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This is absolutely no excuse to accept any sponsor from them. THAT'S RIGHT, THEY ARE AT THEIR MOST VICIOUS AROUND THE TIME KF THEIR BIRTHDAY!!!! WHY CANT THEY JUST LEAVE THE WHOLE WORLD ALONE SO WE CAN HAVE OUR SANITY LEFT INTACT!!!
As a songwriter, everyone writes different but me and the other artists I know tend to just freestyle over an instrumental and write it down if it's good
I always like when people find legitimately positive things in negatively perceived media, without acting like it's torture to find one good thing to say about it. 💛
in a movie about high pitched talking chipmunks that live peacefully in society, go to school and become a famed band you think that is the craziest thing lol
@@spacedoodles it's not, of course. I simply just think it would have been hilarious if Dave put the toy glasses on Simon and Simon is just like "Dave this doesn't help whatsoever"
I'm not a songwriter but I'm a visual artist and a story writer on occasion, and have had to write in rhyme and meter before, and it feels pretty on par with my creative process too lol. A lot of art is fucking around, finding out, and revelation that happen at the most random and inconvenient times
I'll forever be grateful towards the second movie for inventing the word Squeakquel, favorite thing to use for any piece of media ever, even for non movies
Interestingly, even after Alvin and the Chipmunks 4: The Road Chip earned a massive $234 million, despite going up against Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens and Sisters, Tony Hale went on to appear in films like The 17:15 to Paris, Love Simon, Toy Story 4, Clifford: The Big Red Dog, Inside Out 2, and Toy Story 5.
@@bhaddcommie Interestingly, even after Alvin and the Chipmunks 4: The Road Chip earned a massive $234 million, despite going up against Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens and Sisters, Tony Hale went on to appear in films like The 17:15 to Paris, Love Simon, Toy Story 4, Clifford: The Big Red Dog, Inside Out 2, and Toy Story 5.
The Alvin and the Chipmunks movies are my first introduction to the franchise. Not only they are one of the early "virtual bands" that are successful before The Gorillaz and Hatsune Miku, they also pioneered the idea of vocaloids.
It’s so refreshing to see a review of these movies that isn’t just “this made me cringe so hard.” There are parts of each movie that are cringe, but there’s also a lot of heart. My personal favorite is Chipwrecked mainly due to the characters being stuck in a situation together and having to overcome things and learn from it. Alvin learns he’s more than just “the fun one” and Simon learns he can be more than just “the smart one.” Theo gets to be braver. Brittany gets to learn she’s more than just the “pretty one.” Jeanette gets to show off her creativity…and Eleanor…..well, Eleanor hasn’t ever gotten very much spotlight compared to the other 5 in any AATC thing and THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE. Also fun fact: Chipwrecked is loosely VERY loosely based on an 80s episode called Island Fever! It’s funny that you listed Road Chip as your favorite of the 4, since that’s actually my least favorite (except for the adoption scene which I love soooo much. It should have happened in movie number 1 or 2 at the latest. Idk why it took until 4) The way that you pointed out what the Road Chip does right makes me want to revisit it. I think what hurt me the most on that one was I got the Junior Novel for it first. The Junior Novel was SO GOOD and then I watched the film and it added in a bunch of jokes (mostly at Simon’s expense) that weren’t in the novel. Plus, it omitted a few really fun scenes that were in the novel. Side note: I love that you used the clips from the 80s series! You are so dedicated! I didn’t even catch some of those references to the 80s chipmunks in the films. You mentioned that you’ve seen some of the newest reboot on Nickelodeon. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Personally, I think season 1 was its best season and all the seasons after are like a mixed bag of good, meh, and downright bad episodes. I do somewhat enjoy the characters branching out in certain episodes, but the family dynamics often feel lacking compared to the 80s. (Post season 1) Still, I love the show to pieces. Miss. Miller gets to make cameos and occasionally appears in episodes too! But the Chipettes live in her backyard and not really with her, which is pretty confusing. I feel like they should have kept her as their parent figure because the Chipettes do still need a parent. Also Alvin is kinda a nerd now, which I dig. (He had shades of it in the 80s too, but nerdy things are a lot more mainstream now.) He makes fun of Simon for being a nerd and is completely oblivious that he’s also one. 😂 Also, Eleanor FINALLY GETS TO DO THINGS, but sadly she still gets the least amount of episodes dedicated to her.
Harddddd agree about Eleanor, honestly. I do really like the CGI cartoon, to me it always just kind of felt like more of the Ruby Spears show but with a more modern writing and voice acting style. I haven’t seen a whoooole lot, definitely not enough to compare how I feel season by season like I can do some other shows, but I want to! Thanks for watching and for all the kind words!
I appreciate how in the Chipwrecked they made Alvin kind of realize how much he drives Dave crazy and how they made him feel what he feels. I understand why he went back to how he was at end, the old "if the character is developed way too much they might end up stop being what his character is supouse to be" but still.... it was nice to see that, even if it was just for a while.
Honestly the thing that I liked about the live-action Chipmunk movies was the little details they added in their physical behaviour to make them more rodent-like, especially in the first movie where they'd drop to all-fours when running/climbing. Edit: another thing to add is that the animation team added the extra detail of Simon's ears twitching/moving more often than either Alvin's or Theodore's, likely because before getting his glasses Simon was much more dependent on his hearing and is therefore constantly listening out. (my sibling noticed the thing with Simon's ears after watching the first movie slowed down several times in a row)
Now that you've pointed out the fact that the older Chipmunks' designs had humanoid ears, I can't unsee them and I hate it. I prefer the more accurate ears they went with for the live-action films.
I like how in the live action ones they actually look like the chipmunk species that is native to the western U.S and not like ones that grew up near a nuclear power plant. I also like how the first movie focuses more on Dave and his struggles with being a manager and parent to them. I also like how it touched on how over performing can impact ones health and how dark Hollywood can be especially with exploiting children. I also like how the world around the chipmunks isn't adjusted for them and how they adjust to the world around them. Also fun fact in Japanese Alvin has the same voice actor as Kirito from sword art online.
" live action ones they actually look like the chipmunk species" I don't think it matters that they didn't much resemble chipmunks, the designs were cool and iconic and that's what matters. The Chipetts in particular were done terribly in the live action films and that cgi show abomination.
@@prufan they didnt look worse in the live action than they did in the original cartoon. they didnt even look like animals beside the nose. they had humanoid faces, hair, skin and even belly buttons. I think the movies did a better job at designing female chipmunks without making them look like little girls, that always bothered me about the original
These movies were my first introduction to the chipmunks. After watching the first movie and seeing the credits roll with all of the old albums scrolling I went back and watched all of the old material
That was one of my favorite parts of the movie. It really shows the staying power of The Chipmunks and shows what else you could look into if you want.
I legitimately enjoyed the first one and way more than I should have. I especially love how Ian sleazily tempts the Chipmunks with all the toys and gadgets for signing on with him, but locks them in a pet cage, essentially mirroring how the recording industry treats new talent. I even think the main story is a nice little tribute to the real Dave Saville (Ross Sr.) and his development of the characters. But that second one pissed me off. Half of it was actually pretty good, I liked the Chipettes being a revenge ploy and the whole Chipmunks going to school, mirroring the cartoon series. But it fails with Dave's loser nephew, his completely pointless love scene with the teacher that barely goes anywhere (you had a love story in the first damn movie), and yeah. I'm glad I'm not the only one that hated Digger once I found out who he was. Some of the worst product vertical integration I've ever seen. I never gave a crap about the other two and only seen bits and pieces as a result.
Can someone tell me about the recording industry part? Because that was a scene of Ian putting the chipmunks in the cage, but I'm not sure why that had to do with the recording industry.
@@assassin8636 Long story short, most of the money for new talent goes directly to the record label and a lot of musicians who don't consistently deliver and disappear after their first album tend to wind up in debt. They're treated like a commodity rather than artists. For example, most artists do not own their own songs. It's a glib generalization, and there's a lot of steps in between and a lot of nuance, but essentially, Ian exploiting them and then shoving them in cages is a pretty hamfisted metaphor, even if unintentional.
During my brief stint as an animation major I studied 3D animation under one of the lead animators for this film. He was a really nice guy! We liked to needle him about having worked on this movie, on Halloween one of the other students passed around Alvin masks that we all put on before class, so that when he walked in he'd be greeted to a sea of Alvins.
@@radiofreederry As the child of two Boomer aged parents who grew up on classic Chipmunks records and Saturday morning cartoons, I’ll always hold a soft spot for “Alvin #1.”
