encore with more music, more mischief – and more nutty fun – in this hilarious “squeakquel” that introduces the beautiful and talented Chipettes. Have the ‘Munks met their match! There’s over 90 minutes of more music…more mischief…and more fun ‘munk entertainment in store for the whole family when you “squeak along” with Alvin and the Chipmunks! Learn to sing and dance like the chipmunks and check out all-new featurettes. You’d have to be nuts to miss out on the fun!”
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel” is rated PG for some mild rude humor.
Mini-Review:
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel” is pretty much on par with the original. It has the same strengths and weaknesses as before. David Cross again steals the show as Ian, the slimy agent. The music is again pretty well executed. Again kids will get a kick out of it while parents won’t be totally bored by it. But it is a film definitely aimed at kids and they’re the ones that will most enjoy it.
New to the cast is Zachary Levi from “Chuck” as Toby. He’s Dave’s cousin who is a man-child that would rather play video games than be a responsible adult. He has some funny moments and is generally an improvement over Jason Lee as Dave who happens to be barely in the movie. Wendie Malick is also quite funny as Dr. Rubin, the school principal who is secretly a Chipmunks super-fan. Her secret geek out moments are some of the funnier parts of the film. While Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Jesse McCartney are joined by Amy Poehler, Anna Faris, and Christina Applegate as the Chipettes, they remain just as unrecognizable with their altered voices.
If you liked the first one, you’ll like this one, too. Kids love it and adults can survive it and possibly even enjoy it.
The Two-Disc Special Edition has a batch of brief bonus features. There are short featurettes on the history of the Chipmunks, the young music stars in the film, and the visual effects. There’s a Chipettes video that shows Poehler, Applegate, and Faris acting funny. You’ll find a “Behind the Music” type of mockumentary about the Chipmunks. There are also music videos and sing alongs. But kids may really enjoy “Shake Your Groove Thing With Rosero,” an instructional video on some of the dance moves from the film. Oddly enough, the “Music Mania” featurette showing the big music competition scene is included TWICE in the DVD set.
