| Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers | |
|---|---|
 Official release poster | |
| Directed by | Akiva Schaffer |
| Written by |
|
| Based on | |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Larry Fong |
| Edited by | Brian Olds |
| Music by | Brian Tyler[2] Mark Mueller (Theme Song)[3] |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 97 minutes[4] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ~$70 million[nb 1] |
| Box office | $623,190[6][nb 2] |
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is a 2022 Americanlive-action/animatedadventurecomedy film based on the charactersChip and Dale, and is a follow-up to the 1989animated TV series of the same name.[7][8][9] Directed byAkiva Schaffer and written by the writing team ofDan Gregor and Doug Mand, the film starsJohn Mulaney andAndy Samberg as the voices of the respective eponymous pair, alongsideWill Arnett,Eric Bana,Flula Borg,Dennis Haysbert,Keegan-Michael Key,Seth Rogen,Tress MacNeille (reprising her role from the series),Tim Robinson,J. K. Simmons, andKiKi Layne co-starring in supporting roles, with the latter in a live-action role. Produced byWalt Disney Pictures in association withThe Lonely Island (Schaffer and Samberg are two of the members of the group) andDavid Hoberman andTodd Lieberman'sMandeville Films, the film is set 30 years after their original show got cancelled due to a falling-out, and takes place in analternate world where fictional and cartoon characters live alongside real humans. In the film, Chip and Dale attempt to reconcile their differences while investigating the mysterious trafficking ofcartoons and the kidnapping of their friend and co-starMonterey Jack.
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers premiered at theEl Capitan Theatre inHollywood, California on May 16, 2022, and was released in the United States on May 20, streaming onDisney+ asan original film. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, and won the award forOutstanding Television Movie at the74th Primetime Emmy Awards.
In a world co-populated by real humans and fictional characters, twochipmunks namedChip and Dale meet in elementary school and become best friends. They later relocated toHollywood and, after casting as extras in commercials and shows, went on to star in the successful television seriesChip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers in the early 1990s. However, when Dale gets his own show,Double-O-Dale, a heated argument breaks out, causing them to fall out, which leads to both shows' cancellation.
Thirty years later, Chip is a successful but disillusioned insurance salesman while Dale spends most of his time on the fan convention circuit, having been put through CGI surgery. One night, the two are contacted by their formerRescue Rangers co-star Monterey Jack, who owes money to the criminal Valley Gang due to his stinky cheese addiction. Monty warns the pair of a trafficking operation where toons are abducted, have their appearances altered, and are shipped overseas to producebootlegs of their works for the rest of their lives. Later that night, the two are informed that Monty has been kidnapped. They meet Police Captain Putty and Officer Ellie Steckler; the latter reveals herself to be a bigRescue Rangers fan, and with the police's hands tied, she suggests Chip and Dale investigate on their own.
Chip and Dale visit Bjornson the Cheesemonger, Monty's cheese dealer, and ask about the Valley Gang. They are taken to theuncanny valley part of town and meet the gang's head, Sweet Pete, a toon actor who playedPeter Pan, now an adult, and his henchmen Bob and Jimmy. Thinking they are investigating his bootlegging business, Pete tries to capture the pair, but the chipmunks escape. The two later share their discoveries with Ellie, learning that she is shunned by Putty due to acting on a bad tip and raiding theNick Jr. Channel studios with negative results.
With Ellie's help, the chipmunks sneak into abathhouse to steal Pete'sfitness tracker. They trace his movements to a dock warehouse, though it is already abandoned by the time the police arrive. Inside, they find a large operating machine designed to alter toons' bodies, along with several toon parts, including Monty's mustache.
At the police station, the pair argue over the loss of Monty and their past feud but smell the scent of Monty's cologne. Realizing either Putty or Ellie is working with Sweet Pete, the two flee the station. At the ongoing Fan Con, they try to convinceUgly Sonic to ask his FBI contacts for help, but Pete and his henchmen arrive, having tracked Dale using his social media posts. In the ongoing chase, Bob is restrained and arrested, but Chip is caught by Jimmy and taken to the warehouse. Ellie is also lured there by Putty, revealing he is part of the Valley Gang and has been covering for Pete, including giving Ellie the false Nick Jr. tip while Dale regrets gettingDouble-O-Dale in the first place.