I genuinely love these movies. They're just so fun and nostalgic. It was especially fun going back to rewatch the first one with one of my best friends for Christmas. And finally getting to watch Roadchip after all these years was really amazing
These movies were a HUGE part of my childhood omg. I saw 2 and 3 in theaters, and while I was too young to see the first I watched it a bunch when it played on TV. I remember loving the Squeakquel so much mainly cause it introduced me to the Chipettes, so it’s really interesting that their characterizations weren’t done super well in that. I also didn’t realize just how impactful that movie was to me as a kid until I got older and recognized two actors in different projects cause of Alvin and the Chipmunks of all things (Zachary Levi and Wendie Malick, the principal who’s also Eda on Owl House and it blew my mind when I first recognized her voice and looked up who it was)
Wendie Malick has a SUPER recognizable voice and inflection. She also did the voice of the mom from a Nick cartoon called "The X's". I haven't watched or even looked up that show in years, but just thinking of her voice reminds me of lines she did from the show. I think she was at her best in an old sitcom called "Just Shoot Me" (It's not as scary as it sounds! It's about a magazine company!) Rewatching clips, the show has a pretty mean sense of humor. But, she plays her character (Nina) SO perfectly.
I had NO idea this franchise had so much lore. Damn. Good video. I love when even the most 'inconsequential' or 'childish' franchises have someone to back up their history.
i still remember when i got dropped off at the theater to see the first chipmunk movie. fell asleep within the first eight minutes and had to get woken up by one of the ushers😅🤣
it’s so refreshing to see your video essays talking positively about the chipmunks. i’ve been a huge fan of them since i was a little kid and now i’m nearly 20 and i still absolutely adore them :) thank u for not trashing them just bc their voices are annoying or anything
It's quite hilarious how Alvin and The Chipmunks did a better character design on the Chipmunks and Chipettes in their live action movies than Disney did with Flounder and Sebastian in The Little Mermaid remake aswell as basically every character in The Lion King remake just to make the animal characters show any facial expression
Ok hi, I don’t know why I’m commenting this under a video about Alvin and the chipmunks but I would like to thank you. I’m a younger black girl who adores the animation genre and your videos have made me laugh and learn more about the genre. Your ability to weave humor and insight is so entertaining and enjoyable. Thank you for your videos! They have made me love animation more!
I am so glad to see young black people talking about animation because you usually see non-black people do this. I really want to see more younger black women talking about animation. I am middle aged, and maybe I need to start making videos about this.
I don't normally comment, but these movies were literally my WHOLE CHILDHOOD. My brother and I had dvds of the movies and would rewatch them non-stop. WE EVEN HAD THE GOD DAMN DOLLS FOR THE MOVIES. They were my first introduction to the chipmunks, and I didn't know much else until I found your videos. But, I am so thankful you put these movies in a positive light. Like, they are not that bad, and I personally enjoyed the chipreck,but anytime I would ask someone about them, they would say they were cringe or bad. And it really hurt seeing your whole childhood being shit on. Anyway, I am so happy you made a video about these movies, cause I'm pretty sure nobody else would 😅
My theory is that they were magnifying glasses or something. Still, not 100% a good solution. Simon probably got them switched out for actual prescription glasses after the first movie.
No one ever talks about how the first chipmunk movie was written by the guys who wrote the adventures of Peet and peet. One of the best kids shows ever made.
Isn't that essentially saying that the 80s Chipmunks/Chipetts did it wrong? Which I don't think is right. the original designs were cool and iconic and that's what matters, doesn't matter if they only vaguely resembled chipmunks. 80s Chipetts in particular will always be the best coolest version.
I recently rewatched this with my friends and Road Chip was actually my least favorite. Something about it didn’t work for me but I have to agree that ending is so heartwarming. I’d love to see your thoughts on the newer Nick show!
Haven't rewatched it in years but I remember liking it the least too. Maybe it's because the Chipettes are pretty much absent during the whole thing while I got used to them in the 2nd and the 3rd film. I liked their interactions with the boys and with them being gone, something felt off I guess
I still remember seeing Road Chip in theaters and having a blast with my friend (as well as this mom and her kids in the front row who were falling out laughing at every joke) The whole New Orleans scene and The Chipmunks dancing to Turn Down For What were the highlights.
i used to fw with underdog so hard, that movie got me into the old cartoon which led me to buying a box set of the show with some other cool toons thrown in there. But great video! Alvin and the chipmunks 2007 was one of my favorite movies growing. My chipmunk obsession all started with that movie. So its always gonna have a place in my heart. I never ended up watching the 4th movie but I may have to give it a watch
its so wonderful to see someone actually giving these movies a fair chance!! while theyre nothing mindblowing, these movies were such a huuuge part of my childhood and i still have a soft spot for them to this day!! thank you for bringing some positivity to this series, its so heartwarming ! chipwrecked was my absolute favorite as a kid and it feels nice to rethink about these movies again so many years later :) great video 10/10!!
I remember when I found out that Underdog was based on an old cartoon 😂 I was so young and didn’t care about this fact until later in life lol I guess it makes sense as to why it got made tho…the ppl who grew up with it were probably the ones who greenlit the project. I’m sure they were really excited to bring it to life!
7:00 I have to agree that the chorus is definitely the best part. I also must admit that part when Alvin says “YO DJ! PUMP THIS PARTY!” (with all 3 of them saying “go go go go” in the background)…will always make me laugh bc of how hard they’re going 😂😂 I wanna see what that recording session was like!
Can we just talk about how people consider Chipwrecked to be the "Simon and Jeanette" movie, but if you REALLY dig into it you'll realise Jeanette falls for Simon after he _literally becomes Alvin?_ Oh she's so impressed by how he's adventurous and loves extreme sports! Sounds like Alvin to me. But don't forget about how attracted she is by him speaking French, you know, exactly like Alvin did in the previous movie. But maybe it was the charming and flirtatious behavior, again, like Alvin when he senses a pretty girl in a 10 mile radius. But perhaps it was his bravery, like how Simon saved her life in the end! Right after refusing to help because he was too scared, when Brittany clearly stated: "Jeanette _needs_ you". Good thing he _took his sweet time to think about it,_ (not like someone is on a life or death situation) and finally used his superior intelligence to cut the rope she was tied t... Oh, that was Alvin again. And he didn't flinch before stepping up to help. And that's not even his girl. Well, at least they shared many moments together throughout the mov- Oh he forgot everything? Everything except a cheesy pickup line? THE FUK?? Simon's entire arc in this movie is that he is acting like the perfect opposite of his normal self, which causes the girl he likes to fall madly in love with him. Now that right there, is how you don't write chemistry and romance.
And Alvin becoming more responsible while Simon became more immature as the movie went on, Brittany also becoming much more responsible, even though Dave said to Ian that, “Alvin can be a handful but Simon is mature and uptight” then it shows Alvin building a shelter while Simon is doing dangerous activities without thinking, showing how their personalities switched and how their characters developed in the wild, as well as Brittany also showing responsibility with Alvin
You’re forgetting one key element, though; Jeanette was into him before AND after his French escapades. It used to bother me, as a kid, too, until I realized that Jeanette is, more or less, actively flirting with him from the start of the movie. Little compliments and giddy glances here and there established a chemistry that was already there. They also give us subtle/unsubtle hints that Simon, while he doesn’t *actively* remember anything he did as Simóne, still subconsciously picked up a few tricks from that adventurous alter ego. The first sign of that was him echoing Simóne’s sentiment that even the most perfect gem can’t compare to Jeanette’s beauty. The fact that he worked up the nerve to say that to Jeanette’s face is a huge improvement, compared to the stuttering mess he was at the beginning of the film, any time Jeanette was in his near vicinity. Frustrating as the amnesia is, it isn’t a complete loss. Jeanette was already in love with him…in fact, she doesn’t seem to care what form Simon takes, as long as it’s HIM. And THAT I find rather endearing.
@@MC-cr7bv I don’t know, I guess it’s because I used to watch it all the time when I was little, and nostalgia just engulfs my mind whenever I think about it 😆
I'm in the weird spot where Im both old enough for the chipmunk movies like Frankenstein or the werewolf but also young enough for the first couple LA movies to both be part of my childhood. Weird soup of Chipmunk nostalgia for sure lol
The problem I have with the chipmunk sequels is the same problem I have with a lot of animated sequels, where it feels like a tv episode stretched feature length, characters are assigned a singular lesson they have to learn and everything gets tied up neatly in the end. It doesn't feel organic, it feels mechanical, I expect a movie to feel like an spectacle, like something that deserves to be in the big screen.
