Alvin and the Chipmunks 2-Squeakquel (2009)

"Perhaps not since The Godfather: Part II have we seen a sequel come along that more than matches the mastery of the film that came before it...  Betsy Sharkey, Film Critic
"Your kids may keep laughing through this and the next few "squeakquels."  Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
"Perhaps not since The Godfather: Part II have we seen a sequel come along that more than matches the mastery of the film that came before it...  Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times
"...excellent animation...  Charles Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Editor's Note Alvin, Simon, and Theodore meet their musical match after returning to school and entering into a battle of the bands competition in hopes of saving the school's troubled music program. Sent to live with Dave Seville's younger nephew Toby (Zachary Levi), the three lovable marmots decide that getting an education is more important than belting out pop tunes. But the school's music program is about to go belly up, and the only way to save it is to win the 25,000-dollar prize in the upcoming battle of the bands. Though the Chipmunks are confident they have the songwriting skills to steamroll the competition, a newly formed singing trio dubbed the Chippettes promises to give them some stiff competition on-stage. Brittany, Eleanor, and Jeanette are indeed the real deal, and the closer the competition gets, the more Alvin, Simon, and Theodore realize that in order to win, they'll have to give it everything they've got.

	Jason Lee
	Zachary Levi
	David Cross
	Betty Thomas - Director

Los Angeles Times
"[The movie] builds on the wit, the whimsy and the shredding bass that was 2007's ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS." 12/23/2009

USA Today
"Those who can't get enough of the trio of singing, bushy-tailed rodents are in for a happy surprise: There is more of their warbling kind." 12/25/2009

Box Office
3 stars out of 5 -- "Sensitive, sweet-natured Theodore, so quick to fear and tear, oozes the cuddliest charm of the lot." 12/21/2009

Variety
"[An] undeniably funny follow-up that offers twice the number of singing-and-dancing rodents in another seamless blend of CGI and live-action elements." 12/20/2009

Variety 7 of 10
Ticketbuyers who scurried to see the smash hit Alvin and the Chipmunks two Christmases ago likely will want to double their pleasure with Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, a frenetic but undeniably funny follow-up that offers twice the number of singing-and-dancing rodents in another seamless blend of CGI and live-action elements. The new pic comes off as more specifically kid-centric than its predecessor, but should nonetheless have similarly nostalgic appeal for baby boomers who remember the title characters as '50s novelty-record phenomena, '60s primetime cartoon stars and '80s Saturday morning TV attractions. Theatrical prospects are huge; homevid potential, humongous...Squeakquel picks up more or less where the 2007 "Alvin" left off, with most of the original pic's actors and vocal talents reprising their parts. Chipmunk siblings Alvin (voiced by Justin Long), Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Theodore (Jesse McCartney) continue to be rock-star phenoms under the savvy management and loving guardianship of their adopted human father, Dave Seville (Jason Lee). And Alvin, ever the rambunctious show-off, still grabs the spotlight whenever he can -- even if that means often overshadowing his brothers...Disgraced former record exec Ian Hawk (David Cross) -- who was force-fed just desserts in the previous pic after exploiting the Chipmunks -- sees a chance to jumpstart his stalled career when he's sought out by three naive showbiz hopefuls: Brittany (Christina Applegate), Eleanor (Amy Poehler) and Jeanette (Anna Faris), chipmunk sisters who can sing and dance just as dazzlingly as Alvin and Co...Under the smooth and spirited direction of Betty Thomas ("The Brady Bunch Movie," but, on the other hand, "I Spy"), one thing leads to another in a manner sufficiently zippy to engage small fry with tiny attention spans. Older viewers should be mildly amused, and may enjoy the occasional pop-culture reference -- note the allusions to "Taxi Driver," "The Silence of the Lambs" and a classic '60s hit by the Kinks -- aimed over the heads of the youngsters...Cross once again takes top acting honors with his animated portrayal of the sneaky, snarky Ian. But franchise newcomer Wendie Malick steals her own share of scenes with her stylish turn as a high school principal who's surprisingly appreciative of 'Munk music. Levi tries a tad too hard to convey Toby's lack of social graces, but he makes a sympathetic impression overall. - Joe Leydon