Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers - A Nostalgic Reboot with a Twist
The full-length film “Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers” shatters viewers’ expectations of the original animated universe right from the opening scenes. It turns out that “Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers” was just a show in which the chipmunks played the main roles. After the project ended, their popularity waned, and the rodent actors received no new offers.
Where Are They Now?
Thirty years have passed since the series aired. Chip has taken a job at an insurance company office, Gadget and Zipper have started a large family, and Monterey Jack, who has remained a bachelor, looks… well, like a bachelor. Only Dale’s life hasn’t changed: the chipmunk still wants to regain his former popularity by attending festivals and geek parties.
Still from “Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers”
The old friends live in a unique world where animated characters coexist with humans: cartoons and people go to school together, spend weekends together, and eat at the same establishments. This idyllic setting is disrupted by news of the disappearance of iconic characters. The Rescue Rangers will have to reunite to protect the city from a dangerous criminal.
A Meta-Commentary on Reboots
“Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers” is the second recent attempt to bring familiar heroes back to the screen. Last year, Disney launched a short series that repeated classic storylines: initially, Chip and Dale were ordinary rodents without canonical costumes, whose main mission was to get in the way of more famous cartoons. The project did not receive positive feedback from critics and went unnoticed among viewers: the series lacked the signature atmosphere of the “Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers” show, as well as expressive main characters.
Still from “Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers”
The new take on the iconic critters looked more promising even at the development stage: the creators promised a project about those very chipmunks, with a large number of references to pop culture. The updated world seemed to hint at a remake, but things turned out a little differently. “Chip 'n Dale” 2022 is a direct sequel to the animated series, with familiar characters trying to “survive” in modern realities.
A Black Comedy for Grown-Up Fans
This film is intended for an audience that grew up on the series in the 80s and 90s. This is evidenced not only by the many references (sometimes the plot is driven by quoting episodes), but also by the genre itself – a black comedy with some violence, built on geek culture. Cartoon characters (My Little Pony, “DuckTales”), characters from popular films, and even “representatives” of memes flash on the screen. If you’ve already accidentally read the news about the appearance of a “terrible” version of Sonic, still expect surprises: the authors approached the creation of the world surrounding the characters so accurately that they surpassed even Steven Spielberg and “Ready Player One.” At the same time, it is obvious that the project will join the ranks of those studio films that are doomed to criticism for the abundance of fan service. Therefore, if you didn’t like the latest “Avengers,” it’s better not to watch the new “Chip 'n Dale.” You are likely to get lost in the abundance of incomprehensible characters taken from the history of American cinema.
Fan Service Done Right (Mostly)
However, the large number of Easter eggs has a very insignificant dramaturgical impact on the plot of the film - it only creates the appearance of a lively world in which the chipmunks live. The success of the idea is largely due to the producers’ competent approach to the selection of screenwriters: they were two young guys, Dan Gregor and Doug Mand (“Dolittle”), who grew up on the animated series. They added drive to the project and a strong comedic element, addressed primarily to the industry itself. The film recalls the terrible animation of the musical “Cats,” touches on the problems of the genre in the early 2000s, and draws attention to the inferiority of classic Disney characters. The main antagonist of the film is an aging Peter Pan, who wants to regain the fame that disappeared with the appearance of his first stubble. The boy, who has grown older, plans to capture the cartoons, fix the appearance of the prisoners, and force them to star in pirate films. In the world of “Chip 'n Dale,” there is a technology that can change animation: Dale gets a CGI operation, which the creators play up in the film, recalling “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”
Still from “Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers”
“Chip 'n Dale” also competently approaches the explanation of the rodents’ past, finally publicly revealing the secret of their relationship. The chipmunks turn out to be ordinary friends whose strong relationship originated in school. With this storyline, the creators close a number of gaps in the original, bringing the film to the theme of friendship and mutual assistance. The message is overly naive, but still touching, probably addressed to a younger audience.
Imperfections and Missed Opportunities
However, the return is not ideal. It is not possible to hide a number of script shortcomings behind the abundance of fan service: the conflict between the antagonist and the main characters looks too mediocre and gets a predictable resolution, and some minor characters remain purely functional. Thus, Kiki Layne’s character, despite her transformation, remains a plot device designed only to save the chipmunks’ skins.
Still from “Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers”
Another problem with the film is the second act, in which the chipmunks rush between a couple of locations, sorting out personal conflicts. Repeated repetition of the same information from the mouths of the characters not only slows down the pace of the picture, but also causes some bewilderment. The shortcomings become especially noticeable after the finale: most of the scenes with the revelation of the chipmunks look optional, filling the necessary screen time for the development of the images of the rest of the famous rescuers. Gadget, Zipper, and Monterey Jack are given too little time, which is why it is possible to feel the spirit of the original project only in the credits.
The Verdict
“Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers” is a clearly successful project that is quite capable of launching a new universe. The presence of a large (and lively!) world provides a huge space for work on sequels, in which the Rescue Rangers will again and again save cartoon heroes.