I dunno everyone else's experience, but my songwriting comes from this never ending stream of gibberish music playing constantly since birth in my head, and when I hear some shit I like in it I hop on my equipment and try to translate it, usually fail, get mad and close FL Studio without saving, then smoke like, a lot of weed, repeat until eventually I don't get distracted and get the song out of my head. As you can tell by my output, I frequently fail this challenge.
Great video as always Tariq! And it’s nice to see someone be nice to this franchise when it is often looked down on. Thank you and keep up the great work!
Believe it or not, these movies caused quite a divide in the aatc fandom back in the day. Back then you either liked the 80s cartoon(and the animated films/specials) OR the live action/cgi movies. It was rarely ever both. 80s fans even saying the movies were "ok" would cause a fight in their faction. A lot of the outright hatred you see for these movies these days definitely stems from that. (And also people just writing the entire aatc franchise off as cringe). Once the 2015 cartoon came out, things started to simmer down and fans weren't constantly at each other's throats over which gen was better. In my opinion, the movies are fine for what they are. Not personally my favorite aspect of the franchise, but still good enough. I think they really shine with their music and character animation more than their writing. It's near impossible for cgi to not look dated over time. But for the time these came out, their animation is really really good. Road Chip definitely holds up the best out of them. Personally I think the 2015 cartoon (or simply, "ALVINNN", as the fans call it) is an interesting topic to cover as a fan of the aatc franchise as a whole. It really does act as a sort of middle ground between the 80s cartoon and the live action/cgi movies. Even down to the character designs. It has a lot of aspects from both gens. But unfortunately the character writing (ESPECIALLY with Dave) takes a massive nose dive as the series goes on. The music, however, holds up throughout. There are some real bangers amongst those original songs. If you ever decide to cap off the franchise and cover ALVINNN in the future, just be careful what you use. Viacom and PGS are pretty strict when it comes to copyright and tend to block videos using footage from the show (it's why you don't see to many videos covering it). Sticking to using still images and a few very short clips (under 30 seconds) should be enough to prevent it though.
2015 cartoon wasn't received very well either, rating is low. It's animation looks unbelievably cheap and the art style falls so far from the 80s/90s version, why couldn't they have just replicated the original designs and art style?
It would make more sense if in the second movie the villain didn't go so far as to threaten the Chipettes and be satisfied with what he had and not risk losing everything again, he might start to soften up and see the Chipettes in a different way, so in the third film his redemption would make more sense and be more acceptable because it would be established that he was starting to change in the previous movie. I can even imagine a scene at the end of the second movie where they would see him with the Chipettes and when Alvin asked if something had happened David would reply that the Chipettes were what happened, and that they could change his life like Alvin and the Chipmunks changed David's life.
One audio sound of the chipmunks that lives rent free is a scene on the tour bus in Frankenstein, a rekindled loving memory brought back my Alvin and the Chipmunks watching.
Jason Lee is the only person who I could have thought of if I were to make a live action version of Dave from Alvin and The Chipmunks his voice and facial expressions just feels like a version of the character waiting to happen
i've never seen any Chipmunk media, not the movies not the shows, i clicked this to see what "the cringe Alvin movies got right" and by the end? i wanna watch some chipmunk adventure cus this sounds cute af
Great video. I'm a teenager and I was introduced to the chipmunks through these live action movies I then recently watched the animated ones thanks to your videos
I went into road chip thinking it would be worse than chipwrecked, but I was stupid surprised and the scene under the tree made me cry. Still bumping to that uptown funk cover too surprised you didn't bring it up
I do believe to an extent that Jesse McCartney was involved in the singing somehow. He does sound exactly like a chipmunk in his Beautiful soul sped up track.
I am 47 years old, and I literally grew up on Alvin and The Chipmunks in the 80s when it used to air on NBC on Saturday mornings. I remember watching Smurfs and Alvin and the Chipmunks in a row, eating a big ass bowl of cereal. My father is 73, so he grew up on The Alvin Show in the early 60s. The Alvin Show in the 60s were for baby boomers, and the 80s version of Alvin and The Chipmunks were for Gen Xers like me. I remember The Chipettes, bro. Brittany was my favorite. Pink was my favorite color, and it still is.
I AM a songwriter and can confirm that I have come up with melodies for some of my best songs with inspiration and vocal humming. The biopics overplay it as coming together too perfectly because they cut out the arrangement, mixing and mastering, but generally, humming/mumbling is how songwriters and rappers come up with the flow of the song. If they have guitar or keyboard experience, it helps dramatically, as it provides octaves we can't sing naturally You can find many music tutorials on UA-cam teaching how to do just that AFTER you finish Tariq's video. I had to weigh in on that bc it IS a thing.
So, as a guy who dedicated a weird amount of my late teens and early twenties into this franchise doing covers, and even getting the chance to work on some of the music for one of the movies albums (didn't make it into the movie, but worked on one of the bonus tracks) I'm strangely qualified to talk on your reviews...and I will, for no reason other than I'm waiting for my Uber to the pub. My introduction to the chipmunks was through these movies, and it was a gateway to the rest of the franchise. I fell IN LOVE with how they recorded the music, and this love actually brought me into my current career as a sound engineer. I learnt how they recorded the voices - not by speeding up the vocals, but by slowing down everything else and singing it at a slower speed - and started doing covers here on UA-cam. For a while I was THE chipmunk cover guy...only because I was the only guy not just pitch shifting tracks and calling it a day. Its worth noting that Ross Bagdasarian ALMOST didn't do any of the singing for the chipmunks, but production was done by Deetown productions, run by Ali Dee - a window into the frosted tipped 2000's. Ross provided a few cameo voice lines in some songs for Alvin, but the rest were actually sung by a female singer...mostly. I agreed with quite a lot of what you had to say about the FEEL of the chipmunks and the movies, though I felt you glossed over a rather important plot point of the second movie. The first established the chipmunks relationship with Dave, the second establishes their relationships as brothers. The chipettes introduction was a bit weak, but I did enjoy seeing Ian on the grind as a producer. It showed how a guy like that could become such a coveted producer as he did every little trick to push his artists into the spotlight The third movie was the weakest, in my opinion...it was also the one I was fortunate enough to work on the album for. It didn't really introduce anything new and offered no growth for the characters. But you're right that the lack of plot gave the characters more time to establish themselves, and they felt a bit more like the Chipmunks and Chipettes. The fourth was surprisingly good. At first I was annoyed that they shipped the Chipettes off at the start; and the idea that platinum selling, singing, dancing chipmunks can fall into obscurity, all the while their female counterparts are the hottest shit right now, was strange to me. But the boys were the most themselves in this movie, and every interaction they had felt warranted. It was a shame that this was the end of this generation, as this movie had me feeling like they had finally found their footing as characters. All in all, this was a really big part of my life at the time, and really did shape a lot of who I am now, especially as my career in the sound industry pretty much took shape from this moment onward. I think the movies did a pretty good job of modernizing the chipmunks to the era...I think the height of the music was the third movie, or the side album "Undeniable". That's about where they found the sound of the chipmunks. The first movie tried too hard to make them "hardcore"...but its also the album that went platinum soooo, what do I know. Thanks for the video and trip down memory lane...I almost wish I hadn't lost the login to the old chipmunk music UA-cam channel; every now and then I'll spit out a cover just for fun: twitter.com/mysteriousbroni/status/1637338796814651392
I haven’t seen the last of these Chipmunk movies, and just the small clip of that adoption scene makes me want to give it a look. Very sweet. Well done giving these movies a fair shake!
10:53 The whole Dave analysis got me thinking about how I characterize the Ed Edd n' Eddy cast in my fanworks, and look at that, referencing another EEnE fanwork just as it was in my mind Scary coincidence
Thank you so much for making this. I'm a younger fan who discovered these characters in 2006 when they showed Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman on Cartoon Network. I agree with just about everything you said in this video.
As a songwriter, it’s a longer process but I would say lowkey yes. You end up messing around and writing melodies and lyrics. And you can sit down and actually write lyrics at the same time.
These movies were my childhood 😫 I was literally obsessed to the point of annoying my family. The songs are the reason anything high pitched doesn’t hurt my ears 💀
10:54 Ayy, ain't that a blast from the past… Still kinda wish this guy did more Bro Show stuff, it woulda been interesting to see how he woulda interpreted Eddy's brother's journey from moving to the cul-de-sac, to the moment in Big Picture Show where the two finally re-acquaint. Pretty well done for an EEnE fan thing in the early 2010s too.
25:17 I forgot about that. Is that a regular thing they do in animated movies now where a character hits their head and gets amnesia or memory loss and for some reason they have a different voice?
My funny unpopular theory: The chipmunks from the 80's to 90's might be mutants explaining why they're the normal size of a kid and human ears because they're actual kids before.....WHAT??
