What The Critics Are Saying

"The sound of those rapid-fire, squeaky voices are enough to send some grown-ups running for the hills. Others will take a deep breath and prepare for the super-cute onslaught at the cinema. But once you’ve tuned into the inane Chipmunk banter, Film Three in the series, Chipwrecked, still manages to charm while thrilling the kids, what with its intrepid little adventurers and energetic musical numbers." Lisa Giles-Keddie REEL.COM "The franchise is a reliable children's fantasy, buoyed along by the chirpy uniqueness of their sound, both when speaking and when singing. Although not part of the Chipmunk cheersquad, I am certainly in the 'accompanying adult' category and I would be happy to take any squad of kids to this. Cheerful, not too scary, easily digestible and relentlessly energetic, Chip-Wrecked stays afloat delightfully." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "The enduring and hugely lucrative Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise is back for a third installment of its current cinematic iteration. Chipwrecked is the sort of Sunday afternoon trifle that will mollify children and mortify their parents. This film will sell soundtracks by the boatloads, and ultimately that's the idea to which Chipwrecked is unblinkingly committed." David Ehrlich BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE

"Like the two previous films about the CGI rodents with the helium singing voices, "Chipwrecked" falls well short of the bar for wink-wink postmodernism set by "Shrek." But it does make surprisingly inoffensive viewing for adults. You will, of course, be subjected to Dave's trademark shout of "Al-VIN!" a couple of times. In between the cutesy musical covers, the young rodents engage in harmless slapstick and even learn a bit about themselves." Kerry Lengel ARIZONA REPUBLIC "The third in the series about the singing chipmunks and their exasperated but perpetually forgiving human father is a little brighter and sweeter than its predecessors. Like the previous films, the third in the series relies primarily on recycled pop songs, Alvin’s naughtiness, Dave’s frustration, a silly bad guy and a couple of grown-up jokes to keep the parents awake. It benefits from the welcome addition of former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Jenny Slate." Nell Minow MOVIE MOM "The sweet-natured Jason Lee, who like Bob Hoskins in Who Framed Roger Rabbit really has the ability to live with CGI characters, reprises his role as the Chipmunks' adopted father. He takes them and the trio of cute female chipmunk singers known as the Chipettes on a cruise. Small kids will love it." Philip French OBSERVER

