Alvin and the Chipmunks (Blu-ray) (2007)

"...a lively, entertaining romp that will certainly bring smiles to the young ones this holiday season.  Andrew Grant, Premiere
"Fun musical numbers and cartoonish humour give way to a bland sermon about the evils of the music industry.  Anna Smith, Empire
"...the chipmunks themselves -- voiced by Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney -- are surprisingly appealing...  Luke Y. Thompson, L.A. Weekly
"...actually sort of touching. And dang it, the little animated rodents are cute.  Michael Ordona, Los Angeles Times
"...four out of five stars for being cuter, funnier, and, besides, the character design far exceeded my expectations.  Stina Chyn, Film Threat

Editor's Note This live-action/computer-animated update of Ross Bagdasarian's squeaky-voiced cartoon characters finds the chipmunks (in CGI form) transported from their woodland habitat to the city, where they wind up in the home of Dave Seville (Jason Lee). Dave, a down-on-his-luck songwriter, realizes the potential of a singing chipmunk pop act, and becomes an unlikely mentor/father figure to feisty Alvin, brainy Simon, and dopey Theodore. Meanwhile, the threesome causes chaos in his life, leading to plenty of fun, frenetic scenarios. When a devious record executive (David Cross) enters the picture, however, Alvin and the Chipmunks must deal with both the trappings of fame and their loyalty to the amiable, hapless Dave. Directed by Tim Hill (GARFIELD: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES), ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS simultaneously modernizes and pays tribute to the classic title characters, who first appeared in the late 1950s and became wildly popular in the '60s. While Lee (MY NAME IS EARL) is well cast as the perpetually exasperated Dave, Long (LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD) steals the show as the voice of Alvin, who provides the group's lively spirit. Though some older viewers may wince at the prospect of their beloved Chipmunks rapping, the movie is generally respectful of the franchise's long legacy, and will easily win over a younger generation.

	Cameron Richardson
	David Cross
	Jane Lynch
	Jason Lee
	Charles Daboub, Jr. - Art Director
	Christopher Lennertz - Original Music By
	Jesse McCartney - Voice Of
	Jillian Barberie - Featuring
	Jon Vitti, et. al. - Screenplay
	Justin Long - Voice Of
	Karen Rosenfelt - Executive Producer
	Matthew Gray Gubler - Voice Of
	Peter E. Berger - Editor
	Peter Lyons Collister - Cinematographer
	Richard Holland - Production Designer
	Ross Bagdasarian - Based On Characters Created By
	Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. - Producer
	Tim Hill - Director

Sight and Sound
"A simple story of family love ensues, with enough mischievousness and physical humour to keep kids occupied..." 03/01/2008 p.50

San Francisco Chronicle 6 of 10
The writing in this live-action comedy (with animated chipmunks) is much sharper than either of the "Garfield" movies, which "Alvin" resembles visually. And actors Jason Lee and David Cross put a lot more effort into their roles than the subject matter deserves...But there's still something mildly distressing about the production, which gets worse the more you think about it. Between the occasional amusing joke and catchy musical number, this "Alvin" update is a very soulless movie...The movie doesn't have much substance, but there are a few funny moments. The writers include "The Simpsons" veteran Jon Vitti and "The Ren & Stimpy Show" contributor Will McRobb, and they make Lee appropriately likable while Cross is a sarcastic and clever record executive villain. And not all of the sight gags involve bodily functions: There's a nice scene that makes fun of big stars who lip-synch...Be sure to stick around after the credits, where Cross contributes to the biggest laugh of the movie. Or better yet, take your kids to the superior "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium," and time your multiplex visit carefully so you can catch the last five minutes of "Alvin." - Peter Hartlaub

Chicago Sun-Times 6 of 10
Despite the fact that the film is set in the present, when the real (or "real") Chipmunks already have a back catalog bigger than Kimya Dawson's, the movie tells the story of how they become rock stars and almost get burned out on the rock circuit. Jason Lee stars as Dave Seville, who accidentally brings them home in a basket of muffins, discovers they can talk and is soon shouting "Alvin!" at the top of his lungs, as Chipmunk lore requires that he must..."Alvin and the Chipmunks" is about as good as a movie with these characters can probably be, and I am well aware that I am the wrong audience for this movie. I am even sure some readers will throw it up to me like I liked the "Garfield" movie better. Yes, but Garfield didn't sing, and he was dubbed by Bill Murray. My duty as a reporter is to inform you that the chipmunks are sorta cute, that Jason Lee and David Cross manfully play roles that require them, as actors, to relate with empty space that would later be filled with CGI, and that at some level, the movie may even be doing something satirical about rock stars and the hype machine...I was also grateful that Alvin wears a red sweater with a big "A" on it as an aid to identification, since otherwise all the chipmunks seem to be identical, like Mutant Turtles or Spice Girls. - Roger Ebert