"thanks mom" is so funny and it always makes me smile! had the dvd of the movie and the dad of the german dub really had a nice way of screaming alvin😂
As a kid i loved these movies a lot because Alvin and the Chipmunks was one of my favorite series when I was smaller. I always think of it fondly. Even if I don't plan to rewatch at any point, these movies will always hold a special place in my heart because I remember my excitement when they came out. Seeing the toys at the store brought me a lot of joy. Thats something you can't recapture.
I remember liking these movies as a kid, and it was my intro to them as characters. While my grandfather would play this ONE SONG, their Christmas song and I fucking loved😊 it. So you might be not surprised with how much excitement when I heard the tune again. I stuck with these messy films til their end and I loved em.
Maybe im remembering wrong but in french canadian, the voice actor just killed it in the "ALVIIIIIN!!" department haha, glad to see you back Tariq and with a great video 👌😁
i was big into the chipmunks 80-90s cartoon as a kid, i got tons of their episodes from the library and I liked all of them but my favorite was the last one it felt like it was easily the best one *all of the movies
Aiight, this might be one of, if not my new favorite video of yours. When you first covered the Halloween movies, I looked forward to when you would cover Adventure and enjoyed that video a lot, but I didn't think you'd cover these movies and I'm so glad you did. My history with the series is a bit similar. I was a fan before the live action movies came out, mainly through syndicated runs on Cartoon Network and renting The Chipmunk Adventure from Blockbuster. The announcement of the first movie kinda reignited my love for these characters to the point where I'd draw them constantly. As for the movies themselves, while I don't feel as negative towards The Squeakquel as you do, none of what you said about it was really incorrect. It really is the most unlike the rest of the franchise. I think because the Chipettes are my favorite characters, 12 year old me kinda got caught up in the face that they included the Chipettes at all. I wouldn't be surprised if the writers had the same mentality, like they thought having the Chipettes be in there at all was enough of a selling point, and then by the time you get to the third movie they're like "Okay, I think we have to actually WRITE these girls now," because their characterization was significantly better in Chipwrecked, which is why it's my favorite of the four movies. But I can't argue that Road Chip is the best when it comes to nailing that family dynamic. It's a damn shame that the best-written movie of the four is the one where the Chipettes are sidelined, but what can you do. I guess in an ideal world, the second movie would be akin to your idea with Ms. Miller, ending with her taking the girls in, and then the third movie would be The Road Chip with the Chipettes along for the ride, but even then that's kind of wonky because it feels a little off for the Chippetes to have their moment of being adopted before the Chipmunks do, but at the same time it's a great note to end this hypothetical trilogy off. I unno. All I do know is that I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Like your other Chipmunk vids, it reminded my why I liked this franchise so much and why it was such a huge part of my life for so many years as a child/teenager.
Didn't expect to see in the comments here. Grew up with the first 3 movies and watched the 4th film a year ago in Disney Plus. My personal rankings are 1. Chipwrecked 2. Alvin and the Chipmunks 3. Road Chip 4. Squeakuel The video actually has me interested in giving Road Chip a second watch to see if I was too harsh on the film on my first viewing. Also shout out to you being a Chipwrecked fan. 👏
I got the limited edition chipwrecked outfit from Build A Bear, I didn’t care about the character toys I just really liked the sparkly island outfit. This brought back so many memories. Great vid I always enjoy these videos when I come around to them!
If I had a nickel for every ToonrificTariq Alvin & the Chipmunks video that started with a Simpsons clip, I’d have…two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird it happened twice.
Little known fact, Homer Simpson is a fan of The Chipmunks. He has their greatest hits record in the episode Whacking Day and later on in Make Room For Lisa he sings Witch Doctor.
It's wild that the first movie had literal shit eating. The 2nd one had Bridgit Mendler and Aimee Carrero in small bits, that's a positive. Road Chip had Laura Marano for 5 seconds, that was cool
I enjoyed these movies. I watched them as an "probably too old to buy a ticket to see this" teen since I was a big Alvin and the Chipmunks fan growing up. It was just nice seeing the characters again. I'd probably rank these movies as 3, 1, 2, 4. I just didn't enjoy the Road Chip sidelining the girls too much, however the ending was pretty amazing. Them being adopted was awesome. Though I am biased since the Chipettes are my favorite characters.
Understandable!! I’m more attached to the boys so, that’s why I focus so much on them in this video. But I can 1000% see how Chipettes fans could feel slighted.
My biggest gripe with road chip was that the girls are implied to have moved out to be on their own without a caretaker. But obviously the boys haven’t because they’re still with Dave. It leaves a weird plothole. Unless the Chipettes have another bedroom in the house that we never see. That’s a possibility. It also bugged me that the babysitter in the movie is basically the Miss. Miller expy and yet they didn’t bother to…actually use Miss. Miller instead. It’s a missed opportunity.
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As a songwriter, everyone writes different but me and the other artists I know tend to just freestyle over an instrumental and write it down if it's good
I always like when people find legitimately positive things in negatively perceived media, without acting like it's torture to find one good thing to say about it. 💛
True
He a real one!
definitely! i think it takes a lot more effort to find good in something rather than trash something.
I didn’t know these movies were hated I was a kid when they dropped and it seemed normal
I feel that's what most reviewers should be doing. Breaking apart why something works and doesn't work instead of doing full on rants.
Simon getting glasses is adorable but why'd that Santa decoration have prescription lenses? Dave take him to an eye doctor, damn
in a movie about high pitched talking chipmunks that live peacefully in society, go to school and become a famed band you think that is the craziest thing lol
@@spacedoodles it's not, of course. I simply just think it would have been hilarious if Dave put the toy glasses on Simon and Simon is just like "Dave this doesn't help whatsoever"
@@SpecialInterestShow its okay i was joking lol.
Depending on the thickness & curve of the plastic, they could actually help with his vision, even without them being prescription lenses!
They’re not prescription glasses. It’s part of the toy. Santa Claus wears glasses!
I’m a songwriter. Dave’s hoola hoop breakthrough is spot on for me
Same fr
Same lol music, man...
dude yes, i use to ghost write n the accuracy was spot on, it be the random tunes tht pop up in ur head
I'm not a songwriter but I'm a visual artist and a story writer on occasion, and have had to write in rhyme and meter before, and it feels pretty on par with my creative process too lol. A lot of art is fucking around, finding out, and revelation that happen at the most random and inconvenient times
And it's almost ways in bed
I'll forever be grateful towards the second movie for inventing the word Squeakquel, favorite thing to use for any piece of media ever, even for non movies
It's as big as "2 Fast 2 Furious" and "2 Electric Boogaloo"
In a perfect world all sequels are squeakquels
@@PhantomKing88 personally I'm a big fan of "Escape 2 Africa".
I really like “2 Die Harder”
So funny that when David Cross didn’t want to do the fourth movie they just got a different Arrested Development actor to be the villain
I was searching for this comment! I noticed that too, you have to wonder if it was somewhat intentional. Maybe the casting director was an AD fan.
Interestingly, even after Alvin and the Chipmunks 4: The Road Chip earned a massive $234 million, despite going up against Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens and Sisters, Tony Hale went on to appear in films like The 17:15 to Paris, Love Simon, Toy Story 4, Clifford: The Big Red Dog, Inside Out 2, and Toy Story 5.
@@bhaddcommie Interestingly, even after Alvin and the Chipmunks 4: The Road Chip earned a massive $234 million, despite going up against Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens and Sisters, Tony Hale went on to appear in films like The 17:15 to Paris, Love Simon, Toy Story 4, Clifford: The Big Red Dog, Inside Out 2, and Toy Story 5.
The Alvin and the Chipmunks movies are my first introduction to the franchise. Not only they are one of the early "virtual bands" that are successful before The Gorillaz and Hatsune Miku, they also pioneered the idea of vocaloids.
From them to Cupcakke remixes, it's all gone uphill.
Likewise- and as cheesy as the films may be, I'll always give it some credit. The designs aren't jarring.
Yeah I can understand
Because this was my first introduction to the franchise as well
Really pioneers, in the sense of them being a furry nightcore band
That P Diddy joke really hits hard now 😂
I mean, ian is basically white diddy. Remember when he made the chipettes bust it down in his private penthouse?
It’s so refreshing to see a review of these movies that isn’t just “this made me cringe so hard.” There are parts of each movie that are cringe, but there’s also a lot of heart.