The Inside Story In 2007, "Alvin and The Chipmunks", a global phenomenon to generations of fans, became a live action/CGI motion picture event with a contemporary comic sensibility. In the holiday season blockbuster, it grossed US$361,336,633 worldwide, songwriter Dave Seville transformed singing chipmunks Alvin, Simon and Theodore into pop sensations: while the out of control trio laid waste to Dave’s home, wreaked havoc on his career, and turned Dave’s once-orderly life upside-down. Before you could say, "Alvinnnnn!!!" talks began about a new Alvin and The Chipmunks movie. Not content to rest on their laurels, the Munks came up with yet another first: a 'Squeakquel', in which Alvin, Simon and Theodore finally meet their match: and maybe more; in the newly arrived female trio, The Chipettes. But this holiday season, the Munks are unleash their greatest, grandest and most spectacular adventure: "Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked". So what's in store for the fans? In this third edition in the modern franchise: the vacationing Chipmunks and Chipettes are turning a luxury cruise liner into their personal playground; until they become 'chipwrecked' on a remote island. As the Munks and Chipettes scheme to find their way home, they accidentally discover their new turf is not as deserted as it seems. The new film has it all: Alvin running amok on a luxury cruise liner; an epic salsa dance face-off, an erupting volcano, anthropomorphized athletic equipment; a mysterious castaway; the Munks and Chipettes hurtling through the air via runaway kites and makeshift zip-lines and for their fans: the hottest Munk-ified music ever. For those who aren't familiar with the history of the chipmunks, it all started way back in the last century: In 1958, the late Ross Bagdasarian Snr: who passed away after a heart attack on January 16th 1972; was a down on his luck musician/songwriter with a family to feed. He was signed with Liberty Records, a struggling label desperate for a hit. In the spirit of a true artist, Bagdasarian Snr was a risk taker. He cleaned out the family’s savings account and bought a state of the art tape recorder, then he sat down and tried to figure out what he would do with it. Looking around his desk, he saw a copy of a book called "Duel with the Witch Doctor". That was his inspiration for the number one hit song "Witch Doctor", an instant smash that everyone knows by its nonsensical refrain: "OO EE OO AH AH ting tang wal-la wal-la bing bang". Bagdasarian Snr employed a unique technique for the voice of the Witch Doctor. He slowed the tape recording speed down and recorded the lyrics in a slow, low voice, then played it back at regular speed. This technique would later come to define the iconic voices of Alvin, Simon and Theodore. As 'Witch Doctor' surpassed the million selling copy demarcation, Liberty Records found themselves flush with cash. But the money wasn’t enough to save the label indefinitely and Liberty soon needed another hit, so once again they called on Bagdasarian. Tapping back into his surroundings for inspiration, Bagdasarian found himself listening to the insistent refrain of his four year old son begging to know when it would be Christmas. In the heat of summer 1958, he penned the perennial Christmas favorite, that would later be released as "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)" Of course, the Chipmunks were still to be created: and that's where fate came in. One day, as he drove through Yosemite National Park, a chipmunk ran in front of his car, stopped in the road, rose up on its haunches and seemed to challenge Bagdasarian to pass. The rest: as they say; is history. That little chipmunk would become Alvin. Bagdasarian Snr created two sidekicks for the mischievous Alvin: Simon, the intellectual and practical one; and Theodore, the giggling one who loved to eat. They became "Alvin and The Chipmunks", deriving their names from three of the executives at Liberty: Al Bennett, Si Waronker and Theodore Keep. A few years before, Bagdasarian Snr (who had been stationed in Seville, Spain, during World War II) began recording under thestage name, David Seville. A new musical act was born: David Seville and The Chipmunks. In the beginning it proved to bea bit of a struggle trying to get "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)" radio air play, but Bagdasarian Snr found a small station in Minneapolis willing to play it before the Christmas season officially began. The switchboards lit up like a Christmas Tree and word of mouth got the song rotation on more and more stations until it became the fastest-selling number one hit single up to that time, over four and a half million copies in seven weeks (a milestone that wasn't bettered until The Beatles released "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in 1964). It would go on to win three Grammy® Awards and be nominated for a fourth. The Chipmunks made their network television debut (as puppets performing with “Dave Seville” (Bagdasarian) on "The Ed Sullivan Show". Again, they were an immediate success. People were clamoring for more of the ‘Munks, and a look was designed that was very different than what we have come to associate with The Chipmunks. In the beginning, The Chipmunks looked, very much like chipmunks. Not quite photo-realistic, but based more on the animal than on a plushy derivative. A cottage industry ensued with all kinds of Munk toys and memorabilia, and of course, records. The Chipmunks were huge. People couldn’t get enough of them. After the 1960 release of the single "Alvin for President", Bagdasarian Snr received a letter of support from then senator John F Kennedy, a Presidential candidate. Kennedy wrote back to Bagdasarian Snr saying that he was glad to know he had at least one worthy opponent. There seemed to be no limit to their popularity. In three short years, The Chipmunks had sold sixteen million records, won several Grammys among numerous nominations, and were riding the crest of an unprecedented merchandising campaign. It was time to bring them to life in a dynamic, visual medium: TV. The Alvin Show debuted on October 4th 1961 bringing a new look for Alvin, Simon and Theodore (and for that matter, Bagdasarian Snr), as the character of Dave Seville, was now born into the world of animation. It only ran for one year, but was a success in a Saturday-morning slot. Five more Chipmunks singles charted in the early '60s, and five LPs also did well, including a Beatles cover album in 1964. Bagdasarian Snr came to Los Angeles in 1950, and appeared in the films "Viva Zapata", "Stalag 17" and the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock thriller, "Rear Window" which starred Oscar® winners James Stewart & Grace Kelly. Bagdasarian also worked as a songwriter, reaching the charts first in 1956, when his production of Alfi and Harry's "The Trouble With Harry" hit number 44 and later with two solo singles (as David Seville): "Armen's Theme" and "Gotta Get to Your House." Although Bagdasarian Snr (who was born on January 27th 1919, in Fresno, California) died in 1972, his son Ross Jr revived Alvin, Simon, and Theodore in 1979 on Saturday mornings and on the 1980 album Chipmunk Punk. The series became more popular than in the 1960s, and albums of the Chipmunks singing country, Christmas, rock, and Hollywood favorites were big sellers, though the Chipmunks didn't enjoy singles chart success as in the past. What They Had To Say. "It’s more of a question of what adventure isn’t in this movie," says Director Mike Mitchell ("Sky High" & "Shrek Forever After"). Anna Farris, who appeared with the late Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain", notes: "This film is full of heroic scrapes, narrow escapes, and huge escapades. It amps up the adventure, and takes the Chipmunks and Chipettes completely out of their element." "There’s lots of jumping, running, wriggling under doors, and flying," Amy Poehler ("Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil") revealed: Dave thinks he’s taking The Chipmunks and Chipettes on a relaxing vacation cruise. Alvin has promised Dave to abide by Dave’s rules (after all, Alvin has assured Dave that 'Rules is my middle name!', but of course within two seconds, we see that Alvin is not following anyone’s rules but his own)." Producer, and creator of The Chipettes, Janice Karman ("A Chipmunk Christmas" 1981 & "The Easter Chipmunk" 1995): "Chipwrecked is both visually grand and yet personally intimate." Jason Lee ("Drop Dead Sexy" & "Clerks II") offers: "As always, the operative words for Alvin are 'chaos' and 'action'. It’s his first time out of the city, and he wants to make the most of it. Dave isn’t happy about Alvin’s shipboard antics and lets him know it. It’s not easy to be sympathetic, likable and charismatic when you’re screaming ‘ALVIIIIIN!’ so loudly you’re breaking windows around you!" "Alvin wouldn’t be Alvin if he didn’t trigger and lead the mayhem. It’s the Alvin we know and love: at least, at first glance," says Justin Long ("Drag Me to Hell") the voice behind the rascally little critter. Matthew Gray Gubler, also known for his role as Dr Spencer Reid in TV'S "Criminal Minds": "For most of the movie, Simon is not even Simon; he’s Simone. But by the end of this adventure, Simon learns there’s a little bit of Simone in all of us." Christina Applegate, who played Corinne in the 2010 rom/com "Going The Distance", describes her character Brittany as a "kind of a control freak and prima donna: she worries that the tropical humidity will frizz her hair; but she changes from her adventure." 2001 and '02 Young Artist Award winner Jesse McCartney ("All My Children") admits his chipmunk character, Theodore, "is always down for a good time, but he’s a little more timid than his brothers. On the island, he’s trying to keep up with everyone and avoid falling victim to the island’s dangers." Ross Bagdasarian Jnr obviously believes that by "presenting these new aspects of the characters, the film builds emotional connections. We have a huge canvas, but the film also feels very intimate." Janice Karman: "Simone acts before he thinks; he’s very much about derring-do, no matter what the real-world consequences. In a way, he’s become like a turbo-charged European version of Alvin." Being stranded on the island takes the Chipmunks full circle. On the evolution of the 'munks', Ross Bagdasarian Jnr (who produced the Video's: "Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein" and "Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman") notes: "When we met them in the first movie, they were wild: living in the forest, foraging for nuts; and that all came very naturally for them. Then, they became domesticated, famous, pampered, and civilized. Now, finding themselves on a deserted island after all that domestication, they cannot figure out how to find a nut, or forage for anything but room service." Mike Mitchell: "A key theme in this movie is about the Chipmunks growing up, and how hard it is for a parent: in this case, Dave; to let his kids be independent. But kids/chipmunks, are going to grow up and they’re going to be independent. It’s inevitable, of course. I think that idea is going to resonate with kids and parents. Everyone can relate to the story, even though it’s a Chipmunk movie. And, who hasn’t gone on family vacations? They’re wonderful nightmares!" "This film is the most fun of them all," Notes Applegate ("Hall Pass"). "I love a movie that plunks you into the tropics and makes you feel like you’re on vacation with six chipmunks." What's It All About?