Sweet Pete has Ellie call Dale to lure him to the warehouse, but Ellie sends a coded message using aRescue Rangers episode. Dale realizes Ellie is in trouble and contacts formerRescue Rangers co-stars Gadget Hackwrench and Zipper, now married with children, for help. Dale enters the warehouse using a firework, which gets lodged into the machine and stops it before it can be used on Chip. The machine goes haywire, transforming Jimmy into a fairy and Pete into a giant amalgamation of various toons. While Ellie fights and defeats Putty, Pete chases Chip and Dale through the warehouse, revealing it to also be where the bootlegs are filmed. The chipmunks lure Pete to the docks and use a ploy from aRescue Rangers episode to trap him.
The FBI, led by Ugly Sonic, arrives to arrest Sweet Pete and the Valley Gang. Sweet Pete fires a cannonball at Chip, but Dale takes the hit. Chip fears Dale is dead and apologizes for his behavior over the years, but Dale reveals he was protected by a goldenpog Chip gave him. The chipmunks free all the bootlegged toons, including Monty, and Dale introduces the Rescue Rangers to Ellie, who decides to open her own detective agency, while Sweet Pete and the Valley Gang are arrested for their crimes. As the team departs, Dale convinces them to film aRescue Rangers reboot, which is released to great success.
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Additionally,Da'Vone McDonald voices Jimmy, a CGIpolar bear member of the Valley Gang. Director Akiva Schaffer alluded Jimmy's appearance to theCoca-Cola polar bear.[15] Schaffer provides voices for numerous minor roles includingE.T. fromE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) andMr. Natural while also appearing in live-action as the director of the original show.[12]Rachel Bloom voicesFlounder from the1989 version ofThe Little Mermaid,Cubby of the Lost Boys fromPeter Pan (1953), Chip's mom, and a bootlegBart Simpson, among other characters.[10]Liz Cackowski voicesTigra, who is modeled after her appearance inThe Avengers: United They Stand, Officer O'Hara, and a cartoon cow who strongly resemblesClarabelle Cow.[10] Despite not reprising Monterey Jack in the film,Jim Cummings reprises his roles as Fat Cat from the original series, theShredder's "right arm" from the 1987Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series,Peg Leg Pete, andDarkwing Duck, in addition to voicing bootleg versions ofWinnie the Pooh andTigger.[10]Chris Parnell appears as Dave Bollinari, Dale's agent.[17]Jeff Bennett voicesLumière from the1991 version ofBeauty and the Beast.[10]Steven Curtis Chapman voicesBaloo from the2016 version ofThe Jungle Book.[10]Jorma Taccone voices theDC Extended Universe version ofBruce Wayne / Batman along with other minor roles.[10]Jean Gilpin voices Chip's neighborMrs. House.[10]Alan Oppenheimer voices bothHe-Man andSkeletor (reprising his role as the latter) from the originalHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe.[10]Charles Fleischer reprises his role asRoger Rabbit fromWho Framed Roger Rabbit, as well as the character's first animated appearance since the 1993 shortTrail Mix-Up.[10] OriginalRescue Rangers co-creatorTad Stones cameos as the voice of a studio executive.[18]David Tennant reprises his role asScrooge McDuck from the2017 version ofDuckTales.[10]Paula Abdul appears as ade-aged version of herself, alongsideMC Skat Kat from her video for "Opposites Attract", and also voices the 3-D reporter modeled after her.[19]Paul Rudd appears in a live-action cameo as himself.[20]
In the spirit ofWho Framed Roger Rabbit, the film features numerous cameo appearances of other animated characters from within the Disney catalogue and other third-party properties that appear without dialogue:
On January 31, 2014, it was announced thatThe Walt Disney Company was developing a live-action movie based on theDisney Afternoon animated seriesChip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers withCGI special effects, similar to20th Century Fox'sAlvin & the Chipmunks film series. David Hoberman andTodd Lieberman signed on as its producers, while Robert Rugan was hired to write and direct the film. It would have followed an origin story for the Rescue Rangers.[22] Robert Rugan debunked these claims, claiming that the project was a combination of live-action and animation, and was a direct film adaptation of the series with a slightly darker tone reminiscent to a 1940s noir film.[23]
