Get your Munk on!
Alvin and the Chipmunks is the first film in the live action film franchise of the same name, and was released in 2007. Three somewhat humanoid chipmunk brothers — hot-headed Alvin (voiced by Justin Long), brainy Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler) and portly Theodore (Jesse Mc Cartney) — 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 (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 Dave is not so down on his luck anymore, but their greedy record executive, Ian Hawke (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 relationship with ex-girlfriend Claire, and most importantly, will Dave and the chipmunks learn the importance of family?
This film contains examples of:
- Actor Allusion:
- When the Chipmunks deliberately ruin the concert after realizing they've been tricked by Ian, Alvin shouts "Yippee ki yay, mamacita!" Justin Long played Matthew 'Matt' Farrell in Live Free or Die Hard.
- Dave says "If I made a list of my worst days ever, guess what, this one would be at the top of the list!", a reference to his role in My Name Is Earl.
- Big "NO!": A loud "NO!" is exclaimed by Ian when he discovers the chipmunks escaped from his clutches by replacing themselves with their Spanish, French and Japanese-speaking dolls."¡Madre de Dios!note ¡NO!"note
- Brick Joke: When Dave first meets the Chipmunks he says, "Squirrels can't talk!" At end of the movie Ian is trying to start a new band with squirrels... who can't talk.
- Dedication: At the end, we have "This film is dedicated to Ross Bagdasarian Sr., who was crazy enough to invent three singing chipmunks nearly fifty years ago."
- Facepalm: Ian runs his hand over his face after his attempt to give the sleepy Chipmunks coffee to keep them awake backfires on him right in the ass with the Chipmunks flying into a crazy frenzy and wrecking the recording room.
- Funny Background Event:
- The chipmunks randomly scratch behind their ears during conversations at certain points. This became abandoned in later films.
- As Dave meets the 'Munks for the first time, while Simon is saying "You really oughta pay that utility bill, Dave," Theodore can be seen making a face at his reflection on the mixer cup.
- Help, I'm Stuck!: Alvin (and later Theodore) get stuck in a vacuum cleaner, but Simon somehow helps them out (despite calling Dave for help in the first place).
- Helium Speech: Turned on its head with Alvin inhaling helium, only to speak in a low-pitched voice.
- Hypocrite: While pitching to Dave that the Chipmunks need more than music to attract fans, Dave says that the chipmunks are just kids, but Ian calls them “rats”. Minutes later, Ian tells the Chipmunks that behind their back, Dave calls them “the rats”.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Ian cruelly and bluntly tells Dave that his songs are terrible and that he should give up songwriting. While he was rude beyond reason, Dave's music really is on the level of novelty children's songs that no mainstream musician would ever perform. In fact, the Chipmunks themselves are most famous for their high pitched covers of other songs rather than their own original music.
- Mistaken for Insane: When Dave tells Claire that his life is being sabotaged by talking chipmunks, which is true, to explain his rather odd recent behavior, she thinks he is nuts and promptly walks out, saying he hasn't changed at all.
- Never Trust a Trailer: In one of the trailers
, Alvin eats Theodore's poop when instead it was Simon. In fact, Alvin wasn't even in the scene at the time because he was taking a shower in the dishwasher. Also, they didn't have their iconic sweaters yet and the voice that comes out of Alvin's mouth isn't Justin Long, it sounds like Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. And when Theodore whimpers at the end, it sounds higher like Janice Karman did it instead of Jesse Mc Cartney. - Platonic Declaration of Love: Simon and Theodore are hugging Dave and saying they missed him, and the two tease Alvin about being too cool to do likewise. Alvin hems and haws, and ultimately bursts out with a short speech that ends with an "I love you." Given that Dave is essentially the Chipmunks' father figure, it's clear it's platonic.
- That Poor Cat: We hear a poor cat screech when a frustrated Dave throws his music equipment into the yard.
- The Stinger: After the beginning of the credits, Ian is seen trying, and failing, to get completely un-humanoid squirrels to sing.
- Third-Act Misunderstanding: Dave writes a letter explaining why he wants them to leave, which he immediately throws out because he realizes he cares too much for them. Of course, a few weeks later, Theodore has another nightmare and goes into his room and finds the crumpled paper next to the trash bin and shows it to his brothers. The Chipmunks assume Dave really does hate them and go live with Ian. It's a foregone conclusion that they eventually reconcile.
- Projectile Toast: Burnt waffles pop out of the toaster, prompting Simon to try and catch them. However, being vision-impaired without his glasses, he misjudges the distance and they land right in front of him.
- Universal Eyeglasses: Initially played straight when Dave gives Simon a random pair of glasses that instantly correct his vision. Subverted later on when Ian switches out his glasses for a pair of shades that Simon can't see with.