My personal favorite is Chipwrecked mainly due to the characters being stuck in a situation together and having to overcome things and learn from it. Alvin learns he’s more than just “the fun one” and Simon learns he can be more than just “the smart one.” Theo gets to be braver. Brittany gets to learn she’s more than just the “pretty one.” Jeanette gets to show off her creativity…and Eleanor…..well, Eleanor hasn’t ever gotten very much spotlight compared to the other 5 in any AATC thing and THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.
Also fun fact: Chipwrecked is loosely VERY loosely based on an 80s episode called Island Fever!
It’s funny that you listed Road Chip as your favorite of the 4, since that’s actually my least favorite (except for the adoption scene which I love soooo much. It should have happened in movie number 1 or 2 at the latest. Idk why it took until 4)
The way that you pointed out what the Road Chip does right makes me want to revisit it. I think what hurt me the most on that one was I got the Junior Novel for it first. The Junior Novel was SO GOOD and then I watched the film and it added in a bunch of jokes (mostly at Simon’s expense) that weren’t in the novel. Plus, it omitted a few really fun scenes that were in the novel.
Side note: I love that you used the clips from the 80s series! You are so dedicated! I didn’t even catch some of those references to the 80s chipmunks in the films.
You mentioned that you’ve seen some of the newest reboot on Nickelodeon. I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
Personally, I think season 1 was its best season and all the seasons after are like a mixed bag of good, meh, and downright bad episodes. I do somewhat enjoy the characters branching out in certain episodes, but the family dynamics often feel lacking compared to the 80s. (Post season 1)
Still, I love the show to pieces. Miss. Miller gets to make cameos and occasionally appears in episodes too! But the Chipettes live in her backyard and not really with her, which is pretty confusing. I feel like they should have kept her as their parent figure because the Chipettes do still need a parent.
Also Alvin is kinda a nerd now, which I dig. (He had shades of it in the 80s too, but nerdy things are a lot more mainstream now.) He makes fun of Simon for being a nerd and is completely oblivious that he’s also one. 😂 Also, Eleanor FINALLY GETS TO DO THINGS, but sadly she still gets the least amount of episodes dedicated to her.
Agree with the compliments
I was thinking about the 2015 cartoon too lol. It’s been years but I still don’t know how I feel about the design choices
Harddddd agree about Eleanor, honestly. I do really like the CGI cartoon, to me it always just kind of felt like more of the Ruby Spears show but with a more modern writing and voice acting style. I haven’t seen a whoooole lot, definitely not enough to compare how I feel season by season like I can do some other shows, but I want to!
Thanks for watching and for all the kind words!
Bruh I think these movies are overhated except for Chipwrecked. That movie is abysmal dude
I appreciate how in the Chipwrecked they made Alvin kind of realize how much he drives Dave crazy and how they made him feel what he feels. I understand why he went back to how he was at end, the old "if the character is developed way too much they might end up stop being what his character is supouse to be" but still.... it was nice to see that, even if it was just for a while.
Happy to see The Road Chip getting some love; un-ironically one of the best in-flight movie experiences I’ve had.
I think it's decent. Seeing everybody else call it the worst one is so confusing to me.
I saw it playing in the school gym durring high school and I enjoyed what I saw
Honestly the thing that I liked about the live-action Chipmunk movies was the little details they added in their physical behaviour to make them more rodent-like, especially in the first movie where they'd drop to all-fours when running/climbing.
Edit: another thing to add is that the animation team added the extra detail of Simon's ears twitching/moving more often than either Alvin's or Theodore's, likely because before getting his glasses Simon was much more dependent on his hearing and is therefore constantly listening out.
(my sibling noticed the thing with Simon's ears after watching the first movie slowed down several times in a row)
Yes!!!
Now that you've pointed out the fact that the older Chipmunks' designs had humanoid ears, I can't unsee them and I hate it. I prefer the more accurate ears they went with for the live-action films.
They Did It In The Nickelodeon Cartoon Too And They Looked So Weird And More Like Monkeys/humans With Chipmunk Tails 😭
I like how in the live action ones they actually look like the chipmunk species that is native to the western U.S and not like ones that grew up near a nuclear power plant. I also like how the first movie focuses more on Dave and his struggles with being a manager and parent to them. I also like how it touched on how over performing can impact ones health and how dark Hollywood can be especially with exploiting children. I also like how the world around the chipmunks isn't adjusted for them and how they adjust to the world around them. Also fun fact in Japanese Alvin has the same voice actor as Kirito from sword art online.
I don't know think Hollywood would exploiting the children.
I’m now imaging Alvin with the voice of abridged Kirito.
" live action ones they actually look like the chipmunk species" I don't think it matters that they didn't much resemble chipmunks, the designs were cool and iconic and that's what matters.
The Chipetts in particular were done terribly in the live action films and that cgi show abomination.
@@prufan they didnt look worse in the live action than they did in the original cartoon. they didnt even look like animals beside the nose. they had humanoid faces, hair, skin and even belly buttons. I think the movies did a better job at designing female chipmunks without making them look like little girls, that always bothered me about the original
Yes in the first and second one They do talk about industry in the 60's and 80's shows too this is one the reason i like them
These movies were my first introduction to the chipmunks. After watching the first movie and seeing the credits roll with all of the old albums scrolling I went back and watched all of the old material
Same
That was one of my favorite parts of the movie. It really shows the staying power of The Chipmunks and shows what else you could look into if you want.
I legitimately enjoyed the first one and way more than I should have. I especially love how Ian sleazily tempts the Chipmunks with all the toys and gadgets for signing on with him, but locks them in a pet cage, essentially mirroring how the recording industry treats new talent. I even think the main story is a nice little tribute to the real Dave Saville (Ross Sr.) and his development of the characters. But that second one pissed me off. Half of it was actually pretty good, I liked the Chipettes being a revenge ploy and the whole Chipmunks going to school, mirroring the cartoon series. But it fails with Dave's loser nephew, his completely pointless love scene with the teacher that barely goes anywhere (you had a love story in the first damn movie), and yeah. I'm glad I'm not the only one that hated Digger once I found out who he was. Some of the worst product vertical integration I've ever seen. I never gave a crap about the other two and only seen bits and pieces as a result.
Yeah decent moral
M&M pfp
Can someone tell me about the recording industry part? Because that was a scene of Ian putting the chipmunks in the cage, but I'm not sure why that had to do with the recording industry.
@@assassin8636 Long story short, most of the money for new talent goes directly to the record label and a lot of musicians who don't consistently deliver and disappear after their first album tend to wind up in debt. They're treated like a commodity rather than artists. For example, most artists do not own their own songs. It's a glib generalization, and there's a lot of steps in between and a lot of nuance, but essentially, Ian exploiting them and then shoving them in cages is a pretty hamfisted metaphor, even if unintentional.
@@mightyfilm is this a good thing to know or a bad thing
During my brief stint as an animation major I studied 3D animation under one of the lead animators for this film. He was a really nice guy! We liked to needle him about having worked on this movie, on Halloween one of the other students passed around Alvin masks that we all put on before class, so that when he walked in he'd be greeted to a sea of Alvins.
The first from ‘07?
@@HD_Segal first two I think
@@radiofreederry As the child of two Boomer aged parents who grew up on classic Chipmunks records and Saturday morning cartoons, I’ll always hold a soft spot for “Alvin #1.”
I genuinely love these movies. They're just so fun and nostalgic. It was especially fun going back to rewatch the first one with one of my best friends for Christmas. And finally getting to watch Roadchip after all these years was really amazing
The Roadchip had the no fly list scene. That was hilarious
These movies were a HUGE part of my childhood omg. I saw 2 and 3 in theaters, and while I was too young to see the first I watched it a bunch when it played on TV. I remember loving the Squeakquel so much mainly cause it introduced me to the Chipettes, so it’s really interesting that their characterizations weren’t done super well in that. I also didn’t realize just how impactful that movie was to me as a kid until I got older and recognized two actors in different projects cause of Alvin and the Chipmunks of all things (Zachary Levi and Wendie Malick, the principal who’s also Eda on Owl House and it blew my mind when I first recognized her voice and looked up who it was)
Wendie Malick has a SUPER recognizable voice and inflection. She also did the voice of the mom from a Nick cartoon called "The X's". I haven't watched or even looked up that show in years, but just thinking of her voice reminds me of lines she did from the show.
I think she was at her best in an old sitcom called "Just Shoot Me" (It's not as scary as it sounds! It's about a magazine company!) Rewatching clips, the show has a pretty mean sense of humor. But, she plays her character (Nina) SO perfectly.
@@zanpakutoman4225 she's also the voice of Beautiful Gorgeous from Jimmy Neutron
I was only about a week old when the first one came out 😂
@@zanpakutoman4225 "You're Bojack Horseman, there's no cure for that."