In May 2019, Akiva Schaffer, known for the 2007cult classicHot Rod, became the film's new director, replacing Rugan, while Dan Gregor and Doug Mand became its new writers and claimed that the film would follow a "meta, something self-referential and cool" take on the characters. David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman returned as its producers, and the project became a co-production betweenWalt Disney Pictures andMandeville Films.[24] Gregor and Mand had started the new script as aspiritual successor toWho Framed Roger Rabbit, taking into account the changes in animation techniques in the four decades sinceRoger Rabbit had been made. They wanted to keep what they felt madeRoger Rabbit successful, being that the film "is not talking down to the animated characters [and] playing it real and to the top of your intelligence."[19] Schaffer said they were further influenced bybuddy cop films of the 1990s such as theLethal Weapon series, while including more comedic elements.[25]
Schaffer agreed to direct the film after he was sent Gregor and Mand's script; he agreed due to the film's self-referential humor, his love for both the original series andRoger Rabbit, and an interest in working on animated films.[12] The film features cameos from several non-Disney animated properties due to Schaffer wanting the film to be "a love letter celebration of animation", similar toRoger Rabbit, and felt including only Disney characters would instead make the film "just a celebration of Disney animation".[26] Schaffer did not want to go overboard on such cameos, going by the rule "Don’t put in a cameo unless it’s forwarding the story or putting a button on a really good laugh".[25] Schaffer used the example of the donut cops fromWreck-It Ralph, who not only served as recognizable characters for younger audiences, but also played on the popular concept of police officers loving to eat donuts as a joke for those that had not seen the film.[25] Non-Disney companies authorized through Disney's legal team for their characters to appear in the film after Schaffer assured them it was "not going to make fun of their characters".[12][19]
Schaffer said that for the film's villain, they wanted to play on the idea of child actors that were not able to continue acting as adults through cartoon characters. Early on, the team considered using an adult version ofCharlie Brown fromPeanuts for the role, but eventually selectedPeter Pan for easier licensing.[15] This was compared toBobby Driscoll, the original voice actor for Peter Pan in the 1953 film. In the years following its release, Driscoll's acting career spiraled into decline after being terminated from Disney as he reached puberty. This affected his personal life, with Driscoll becoming addicted to drugs. In early 1968, Driscoll died as a result of heart failure from drug abuse. Several events from this point in Driscoll's life were applied similarly to Sweet Pete's backstory.[27] The film was heavily criticized for this, with both critics and audiences pointing out how the portrayal of Sweet Pete, with the context of Driscoll's later life in mind, came off as disrespectful and insensitive.[28] Despite this, Schaffer had stated there was no intention to mock any specific actor in the film, and the writers claim to have not been aware of Driscoll's history.[citation needed]
According to storyboard artist Simeon Wilkins, they had planned forJar Jar Binks to feature in the convention hall scenes, but he was replaced withUgly Sonic.[29] Other discarded appearances included actorChris Evans, Elliot fromPete's Dragon, Sulley and Mike fromMonsters, Inc., Tick-Tock the Crocodile fromPeter Pan,Sabretooth fromX-Men: The Animated Series, and Mushu fromMulan.[29]
Though initial reports said that Corey Burton would return as the voice of Dale, it was announced in December 2020 that Andy Samberg would provide the voice for the character. John Mulaney as Chip was revealed in the same announcement and Seth Rogen was announced to be making a cameo in the film.[7] Additional casting was announced with the release of the teaser trailer on February 15, 2022.[13] In April 2022, during the release of a new trailer, it was confirmed that Burton would reprise Dale along with Tress MacNeille reprising Chip for brief dialogue.[30]
