Chip N' Dale: Rescue Rangers is a CGI/hand animated/live action hybrid that is funny, packed with cameos, and brings the old friends back together again! The director is Akiva Schaffer with a past film in Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) with Andy Samberg. The screenwriters are Dan Gregor and Doug Mando, both from the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend comedy series. The film is based on the Chip Dale: Rescue Rangers animated show that ran from 1989 to 1990. Disney+ is currently streaming the movie which debuted on May 20th. It opens to bright, sunny day in 1982 with an animated birds swooping around as we pan down to a school. It seems like this is the real story of the Rescue Rangersverse, but the duo was created in 1943 with animated shorts. We see a mix of animated and real life students walking in. An animated cab pulls up to the school as we get the intro of Chip N’ Dale provided by Dale voiced by Samberg. A school bus pulls up with third grader Chip looking at the school from the bottom step. He has a baseball cap and t-shirt, perky about meeting new friends.
The Cow Teacher (Liz Cackowski) rings her cowbell and introduces the new student. Chip (Mason Blomberg) does a bow, but just gets silent. So he takes a pencil to stab in his eye! The prank doesn’t get the desired reaction. At lunchtime, he is given the cold shoulder from all of the students, and sits at a tiny table alone. He is joined by Dale (Julie Donenfeld) who has a Knight Rider lunch pail and loved his joke. They introduced themselves. Instant friends and bond over their favorite show, Crispy Cow. This is the origin of the friendship of the show's characters. After school, they head over to Dale’s house for pizza and movies. By high school, they are making the kids laugh, and we get the adult voices, including John Mulaney as Dale. In the audience of their talent show is a certain robot in disguise. The animated and live action hybrid with characters from other studios does remind me of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
This is 1990. In front of a cake for the end of season 3, Chip leads a toast to the crew and also to Dale. They get a red carpet farewell, for a cartoon?, and a party with Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat from the “Opposites Attract” video. Also, with party goers the Three Little Pigs and Roger Rabbit! Charles Fleischer voices his return to the character after 30 years! Dale loses his enthusiasm for the party and looks sad. Later, Chip goes into their shared trailer at the studio. He finds that Dale has a poster for a new, secret agent show, Double-O Dale! Dale wants to go his own way since he thinks Chip is the lead for Rescue Rangers, it is Chip AND Dale. I really like that there is sadness, drama, for a cartoon character. This is strange, but it makes me think of a break up of another comedy duo, Stan & Ollie (2018). Highly recommended BTW. There’s a phone call (from a massive 90’s cell phone) and Dale thinks it’s from his agent. Both shows ended up cancelled.
It becomes the “Present Day” with Dale in CGI form (from CGI surgery!) and make in his Hawaiian, Magnum P.I. shirt. The CGI surgery that revitalizes actors' careers is a nice jab at Hollywood actors. Dale is excited for Rescue Rangers 2.0 on Disney+? He is recording this on a cell phone just his size for “Dale’s Tales.” An announcer at Fan Con Los Angeles introducing the special guest. I love the cosplayers including a mouse Leia and Kylo Ren. It is of course for Baloo (Steven Curtis Chapman) from The Jungle Book (2016), appearing in sunglasses, blue t-shirt and pants. Dale’s disappointment is consoled by fellow table mate, cartoon Lumiere (Jeff Bennett). There is also a version of a CGI video game character (Tim Robinson) talking about his teeth. Across from Dale’s table is also a cartoon character (Cackowski) from Avengers: United They Stand, kinda cool. This shifts to Chip, still a cartoon, selling to a CGI customer with an interesting wool hat. He as an agent for Coercive Insurance, clever, and also employee of the month.
After work, he has to go see Millie, and Chip gets home after saying hello to the cartoon Mrs. House (Jean Gilpin). On tv, the reporter notes that Flounder is missing, the sixth disappearance in two months. Then, he sees his room sized dog, Millie, and later sees the next film of the CGI Chipmunks rapping. Chip gets a phone message from Monterey Jack (Eric Bana) who needs help. At circular, hotel tower, the International Hotel, Monterey Jack pulls Chip into his room, worried about being watched. Chip notices a strange scent from Monty and he shows the bottle of smelly Rescue Rangers cologne. His friend admits that he was tempted by cheese and owes money to the Valley Gang. Monty explains about Flounder (Rachel Bloom from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), how he was captured by a polar bear (Da’Vone McDonald) and CGI dwarf from a video game (Seth Rogan). Then, he is forced to make bootleg movies! A funny comment on the cheap movie rip-offs. Monty also notes that Gadget and Zipper married (Yesh!) and have 42 kids (Double Yesh!). Strange that Chip didn’t get a holiday photo. A knock at the door! It’s Dale. Monty also called him up for help.
Chip gets frustrated at Dale’s reboot of Rescue Rangers and is about to leave. He walks the Walk of Fame stars, including Chun Li’s star, in Hollywood. He passes by a Fast and Furious movie in this world, and mutters over the situation. While watching one movie at home, Dale calls and says Monty was kidnapped or “bootlegged” really. He asks Chip to meet him at Monty’s apartment. At the scene of the crime, is claymation Captain Putty (J.K. Simmons). He doesn’t recognize their show. Captain Putty that the police can’t help them with the Valley Gang involved with their leader, Sweet Pete. We suddenly see the face almost like King Kong with the tiny sized characters of Ellie Stuckler (KiKi Layne). She reports that there is no clues around the perimeter. There is also Officer Sock Puppet (Schaffer) saying that he has to make a police statement. Ellie sticks around to talk to Chip n’ Dale, she’s a fan, and became detective because of them. She knows that bootlegging takes two days, but needs their help finding the bootlegging facility.
Dale talks Chip into going back into the investigating business. The Rescue Rangers are back again! Chip suddenly smells cheese and goes into the dumpster where he threw Monty’s cheese. He finds that it came from Bjornson’s Cheese Shop. Dale has worn a top hat tuxedo to make deals. To reach the cheese shop, they enter the secret Main Street, like a walk into Toon Town. Dale is suspicious of the bright and cheery Main Street, he whispers that a black and white character steals social security numbers and a CGI cartoon girl has Muppet fights, hilarious! There’s cameos everywhere, including Mr. Natural from underground comix creator, Robert Crumb, where Dale sells his extra fur to his wig shop. The cheese shop has a Muppet chef and owner, Bjornson (Keegan-Michael Key). Happily, Muppet-like when Chip asks questions and then he shifts into a more sinister voice when he is asked about “stinky cheese.” Chip has detective senses, but is really the straight man, err, chipmunk. Dale has the street smarts and goofy attitude. They need to solve the “Case of the Missing Monty” and rescue all of the bootlegged actors! Chip N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers revives the cartoon show into a movie merging all of the Saturday Morning worlds and has fun with a detective story/comedy!
Four Gongonzola Cheeses out of Five!
#ChipNDaleRescueRangers, #AkivaSchaffer, #AndySamberg, #JohnMulaney, #JKSimmons, #KiKiLayne, #TressMacNeille, #CoreyBurton, #DaVoneMcDonald, #SethRogan
No comments:
Post a Comment