I never knew the actor of Shazam was in the Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 until I saw him right in front of my eyes.
I had NO idea this franchise had so much lore. Damn. Good video. I love when even the most 'inconsequential' or 'childish' franchises have someone to back up their history.
i still remember when i got dropped off at the theater to see the first chipmunk movie. fell asleep within the first eight minutes and had to get woken up by one of the ushers😅🤣
Oh nah, you wasting that Recession money LMAO.
@@medaman15able maybe so but i slept GOOD😤‼️
I also saw the film in theaters with my parents.
Oh my god, that's actually sort of terrifying.
My mom fell asleep during the second one, so this franchise was quietly banned in our house.
no seriously THANK YOU for seeing the good in these movies and not taking a straight up DUMP on them
it’s so refreshing to see your video essays talking positively about the chipmunks. i’ve been a huge fan of them since i was a little kid and now i’m nearly 20 and i still absolutely adore them :) thank u for not trashing them just bc their voices are annoying or anything
That Thanks Mom joke is so damn funny 😭😭😭😭
Says “but” while Ian is slapping his own ass
Perfect editing
It's quite hilarious how Alvin and The Chipmunks did a better character design on the Chipmunks and Chipettes in their live action movies than Disney did with Flounder and Sebastian in The Little Mermaid remake aswell as basically every character in The Lion King remake just to make the animal characters show any facial expression
Ok hi, I don’t know why I’m commenting this under a video about Alvin and the chipmunks but I would like to thank you. I’m a younger black girl who adores the animation genre and your videos have made me laugh and learn more about the genre. Your ability to weave humor and insight is so entertaining and enjoyable. Thank you for your videos! They have made me love animation more!
Also your music taste! It’s so good! I dance when I watch
Much love! People like you are exactly who I made the channel for!
I hate to be that guy, but animation is not a genre, but an art form.
but still, good to hear we still have people who appreciate animation.
I am so glad to see young black people talking about animation because you usually see non-black people do this. I really want to see more younger black women talking about animation. I am middle aged, and maybe I need to start making videos about this.
I don't normally comment, but these movies were literally my WHOLE CHILDHOOD. My brother and I had dvds of the movies and would rewatch them non-stop. WE EVEN HAD THE GOD DAMN DOLLS FOR THE MOVIES. They were my first introduction to the chipmunks, and I didn't know much else until I found your videos. But, I am so thankful you put these movies in a positive light. Like, they are not that bad, and I personally enjoyed the chipreck,but anytime I would ask someone about them, they would say they were cringe or bad. And it really hurt seeing your whole childhood being shit on. Anyway, I am so happy you made a video about these movies, cause I'm pretty sure nobody else would 😅
I love that Dave's Santa figure had prescription glasses
Why did the decorative santa have prescription glasses??? And they just happened to be Simon's prescription?
My theory is that they were magnifying glasses or something. Still, not 100% a good solution. Simon probably got them switched out for actual prescription glasses after the first movie.
No one ever talks about how the first chipmunk movie was written by the guys who wrote the adventures of Peet and peet. One of the best kids shows ever made.
never heard of it
@@alr3764 You can actually watch the entire show on you tube.
And how it was directed by a storyboard artist from SpongeBob
Pete and Pete?
Whaaat? The Pete and Pete guys wrote that???
27:26 one could argue Alvin was so spoiled by human conveniences that he forgot
If there's anything that these Chipmunks flicks did right, it's making the chipmunks look like actual chipmunks!
Isn't that essentially saying that the 80s Chipmunks/Chipetts did it wrong?
Which I don't think is right.
the original designs were cool and iconic and that's what matters, doesn't matter if they only vaguely resembled chipmunks.
80s Chipetts in particular will always be the best coolest version.
these movies had me in a chokehold as a kid it was crazy. I'd go to my cousin's house to watch the squeakul on DVD all the time
I recently rewatched this with my friends and Road Chip was actually my least favorite. Something about it didn’t work for me but I have to agree that ending is so heartwarming. I’d love to see your thoughts on the newer Nick show!
I think I will soon, I was thinking about it while putting this one together!
Haven't rewatched it in years but I remember liking it the least too. Maybe it's because the Chipettes are pretty much absent during the whole thing while I got used to them in the 2nd and the 3rd film. I liked their interactions with the boys and with them being gone, something felt off I guess
Tariq is probably the biggest Chipmunks fan I've ever seen honestly
Or at least the most vocal one.
I'm a Chipmunk and Chipette fan after all these years.
I still remember seeing Road Chip in theaters and having a blast with my friend (as well as this mom and her kids in the front row who were falling out laughing at every joke) The whole New Orleans scene and The Chipmunks dancing to Turn Down For What were the highlights.
i used to fw with underdog so hard, that movie got me into the old cartoon which led me to buying a box set of the show with some other cool toons thrown in there.
But great video! Alvin and the chipmunks 2007 was one of my favorite movies growing. My chipmunk obsession all started with that movie. So its always gonna have a place in my heart. I never ended up watching the 4th movie but I may have to give it a watch
its so wonderful to see someone actually giving these movies a fair chance!! while theyre nothing mindblowing, these movies were such a huuuge part of my childhood and i still have a soft spot for them to this day!! thank you for bringing some positivity to this series, its so heartwarming ! chipwrecked was my absolute favorite as a kid and it feels nice to rethink about these movies again so many years later :) great video 10/10!!
Okay but Dave officially adopting the Chipmunks was so sweet, why are these movies regarded as nothing but souless cashgrabs?
Because everyone on the internet has mob mentality, honestly lol.
@@ToonrificTariq Almost every CGI/Live Action hybrid is seen negatively because of the chipmunk movies and they're not even that bad
Timing pretty much, had they released today after the live action cartoon trend died they probably wouldnt have been judged too harshly
Nah I remember that I used to be obsessed with these movies 😭 i grew up with the live action movies, and these were my shit back in the day.
I remember when I found out that Underdog was based on an old cartoon 😂 I was so young and didn’t care about this fact until later in life lol I guess it makes sense as to why it got made tho…the ppl who grew up with it were probably the ones who greenlit the project. I’m sure they were really excited to bring it to life!
My dad was a HUGE nascar fan. You just unlocked a D E E P memory. Of that fucking rodent.
Yeah, that's actually accurate to how I write songs. It all usually starts with a simple melody and a couple of lyrics and then it spirals from there.
It's a good day when Tariq posts chipmunk content 😌
7:00 I have to agree that the chorus is definitely the best part. I also must admit that part when Alvin says “YO DJ! PUMP THIS PARTY!” (with all 3 of them saying “go go go go” in the background)…will always make me laugh bc of how hard they’re going 😂😂 I wanna see what that recording session was like!
Those “thanks mom” bits still make me laugh for real 😂
Can we just talk about how people consider Chipwrecked to be the "Simon and Jeanette" movie, but if you REALLY dig into it you'll realise Jeanette falls for Simon after he _literally becomes Alvin?_
Oh she's so impressed by how he's adventurous and loves extreme sports! Sounds like Alvin to me. But don't forget about how attracted she is by him speaking French, you know, exactly like Alvin did in the previous movie. But maybe it was the charming and flirtatious behavior, again, like Alvin when he senses a pretty girl in a 10 mile radius. But perhaps it was his bravery, like how Simon saved her life in the end! Right after refusing to help because he was too scared, when Brittany clearly stated: "Jeanette _needs_ you". Good thing he _took his sweet time to think about it,_ (not like someone is on a life or death situation) and finally used his superior intelligence to cut the rope she was tied t... Oh, that was Alvin again. And he didn't flinch before stepping up to help. And that's not even his girl.
Well, at least they shared many moments together throughout the mov- Oh he forgot everything? Everything except a cheesy pickup line? THE FUK??
Simon's entire arc in this movie is that he is acting like the perfect opposite of his normal self, which causes the girl he likes to fall madly in love with him. Now that right there, is how you don't write chemistry and romance.
I never thought of it that way until now.
And Alvin becoming more responsible while Simon became more immature as the movie went on, Brittany also becoming much more responsible, even though Dave said to Ian that, “Alvin can be a handful but Simon is mature and uptight” then it shows Alvin building a shelter while Simon is doing dangerous activities without thinking, showing how their personalities switched and how their characters developed in the wild, as well as Brittany also showing responsibility with Alvin
You’re forgetting one key element, though; Jeanette was into him before AND after his French escapades. It used to bother me, as a kid, too, until I realized that Jeanette is, more or less, actively flirting with him from the start of the movie. Little compliments and giddy glances here and there established a chemistry that was already there.