Dave, the chipmunks and the Chipettes are seaward bound for what Dave hopes will be a relaxing, stress-free, much needed holiday on luxury cruise ship. As usual, his hopes are soon dashed by Alvin's misbehaving. Dave's not the only one who's unhappy with Alvin's behaviour. Invited to dine at the Captain's table, Dave orders the chipmunks and the Chipettes to stay in their cabin for the night. The dinner doesn't go the way Dave expects. First, the ships Captain raises the issue of Alvin's misbehaving, advising Dave that he'd better reign Alvin in or their may be trouble. Then, the ships mascot, a Pelican reveals himself to Dave: it's his nemesis Ian. While all this is happening, Brittany, Jeanette, Eleanor, Alvin, Simon and a reluctan Theodore are having a night on the town. But worse is to come the next day. Thanks to Alvin, the chipmunks and the Chipettes will end up chipwrecked.

The Verdict "Once again, parents are being asked to take a bullet for the sake of their little-ones, as Alvin and The Chipmunks hits cinemas again with their latest adventure, "Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked": the third 'munk' tale, which going by the latest box-office figures (US$$274,039,381) is sure to lead to another holiday release in the near future. The franchise has kept loads and loads of youngster entertained since it made its American TV debut in 1961, before going viral around the world. And yes, I fully realize there are some out there who are already cringing and wincing at the thought of yet another six-pack 'munk' adventure, featuring voices they find are harder to bear than a teachers nails dragged across a blackboard. Facts are, kids can't get enough of them. So, if even if you're mum or dad who suffers from 'munk' aversion or 'munk' phobia, take my advice: do it for the kids. I did. And you know what? I found it to be surprisingly good fun. 3 1/2 STARS." Who Is Playing Who?

Jason Lee Christina Applegate Anna Faris Amy Poehler Justin Long Matthew Gubler Jesse McCartney Alyssa Milano David Cross Andy Buckley Jenny Slate Luisa D'Oliveira Tucker Albrizzi Lauren Gottlieb

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Dave Brittany Jeanette Eleanor Alvin Simon Theodore Daphne Snow Ian Captain Correlli Zoe Tessa Harrison Cookie

The Production Team Directed by Mike Mitchell Written by Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger Characters by Ross Bagdasarian & Janice Karman Executive Producer Neil A. Machlis Original Music by Mark Mothersbaugh Cinematography by Thomas E. Ackerman Casting by Heike Brandstatter/Lucia Davison/Allison Jones/Coreen Mayrs Production Design by Richard Holland Art Direction by Don Macaulay Costume Design by Alexandra Welker Run Time 87 minutes Rated G [AUST] Copyright ©2011 - Fox Films - All Rights Reserved Enduring © - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian & International Copyright, Trademark Laws & Intellectual Property Rights.