Title – Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)

Director – Akiva Schaffer (Hot Rod) 

Cast – KiKi Layne (voices of) Andy Samberg, John Mulaney, Seth Rogen, J.K Simmons, Will Arnett, Eric Bana 

Plot – One time TV stars turned estranged friends and chipmunks Dale (Samberg) and Chip (Mulaney) must put aside past differences as they join forces to track down the person responsible for the disappearance of their long time acquittances.  

“Honey! Someone’s doing a cool pose in the driveway!”

Review by Eddie on 21/07/2022

A comeback (not a reboot as the films poster would like us to be aware of) of cult favorite 1980’s cartoon Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers that is directed by a member of rap parody group Lonely Island and the brains behind comedy classics Hot Rod and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, Disney+ release Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers really has no right being as enjoyable as it is, as this mixture of animated hijinks and real life escapades rollicks along at a rapid pace, creating an experience young and old will be able to enjoy. 

Instilling the same type of humor that was present in similar such films as the recent Lego movies and Sonic the Hedgehog, Rescue Rangers isn’t a pure children’s film as Akiva Schaffer bundles in a mixture of high-brow, low-brow and pop culture focused jokes that are likely too go way over the heads of younger viewers but appease those older yet young at heart viewers, making this a familiar feeling exercise but one that never turns into a feature that feels like its preaching anything that doesn’t need to be preached or trying to become a film it was never going to be. 

Lead by the vocal talents of long term collaborator Andy Samberg as Dale and John Mulaney as Chip, the two central chipmunks at the heart of this adventure that takes place across the hills, cheese dives and backlots of Hollywood are colorfully and enthusiastically bought to life here and its clear that Schaffer and all involved in this comeback film have a strong affiliation with the Rescue Ranger’s brand with the film jam-packed with past references and characters that is going to act like one big Christmas present for long term fans of the characters and world. 

With solid support from a “in real life” KiKi Layne as police detective and Rescue Rangers fangirl Ellie, this perhaps unnecessary Disney reimagining (just one in a long list of properties the House of Mouse is reincarnating for the modern world) is an all round solid package that never does anything groundbreaking or unexpected but nevertheless gives us a far more entertaining adventure than one could’ve hoped for when the initial announcement was made that the famous chipmunks would be back in a whole new way. 

Final Say – 

Thanks to Schaffer’s ability to keep things weird and fresh, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is a far better family adventure than one might have expected with enough winning jokes and imagination to cover over its many familiar elements. 

3 Polar Express eyes out of 5