Principal photography commenced on March 16, 2021, in Los Angeles withLarry Fong as cinematographer.[31][32] Filming lasted 30–35 days.[5]
Both visual effects for the film and the Rescue Rangers' and Sweet Pete's animation were provided byMoving Picture Company (MPC).[33] While there are numerous hand-drawn animated characters shown as minor roles, the crew decided for MPC to provide computer-animation for the Rescue Rangers and Sweet Pete, while giving them a cel-shaded look to appear hand-drawn, for time and budget.[34] MPC had also done the animation work for theSonic the Hedgehog film, and were able to provide the model for Ugly Sonic once it was cleared for use.[14] ForRoger Rabbit's cameo at the start of the film, one of the animators fromWho Framed Roger Rabbit was brought to animate the character.[12] Animation services were also provided byPassion Pictures. The ponies fromMy Little Pony: Friendship is Magic were done by Top Draw Animation, who animated them for the series and2017 film. Schaffer said the animation budget was "an eighth of what like aPixar orDisney Animation movie would be" and that it accounted for half the film's total cost.[5]
Brian Tyler is the film's composer and conductor and its theme song was written by pop songwriterMark Mueller, who composed it for the television series.[35][2]Post Malone recorded a cover of the television show's theme song for the film.[36] The soundtrack album was released on May 20, 2022, alongside the film's release. The song used in the teaser trailer and the main trailer is "Best Friend" bySaweetie featuringDoja Cat. The songs "Friendship" byTenacious D, "Now That We Found Love" byHeavy D and the Boyz, and "Laid to Rest" byLamb of God can be heard in the movie, but are not included in the soundtrack.[37]
| Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | May 20, 2022 (2022-05-20) | |||
| Studio | Eastwood Scoring Stage,Warner Bros. Studios | |||
| Length | 60:18 | |||
| Label | Walt Disney | |||
| Producer | Joe Lisanti Brian Tyler | |||
| Brian Tyler chronology | ||||
| ||||
All tracks are written byBrian Tyler, except where indicated.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers Theme" (Post Malone) | Mark Mueller | 2:24 |
| 2. | "Rescue Rangers Anthem" | 2:28 | |
| 3. | "Sweet Pete Suite" | 2:18 | |
| 4. | "New School, Same Dale" | 1:34 | |
| 5. | "Best Friends" | 1:44 | |
| 6. | "Just a Showbiz Thing" | 2:15 | |
| 7. | "Chip off the Ol' Block" | 2:35 | |
| 8. | "Monterey Jack" | 2:41 | |
| 9. | "Bootlegging" | 2:30 | |
| 10. | "The Case of the Missing Monty" | 3:12 | |
| 11. | "Main Street" | 2:29 | |
| 12. | "The Cheese Cellar" | 2:52 | |
| 13. | "Old Merchandise" | 1:30 | |
| 14. | "A Beary Narrow Escape" | 3:18 | |
| 15. | "Double O'Dale'd" | 1:19 | |
| 16. | "The Crime Lab" | 2:00 | |
| 17. | "The Russian Bathhouse" | 3:02 | |
| 18. | "San Pedro Docks" | 2:49 | |
| 19. | "Mission Chippossible" | 2:22 | |
| 20. | "Not Heroes" | 2:38 | |
| 21. | "Sniffing Out a Clue" | 3:22 | |
| 22. | "Chipnapped" | 3:39 | |
| 23. | "The Bare Necessities" (instrumental) | Terry Gilkyson | 2:37 |
| 24. | "Dirty Putty" | 4:08 | |
| 25. | "Rangers Reunited" | 1:51 | |
| 26. | "Rescuing Chip" | 1:58 | |
| 27. | "Frankenpete" | 3:14 | |
| 28. | "The Smartest Chipmunks" | 4:16 | |
| 29. | "Rescue Rangers" | 5:11 | |
| Total length: | 60:18 | ||
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers premiered at theEl Capitan Theatre inHollywood, California, on May 16, 2022, and was released as a Disney+ original film on May 20, 2022.[7][38][39][40]
Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on certain U.S. television screens, calculated that it was streamed for 594 million minutes from May 16–22, making it the second most-streamed film that week.[41][42]Whip Media, which tracks viewership data for the more than 21 million worldwide users of itsTV Time app, reported thatChip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers was the most-streamed film in the U.S. from May 20–29.[43][44] The streaming aggregator Reelgood, which tracks real-time data from 5 million U.S. users for original and acquired content across SVOD and AVOD services, stated thatChip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers was the tenth most-streamed program in the U.S. from May 26 to June 1.[45][46]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 81% of 139 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Sometimes some reboots fall through the cracks, butChip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers picks up the slack with a fast, funny film that (almost) never fails."[47]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[48]
