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Narrative
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A series of live action films based on the musically gifted trio of chipmunks.
The first movie, simply titled Alvin And The Chipmunks, was released during the 2007 Christmas season, and was a typical origin story. In it, three somewhat humanoid chipmunk brothers—hot-headed Alvin, brainy Simon, and portly Theodore—end up in LA after their tree of residence is cut down and driven there en route to becoming a Christmas tree. They stow away in the basket of struggling songwriter Dave Saville (My Name Is Earl's Jason Lee), and he promptly kicks them out of the house after finding them...only to let them back in after hearing the three singing outside. Dave strikes a deal with the youngsters: they sing his songs, and he lets them stay in his house.
The Chipmunks become a smash pop group and Lee is not so down on his luck anymore, but their greedy record executive, Ian Hawke (Arrested Development's David Cross), schemes to have the chipmunks all for himself by enticing them with expensive gifts. Can the chipmunks resist Ian's temptations, will Dave be able to rekindle his realtionship with ex-girlfriend Claire, and most importantly, will Dave and the chipmunks learn the importance of family?
Although it was met with less than enthusiastic reviews, the first movie was a surprise hit, taking in an impressive $359 million on a budget of merely $60 million. Even though he wasn't thrilled with the movie, Roger Ebert remarked—a la his review of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie—that it was "about as good as a movie with these characters can probably be" and that it might've done "something satirical about rock stars and the hype machine." Either way, the movie helped reinvigorate interest in the characters. Obviously, the money made with this movie would make a sequel a sure thing, right?
Flash forward to 2009, where Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is slated for a Christmas Day release. In this one, the Chipmunks are enrolled in school by Dave and must try to fit in with their human peers, a struggle made even tougher since they were former celebrities. Meanwhile, Ian, struggling to get back on his feet after the chipmunks ditched him for a normal life on account of him being a scumbag, seems to have finally found replacements for his former employees in the form of the Chipette sisters: brash Brittany, brainy Jeanette, and portly Eleanor. Just like the three male chipmunks, the Chipettes are somewhat humanoid, and as such are capable of human speak, and by extension, singing. Can the Chipettes be just as successful, and will vengeance on the chipmunks finally be Ian's?
Tropes Invoked By This Series:
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