They also give us subtle/unsubtle hints that Simon, while he doesn’t *actively* remember anything he did as Simóne, still subconsciously picked up a few tricks from that adventurous alter ego. The first sign of that was him echoing Simóne’s sentiment that even the most perfect gem can’t compare to Jeanette’s beauty. The fact that he worked up the nerve to say that to Jeanette’s face is a huge improvement, compared to the stuttering mess he was at the beginning of the film, any time Jeanette was in his near vicinity.
Frustrating as the amnesia is, it isn’t a complete loss. Jeanette was already in love with him…in fact, she doesn’t seem to care what form Simon takes, as long as it’s HIM. And THAT I find rather endearing.
Chipwrecked will always be my favourite movie out of the 4 😌
Same here
Real
Me too!
Why?
@@MC-cr7bv I don’t know, I guess it’s because I used to watch it all the time when I was little, and nostalgia just engulfs my mind whenever I think about it 😆
I love how the early Simpsons Lisa “thanks mom” is becoming a Tariq staple. Much appreciation to all your videos man. Keep it up.
@Rocko Boom I know right, and it fits in like every video perfectly
1:05 you just HAD to make that joke the same week I became nostalgically obsessed with Teacher’s Pet.
I'm in the weird spot where Im both old enough for the chipmunk movies like Frankenstein or the werewolf but also young enough for the first couple LA movies to both be part of my childhood. Weird soup of Chipmunk nostalgia for sure lol
The problem I have with the chipmunk sequels is the same problem I have with a lot of animated sequels, where it feels like a tv episode stretched feature length, characters are assigned a singular lesson they have to learn and everything gets tied up neatly in the end. It doesn't feel organic, it feels mechanical, I expect a movie to feel like an spectacle, like something that deserves to be in the big screen.
Been waiting for Tariq as the massive Chimpmunk fan to cover the Jason Lee films for a long time .😁👌
I dunno everyone else's experience, but my songwriting comes from this never ending stream of gibberish music playing constantly since birth in my head, and when I hear some shit I like in it I hop on my equipment and try to translate it, usually fail, get mad and close FL Studio without saving, then smoke like, a lot of weed, repeat until eventually I don't get distracted and get the song out of my head. As you can tell by my output, I frequently fail this challenge.
Great video as always Tariq! And it’s nice to see someone be nice to this franchise when it is often looked down on. Thank you and keep up the great work!
Believe it or not, these movies caused quite a divide in the aatc fandom back in the day. Back then you either liked the 80s cartoon(and the animated films/specials) OR the live action/cgi movies. It was rarely ever both. 80s fans even saying the movies were "ok" would cause a fight in their faction. A lot of the outright hatred you see for these movies these days definitely stems from that. (And also people just writing the entire aatc franchise off as cringe). Once the 2015 cartoon came out, things started to simmer down and fans weren't constantly at each other's throats over which gen was better.
In my opinion, the movies are fine for what they are. Not personally my favorite aspect of the franchise, but still good enough. I think they really shine with their music and character animation more than their writing. It's near impossible for cgi to not look dated over time. But for the time these came out, their animation is really really good. Road Chip definitely holds up the best out of them.
Personally I think the 2015 cartoon (or simply, "ALVINNN", as the fans call it) is an interesting topic to cover as a fan of the aatc franchise as a whole. It really does act as a sort of middle ground between the 80s cartoon and the live action/cgi movies. Even down to the character designs. It has a lot of aspects from both gens. But unfortunately the character writing (ESPECIALLY with Dave) takes a massive nose dive as the series goes on. The music, however, holds up throughout. There are some real bangers amongst those original songs.
If you ever decide to cap off the franchise and cover ALVINNN in the future, just be careful what you use. Viacom and PGS are pretty strict when it comes to copyright and tend to block videos using footage from the show (it's why you don't see to many videos covering it). Sticking to using still images and a few very short clips (under 30 seconds) should be enough to prevent it though.
2015 cartoon wasn't received very well either, rating is low.
It's animation looks unbelievably cheap and the art style falls so far from the 80s/90s version, why couldn't they have just replicated the original designs and art style?
It would make more sense if in the second movie the villain didn't go so far as to threaten the Chipettes and be satisfied with what he had and not risk losing everything again, he might start to soften up and see the Chipettes in a different way, so in the third film his redemption would make more sense and be more acceptable because it would be established that he was starting to change in the previous movie. I can even imagine a scene at the end of the second movie where they would see him with the Chipettes and when Alvin asked if something had happened David would reply that the Chipettes were what happened, and that they could change his life like Alvin and the Chipmunks changed David's life.
As a person who grew up with these movies and played the 1st on repeat, Ian and Dave are the best characters
Finally, a movie worth taking about. Appreciate it my guy
4:23. This DID NOT age well😭
4:55 "he might smell like a bag of wet nickels"
Now that's a brand new insult
One audio sound of the chipmunks that lives rent free is a scene on the tour bus in Frankenstein, a rekindled loving memory brought back my Alvin and the Chipmunks watching.
Jason Lee is the only person who I could have thought of if I were to make a live action version of Dave from Alvin and The Chipmunks his voice and facial expressions just feels like a version of the character waiting to happen
i've never seen any Chipmunk media, not the movies not the shows, i clicked this to see what "the cringe Alvin movies got right" and by the end? i wanna watch some chipmunk adventure cus this sounds cute af
Great video. I'm a teenager and I was introduced to the chipmunks through these live action movies I then recently watched the animated ones thanks to your videos
Road Chip getting a good review was not expected
I went into road chip thinking it would be worse than chipwrecked, but I was stupid surprised and the scene under the tree made me cry. Still bumping to that uptown funk cover too surprised you didn't bring it up
Uptown Funk is pretty hard to mess up.
I do believe to an extent that Jesse McCartney was involved in the singing somehow. He does sound exactly like a chipmunk in his Beautiful soul sped up track.
I am 47 years old, and I literally grew up on Alvin and The Chipmunks in the 80s when it used to air on NBC on Saturday mornings. I remember watching Smurfs and Alvin and the Chipmunks in a row, eating a big ass bowl of cereal. My father is 73, so he grew up on The Alvin Show in the early 60s. The Alvin Show in the 60s were for baby boomers, and the 80s version of Alvin and The Chipmunks were for Gen Xers like me. I remember The Chipettes, bro. Brittany was my favorite. Pink was my favorite color, and it still is.
I AM a songwriter and can confirm that I have come up with melodies for some of my best songs with inspiration and vocal humming.
The biopics overplay it as coming together too perfectly because they cut out the arrangement, mixing and mastering, but generally, humming/mumbling is how songwriters and rappers come up with the flow of the song. If they have guitar or keyboard experience, it helps dramatically, as it provides octaves we can't sing naturally
You can find many music tutorials on UA-cam teaching how to do just that AFTER you finish Tariq's video. I had to weigh in on that bc it IS a thing.
So, as a guy who dedicated a weird amount of my late teens and early twenties into this franchise doing covers, and even getting the chance to work on some of the music for one of the movies albums (didn't make it into the movie, but worked on one of the bonus tracks) I'm strangely qualified to talk on your reviews...and I will, for no reason other than I'm waiting for my Uber to the pub.
My introduction to the chipmunks was through these movies, and it was a gateway to the rest of the franchise. I fell IN LOVE with how they recorded the music, and this love actually brought me into my current career as a sound engineer. I learnt how they recorded the voices - not by speeding up the vocals, but by slowing down everything else and singing it at a slower speed - and started doing covers here on UA-cam. For a while I was THE chipmunk cover guy...only because I was the only guy not just pitch shifting tracks and calling it a day.
Its worth noting that Ross Bagdasarian ALMOST didn't do any of the singing for the chipmunks, but production was done by Deetown productions, run by Ali Dee - a window into the frosted tipped 2000's. Ross provided a few cameo voice lines in some songs for Alvin, but the rest were actually sung by a female singer...mostly.
I agreed with quite a lot of what you had to say about the FEEL of the chipmunks and the movies, though I felt you glossed over a rather important plot point of the second movie. The first established the chipmunks relationship with Dave, the second establishes their relationships as brothers. The chipettes introduction was a bit weak, but I did enjoy seeing Ian on the grind as a producer. It showed how a guy like that could become such a coveted producer as he did every little trick to push his artists into the spotlight
The third movie was the weakest, in my opinion...it was also the one I was fortunate enough to work on the album for. It didn't really introduce anything new and offered no growth for the characters. But you're right that the lack of plot gave the characters more time to establish themselves, and they felt a bit more like the Chipmunks and Chipettes.
The fourth was surprisingly good. At first I was annoyed that they shipped the Chipettes off at the start; and the idea that platinum selling, singing, dancing chipmunks can fall into obscurity, all the while their female counterparts are the hottest shit right now, was strange to me.
