Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip

It’s been more than 50 years since Alvin and the Chipmunks and Dave Seville became adorable pop culture icons.

They’ve aged well.

The latest movie sequel, “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip,” released in 2015, includes the singing trio and their loving but frustrated dad/manager Dave (Jason Lee still does an amazing job acting alongside the animated chipmunks) is cute and funny. With a handful of current references and dance numbers to new pop songs, not to mention slapstick laughs, it’s likable to both kids and adults.

“The Road Chip” is not “Frozen” or “Toy Story,” with major ambitions of being culture-changing or Oscar worthy or with big success songs and animation. It’s just a funny kids film – and that’s all.

The fourth film in what appeared to be a trilogy has Dave going to Miami to celebrate the release of a new CD from teen pop star Ashley (Bella Thorne) with his new girlfriend, Samantha (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). They decide to leave the chipmunks at home, along with her cruel son Miles (Josh Green) under the careless watch of, what Laura DeMarco describes, “Their vampy neighbor” (Jennifer Coolidge).

As you may have guessed, our protagonists do not like being let at home, so they start their cross-country “road chip.” Many comedic moments start as the chipmunks and Miles run to Miami in planes and cars to try to stop Dave and Samantha from getting engaged. DeMarco said, “Not too give too much away, but two of the funniest include 1) a bunch of squirrels in Chipmunks T-shirts; and 2) John Waters. Yes, "Pink Flamingos" John Waters.” In their travel, they raise the temper of a TSA agent, played by Buster Bluth from “Arrested Development,” Tony Hale, crash a Mardi Gras parade and start trouble in a country-western bar.

Do they stop Dave? Does it really matter? DeMarco mentioned, “Plot is secondary to easy laughs in "Road Chip," which has some potty humor but is less vulgar than many contemporary kids movies.”

The ending does teach an inevitable happy message, but it’s the travel that’s more than half the fun in this likable movie which was perfect for the kids winter break.

Now I know that I have mentioned this after every review of these movies, but I know that these are far from perfect. However, children will not mind them at all. They will love these movies because they will love to see three singing chipmunks putting on some song numbers and doing some funny stuff throughout the runtime of the movie. I don’t think they will be bored by them. Parents probably will, depending on who it is, because these movies are not meant for everybody. However, I still enjoyed them and thought they were practically harmless entertainment for everyone. There’s nothing in it that I would find atrocious about them.

Well, that ends “Alvin and the Chipmunks Month.” I hope that everyone enjoyed them and hopefully everyone thought nicely of these movies. Like I have mentioned before, I won’t recommend them, but I will say that the decision is up to you if you want to watch these movies. If you can get through the first movie just fine, then you can watch the sequels. If not, then don’t watch the sequels.

Check in next month, which will be a series of reviews that I am really looking forward to.