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Film / Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks

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Between 1999 and 2005, Bagdasarian Productions released three direct-to-videos based on the '80s Alvin and the Chipmunks series.

The third and thus far final direct-to-video film came out called Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks. Janice Karman wrote and created the film, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. produced the film, Jerry Rees directed the film and it was released by Paramount Home Entertainment. Unlike the first two, the film is live-action with puppettry used for the Chipmunks, the Chipettes, PC the frog, Gilda the cockatoo and Sam & Lou the two gophers.

Dave drops off the Chipmunks and Chipettes at his friend Lalu's house so he can spend the weekend working on a song. So the Chipmunks and Chipettes spend a magical weekend at Lalu’s cottage.


Tropes:

  • all lowercase letters: The "A" on Alvin's shirt.
  • Ambiguously Gay: The two gophers are seen ballroom dancing together.
  • Animate Inanimate Object: The toilet... oooh the toilet...
  • Art Shift: When the gophers go inside a character's head.
  • Baby Talk: The preschool-age Chipmunks and Chipettes each have different variations, except for Eleanor, who as the youngest can only babble and cry.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: The two gophers, Sam and Lou, do this.
  • Characterization Marches On: Just about each of the individual characterizations differ significantly from the rest of the franchise; it's justified, considering this movie regresses them to tots, but their personalities and characterizations are noteworthy:
    • Alvin, instead of being the mischevious, trouble-making, lovable brat that he always is, is instead a clingy little thing with some apparent emotional abandonment issues. He's initially saddened about Dave leaving for a weekend, and feels like Lalu doesn't love him anymore now that she spends so much time taking care of baby Eleanor.
    • Theodore has a repressed streak from Alvin and Simon routinely excluding him from their play activities; Lalu allows him to let this out by having him hit an inflatable punching dummy.
    • Jeanette is incredibly articulate in the way she speaks, rarely using contractions, but rather than being soft-spoken and timid, she's quite a brat who often takes Brittany's things without asking, and even fusses about having to right any wrong she has done.
  • Double Take: Happens when Lalu is reading a story to Brittany and Alvin with Gilda watching when Simon appears all wet:
    Lalu: (she, along with Brittany, Alvin & Gilda looks at Simon) Simon, why are you all wet?
    Simon: The toilet exploded.
    Gilda, Brittany, Alvin & Lalu: Oh.
    (all four look back at the book, then look back at Simon)
    Lalu: The toilet exploded?
  • *Drool* Hello: A drop of water splattered the page of the book Lalu's reading to Alvin and Brittany with Gilda watching. It's revealed to be Simon, who's all wet from toilet water.
  • Elmuh Fudd Syndwome: Brittany seems to have a speech impediment like saying "lipick" instead of "lipstick", "Nette" instead "Jeanette" or "Gilla" for "Gilda".
  • Extreme Omnivore: Jeanette eating lipstick.
  • Fainting: Gilda, twice.
  • Fat and Skinny: Lou Gopher & Sam Gopher, respectively.
  • Forgot About His Powers: Gilda, a cockatoo, is scared by the two gophers wrapped in tin foil and falls out instead of flying away.
  • Fun with Flushing: Theodore overflowing the toilet.
  • I Warned You: Said by Gilda when Lalu runs up stairs to check the overflowed toilet, chiding about how children can cause nothing but trouble.
  • Live-Action Adaptation: It’s the only movie in which Janice Karman and Ross Bagdasarian Jr. appeared in live-action. The Chipettes, The Chipmunks, PC, Gilda, Lou and Sam are puppets.
  • Overly-Long Tongue: PC uses his tongue to rock Eleanor’s cradle. It helps that he’s a frog.
  • Random Events Plot: The film has Dave put the Chipmunks and the Chipettes under the care of a woman named Lalu for a few days, and the screentime is filled out with things varying from Theodore overflowing the toilet with toys, to Alvin and Simon fighting over a cape, to Jeanette eating Brittany's lipstick and having to make money to buy a new one for her (while wearing a ridiculous costume to help Lalu clean up).
  • Shout-Out: See the main shout out page for the franchise.
  • Spinoff Babies: The movie's main setting portrays the Chipmunks and Chipettes as toddlers (although Eleanor is a baby).
  • Spock Speak: Jeanette hardly uses any contractions.
  • Surfer Dude: PC sounds like one.
  • Talk to the Hand: Gilda says this when PC asks her to kiss him.
  • Those Two Guys: Sam and Lou.
  • Voice Actors


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