Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, for the most part, successfully revives and updates the long-dormant franchise and cements itself as the new and far more family-friendly Who Framed Roger Rabbit for modern audiences.
Overall Score: 7/10
Image: Disney+
Debuting all the way back in 1943, Disney characters Chip and Dale have long served as sources of entertainment for many different generations and have continued to remain two of the most famous chipmunks in animation history (rivaled only, perhaps, by the members of the virtual band Alvin and the Chipmunks). Originally appearing as antagonists of sorts — although not evil — in Mickey Mouse, Pluto, and, most famously, Donald Duck cartoons, the acorn-loving duo eventually became more and more popular, leading to them receiving their own set of shorts, and eventually, their own TV show titled Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers.
And now, eight decades after their creation and initial introduction into the world of animation, the popular chipmunk pair has been given the Hollywood reboot treatment. Named after the classic series, this updated take revisits and reimagines the two characters as stars of the titular show, living in a world where humans and cartoon characters (or toons for short) coexist. Gone, however, are the days of their success, with both Chip and Dale having split and moved on to other things. Yet, when one of their friends goes missing, they must put aside their differences and work together once more. Sound simple? Well, it is. But because it’s not a retread of the original, Rescue Rangers, unlike many other reboots, cleverly sidesteps most, if not all, of the conventions and clichés associated with typical franchise revivals.
Although mainly described as a continuation of the original show, the film also acts somewhat as a successor to 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit, similarly incorporating a large cast of predominantly animated characters — with a few exceptions — in a set of live-action settings. However, as more than thirty years have passed since the latter was released, the fact that the landscape of animation is now drastically different from what it was then cannot be ignored. Hence, the filmmakers behind Rescue Rangers were given a unique opportunity to not only reuse the same gimmick that Roger Rabbit so masterfully perfected, but to also update it by utilizing a wider variety of animation styles and techniques (including, but not limited to 2D, 3D, CGI, and claymation) and spice it up with a new list of pleasantly unexpected cameos.
Also, for a film that’s clearly targeted at families and younger audiences, Rescue Rangers is surprisingly heavily satirical in nature (and decidedly different from Roger Rabbit and its more cynical, noir-esque feel). It’s full of meta-commentary, not-so-subtle and hilariously unapologetic mockery and jokes, and clever references that some children, depending on their age, may or may not understand. Frankly, I’m surprised and rather amused that the writers were able to get away with so much of what transpires on-screen.
Moving onto the negative aspects though, while most of the acting is superb and everyone is oddly, yet extremely well cast (especially co-leads John Mulaney and Andy Samberg), there is one particular actor who’s performance can only be described as not being up to par. The individual in question is If Beale Street Could Talk star KiKi Layne, who unfortunately sticks out like a sore thumb in nearly every scene she’s in. Her acting is so laughably bad that, given the movie’s already insane amount of satire, I can only hope it was an intentional jab at the terrible performances often attributed to Disney Channel and Nickelodeon child actors.
Other shortcomings include often-iffy dialogue, one or two strange and unnecessary sequences, and a few missed opportunities, but because of the movie’s craziness and refusal to take itself seriously, these are things that can be easily overlooked.
All things considered, Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers is an interesting and creative reimagining of its two titular characters and a fun, funny, and fast-paced adventure that fully embraces its wacky premise and is unafraid of mocking the many things that it does. Furthermore, it’s a love letter to the animation industry and its creations (past and present), managing to pull off the all too rare feat of having a huge number of toons from several different franchises and studios share the same screen. And although it may be far from what most people consider great, one cannot deny that it’s at least pretty good. Plus, let’s face it. The film delivers almost entirely on its initial promise, which, as its posters say, is that “It’s not a reboot. It’s a comeback.”
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