Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers

I’m not sure I would have ever guessed Akiva Schaffer and Andy Samberg, two of the three members of The Lonely Island, the comedic rap group that began on Saturday Night Live with now-classic comedic gems such as Dick in a Box, I’m On a Boat, Jizz in my Pants, YOLO, and many more would be at the helm of a reboot of a relatively beloved Disney property. That property, Chip ‘n Dale, the lovable detective chipmunks and their band of crime-fighters became popular from the late 1980’s to early 1990’s with their show, tv movies and even a video game. The guys who gave us such gifts as Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, Hot Rod and the entire catalogue of The Lonely Island take a page directly from Robert Zemeckis’ game-changing Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and even Shane Black-esque buddy comedies, in ambitiously blending animations styles with live-action, while playing with an enormous sandbox of characters and properties. What follows is a hilarious, charming and cleverly constructed satire on the IP-driven state of Hollywood and serves as a fine reboot of these beloved characters.

Back in 1982, young chipmunk, Chip (John Mulaney) meets fellow chipmunk, Dale (Andy Samberg) at school where the two hit it off and becomes the best of buds. They grow up and land the popular television show that is Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. At the height of their fame, the duo splits when Dale gets his own show “Double-O Dale” that inadvertently gets cancelled after its pilot episode. Flashforward to modern day, Chip works a dead end job as an insurance agent. Dale, now received the “3D treatment” is a washed up actor, frequenting cons alongside other forgotten toons such as Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast and Tigra. When old companion, Monterey Jack mysteriously disappears as well as other famous toons, Chip and Dale reunite to solve the mystery behind these disappearances and maybe even repair their broken friendship.

Director Akiva Schaffer blends live-action and animation with skilled technical proficiency. Although the animation compositing isn’t always smooth and is often a bit rough around the edges — the 2D animated Chip and the 3D animated Dale lack a consistent fluidity in their movements — it rarely feels jarring and the different animation styles are impressively mulled together. Apart from the blend of 2D and 3D animation, there are other types of animation that are incorporated. Most notably the character of Officer Putty, voiced by Oscar-winner JK Simmons, a Gumby-like Police Chief that rides a Segway and move in stop-motion. There’s a zany energy to the film that almost never lets up for the duration of its 96 minute runtime. While this is by all accounts a family film, fit with sharp visual gags and occasional potty humor, much of the humor will likely register most with older audiences. Schaffer and screenwriters Dan Gregor and Doug Mand get a great deal of mileage out of taking this piss out of Hollywood’s nostalgia-crazed landscape and the ever-growing conglomerate of the Disney machine.

It’s rather shocking at just how much satirizing the filmmakers get away with. Not just poking fun at the many properties Disney has acquired over the years, but at the constant stream of reboots Hollywood has been throwing out in the culture for many years now. This is also the funniest film of the year thus far, with some uproariously funny throwaway sight gags and rapid fire zingers that can easily be missed if you’re still giggling at the most recent joke before it. Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers gets the distinction of having the most clever and humorous cameos in quite some time. Unlike last year’s atrocious Space Jam: A New Legacy, which relied on lazy cameos as a means for distraction from a stale story, the cameos in this film are largely woven into the story and do serve more of a purpose, even if the film, admittedly, gets its cake and eats it too.

Apart from the notable talents of Mulaney and Samberg, there’s a substantial supporting cast backing up the two comedians. Kiki Layne is the sole actor performing in live-action with the majority of the cast taking up their work in the vocal booth. Will Arnett, Eric Bana, Seth Rogen, Keegan Michael-Key and Dennis Haysbert are just some of the impeccable talents that make up the supporting cast.

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is a consistently hilarious and witty satire that has more than enough heart and fun surprises to delight adults and kids, alike. While it doesn’t come close to the greatness of Who Framed Roger Rabbit — to be fair, what does — this is still an irresistible good time.