Frank Scheck ofThe Hollywood Reporter gave it a positive review, saying it succeeded whereSpace Jam: A New Legacy failed, and called it "the funniest movie of the year so far, either animated or live-action. Or in this case both, since it ingeniously melds the two forms in the cleverest manner sinceWho Framed Roger Rabbit."[49] Amy Nicholson ofVariety wrote: "This frenetic and funny crossbreeding of live action and cartoon is both a reboot and an anti-reboot, a corporate-funded raspberry at corporate IP, and a giddily dumb smart aleck committed to mocking its joke — and making it, too."[50] David Sims ofThe Atlantic reviewed the movie positively, describing it as a contemporary version ofWho Framed Roger Rabbit, and wrote: "The movie works mostly because, through its weird tricks of animation and self-referentiality, it somehow finds a fresh satirical angle. Other films have skewered an industry that’s intent on bludgeoning audiences with their own fading memories, but onlyChip ’n Dale actually gives those memories a new life."[51] Calum Marsh ofThe New York Times reviewed the film positively, drawing some comparisons toWho Framed Roger Rabbit, writing, "A wry take on the material that combines animation and live-action comedy, the movie has some of the hip flair and anarchic meta-humor ofWho Framed Roger Rabbit, as well as an irreverent, self-referential attitude that’s rather appealing."[52] Matt Fowler ofIGN scored the movie a 7 out of 10, finding the story "a bit thin", but praising the humor and its handling of pop culture references, while calling Samberg and Mulaney "just the right voice duo to bring these chipmunks back to life."[53]
Benjamin Lee ofThe Guardian rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, stating, "The script feels a few punch-ups away from being quite as funny as it could have been. But what Gregor and Mand do manage is a neat balance of tone, the knowing satire never falling into self-referential smugness thanks to a healthy dose of both earnestness and a genuine affection for the source material."[54] Jennifer Green ofCommon Sense Media rated the movie 3 out of 5 stars, praised the depiction of positive messages, citing friendship and forgiveness, found agreeable the presence of role models across the different characters who fight for justice, while complimenting the diversity of the cast.[55] Nick Allen ofRogerEbert.com gave the film a more mixed review, rating it 2.5 out of 4 stars, praising the different styles of animation, complimenting the performances of the voice actors, and stated that the film manages to provide comical moments. He criticized the plot, writing, "At the least the premise is funny [...] but it’s still stuck in that usual animated movie spot of trying to make something "for kids," with some irreverent references and deep cuts for the adults. Take away the cameos—in the recording booth, and animated on-screen—and you get something that's a little too close to the same old junk."[56]
Tad Stones, the co-creator ofRescue Rangers, has expressed his approval of the film,[57] calling it "fantastic".[58]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Streaming Movie | Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers | Won | [59][60] |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Best Original Score - Streamed Animated Film (No Theatrical Release) | Brian Tyler | Nominated | [61][62] | |
| OFTA Television Awards | Best Motion Picture | Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers | Nominated | [63] | |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Television Movie | Alexander Young, Tom Peitzman,Todd Lieberman, andDavid Hoberman | Won | [64][65] | |
| 2023 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie (Male) | Andy Samberg | Nominated | [66] |
After the film's release, writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand said they were interested in working on a sequel, but it would depend on the popularity of the first film.[67]
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