But the boys were the most themselves in this movie, and every interaction they had felt warranted. It was a shame that this was the end of this generation, as this movie had me feeling like they had finally found their footing as characters.
All in all, this was a really big part of my life at the time, and really did shape a lot of who I am now, especially as my career in the sound industry pretty much took shape from this moment onward. I think the movies did a pretty good job of modernizing the chipmunks to the era...I think the height of the music was the third movie, or the side album "Undeniable". That's about where they found the sound of the chipmunks. The first movie tried too hard to make them "hardcore"...but its also the album that went platinum soooo, what do I know.
Thanks for the video and trip down memory lane...I almost wish I hadn't lost the login to the old chipmunk music UA-cam channel; every now and then I'll spit out a cover just for fun:
twitter.com/mysteriousbroni/status/1637338796814651392
They are underrated it was so charming respectful of the source material while also doing its own thing
I haven’t seen the last of these Chipmunk movies, and just the small clip of that adoption scene makes me want to give it a look. Very sweet. Well done giving these movies a fair shake!
10:53 The whole Dave analysis got me thinking about how I characterize the Ed Edd n' Eddy cast in my fanworks, and look at that, referencing another EEnE fanwork just as it was in my mind
Scary coincidence
The thought of Alvin seeing Pink Flamingos feels like a fever dream
As a song writer, I can confirm that sometimes I come up with lyrics by fucking around.
Thank you so much for making this. I'm a younger fan who discovered these characters in 2006 when they showed Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman on Cartoon Network. I agree with just about everything you said in this video.
As a songwriter, it’s a longer process but I would say lowkey yes. You end up messing around and writing melodies and lyrics. And you can sit down and actually write lyrics at the same time.
These movies were my childhood 😫 I was literally obsessed to the point of annoying my family. The songs are the reason anything high pitched doesn’t hurt my ears 💀
NAHHHHH I didn't know Road Chip ended like that, I'd have fuckin CRIED if I saw that scene!!!
As a song writer this is exactly how it is.
You gotta get up and write it otherwise it's gone 💀💀
10:54 Ayy, ain't that a blast from the past… Still kinda wish this guy did more Bro Show stuff, it woulda been interesting to see how he woulda interpreted Eddy's brother's journey from moving to the cul-de-sac, to the moment in Big Picture Show where the two finally re-acquaint. Pretty well done for an EEnE fan thing in the early 2010s too.
13:55 i remember watching this as a wee chilld and it unlocked a new horror that i was not aware of i was so scared
25:17 I forgot about that. Is that a regular thing they do in animated movies now where a character hits their head and gets amnesia or memory loss and for some reason they have a different voice?
My funny unpopular theory: The chipmunks from the 80's to 90's might be mutants explaining why they're the normal size of a kid and human ears because they're actual kids before.....WHAT??
PRE-TEEN MUTANT SINGING CHIPMUNKS
@@connorbeith3232 EXACTLY! 🤣🤣
@@connorbeith3232 I make this joke all the time about the 60s, 80s, and the 2015 show ones.
@@jennamathews7506 It's crazy to think about for a long time and not noticing it the older you get
Is this one of those UA-cam fan theories I’ve heard so much about?
The fact you said "but" when he was slapping his butt was some slick shit 🤣
"thanks mom" is so funny and it always makes me smile!
had the dvd of the movie and the dad of the german dub really had a nice way of screaming alvin😂
As a kid i loved these movies a lot because Alvin and the Chipmunks was one of my favorite series when I was smaller. I always think of it fondly. Even if I don't plan to rewatch at any point, these movies will always hold a special place in my heart because I remember my excitement when they came out. Seeing the toys at the store brought me a lot of joy. Thats something you can't recapture.
I remember liking these movies as a kid, and it was my intro to them as characters. While my grandfather would play this ONE SONG, their Christmas song and I fucking loved😊 it. So you might be not surprised with how much excitement when I heard the tune again. I stuck with these messy films til their end and I loved em.
Maybe im remembering wrong but in french canadian, the voice actor just killed it in the "ALVIIIIIN!!" department haha, glad to see you back Tariq and with a great video 👌😁
thanks for making me remember the "Bro Show" existed
💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰
i was big into the chipmunks 80-90s cartoon as a kid, i got tons of their episodes from the library and I liked all of them but my favorite was the last one it felt like it was easily the best one
*all of the movies
Aiight, this might be one of, if not my new favorite video of yours. When you first covered the Halloween movies, I looked forward to when you would cover Adventure and enjoyed that video a lot, but I didn't think you'd cover these movies and I'm so glad you did.
My history with the series is a bit similar. I was a fan before the live action movies came out, mainly through syndicated runs on Cartoon Network and renting The Chipmunk Adventure from Blockbuster. The announcement of the first movie kinda reignited my love for these characters to the point where I'd draw them constantly.
As for the movies themselves, while I don't feel as negative towards The Squeakquel as you do, none of what you said about it was really incorrect. It really is the most unlike the rest of the franchise. I think because the Chipettes are my favorite characters, 12 year old me kinda got caught up in the face that they included the Chipettes at all. I wouldn't be surprised if the writers had the same mentality, like they thought having the Chipettes be in there at all was enough of a selling point, and then by the time you get to the third movie they're like "Okay, I think we have to actually WRITE these girls now," because their characterization was significantly better in Chipwrecked, which is why it's my favorite of the four movies.
But I can't argue that Road Chip is the best when it comes to nailing that family dynamic. It's a damn shame that the best-written movie of the four is the one where the Chipettes are sidelined, but what can you do.
I guess in an ideal world, the second movie would be akin to your idea with Ms. Miller, ending with her taking the girls in, and then the third movie would be The Road Chip with the Chipettes along for the ride, but even then that's kind of wonky because it feels a little off for the Chippetes to have their moment of being adopted before the Chipmunks do, but at the same time it's a great note to end this hypothetical trilogy off. I unno.
All I do know is that I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Like your other Chipmunk vids, it reminded my why I liked this franchise so much and why it was such a huge part of my life for so many years as a child/teenager.
Didn't expect to see in the comments here. Grew up with the first 3 movies and watched the 4th film a year ago in Disney Plus.
My personal rankings are
1. Chipwrecked
2. Alvin and the Chipmunks
3. Road Chip
4. Squeakuel
The video actually has me interested in giving Road Chip a second watch to see if I was too harsh on the film on my first viewing.
Also shout out to you being a Chipwrecked fan. 👏
I got the limited edition chipwrecked outfit from Build A Bear, I didn’t care about the character toys I just really liked the sparkly island outfit. This brought back so many memories.
Great vid I always enjoy these videos when I come around to them!
6:04 not me getting emotional over the Chipmunks' mom 💀💀💀
her voice actress sounded so genuinely sad, it's a really good performance tbh
I remember seeing that special back in the 80s.
If I had a nickel for every ToonrificTariq Alvin & the Chipmunks video that started with a Simpsons clip, I’d have…two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird it happened twice.
You’d actually have four lol.
@@ToonrificTariq crap. I can’t use the joke now!
Little known fact, Homer Simpson is a fan of The Chipmunks. He has their greatest hits record in the episode Whacking Day and later on in Make Room For Lisa he sings Witch Doctor.
@@jennamathews7506and Homer only knows who David Cross is from the Chipmunks movies.
It's wild that the first movie had literal shit eating. The 2nd one had Bridgit Mendler and Aimee Carrero in small bits, that's a positive.
Road Chip had Laura Marano for 5 seconds, that was cool
I enjoyed these movies. I watched them as an "probably too old to buy a ticket to see this" teen since I was a big Alvin and the Chipmunks fan growing up. It was just nice seeing the characters again. I'd probably rank these movies as 3, 1, 2, 4. I just didn't enjoy the Road Chip sidelining the girls too much, however the ending was pretty amazing. Them being adopted was awesome. Though I am biased since the Chipettes are my favorite characters.
Understandable!! I’m more attached to the boys so, that’s why I focus so much on them in this video. But I can 1000% see how Chipettes fans could feel slighted.
My biggest gripe with road chip was that the girls are implied to have moved out to be on their own without a caretaker. But obviously the boys haven’t because they’re still with Dave. It leaves a weird plothole.
Unless the Chipettes have another bedroom in the house that we never see. That’s a possibility.
It also bugged me that the babysitter in the movie is basically the Miss. Miller expy and yet they didn’t bother to…actually use Miss. Miller instead. It’s a missed opportunity.
Now that’s a gap a reboot film could fill in.
For the time when it was released it blew my mind that i was actually watching singing chipmunks also even now it hold’s pretty well