Does the squeak stop here?
Ah, the good old days. Image from Flickr.
I remember “Alvin and the Chipmunks” from my childhood. I specifically remember listening to Alvin sing about wanting a hula hoop for Christmas. The memories are fuzzy, but my subconscious still strongly connects “Alvin and the Chipmunks” with Christmas. Great, now I’ve got that song stuck in my head.
Christmas Day marks the second theatrical release of a feature-length “Alvin and the Chipmunks” film. Much like the first film, the annoyingly named “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” has been lambasted by critics. If your kids really want to see it, it might be best to bribe the baby-sitter with pay day loans so you don’t have to sit through it yourself.
A holiday puzzle
It has been proved time and time again that some cartoons just weren’t meant for the big screen. This brings us to a quandary: It’s the only kids movie being released on Christmas. Taking the kids to the movies is a yearly tradition for many families who, faced with a weekday when no one has work or school, need to kill time while most businesses are closed.
So, it’s not surprising that filmmakers think they can just throw together a few bad jokes and some colorful cartoon characters and make a killing. It’s also not surprising that it works. The 2007 “Alvin and the Chipmunks” film made $45 million its opening weekend. That film also got horrible reviews, and I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who thought it was anything more than kiddie fluff. So, the question is, with companies like Pixar (“Up,” “Monsters Inc.”) repeatedly proving that it is possible to make films that both children and adults enjoy, why are Americans still throwing their money away on tickets to films aimed only at their children?
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” reviews
The first feature-length “Alvin and the Chipmunks” film was filled with bathroom humor and “comical” falls, and only 27 percent of critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it good reviews. “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” is filled with bathroom humor and falls, and only 22 percent of critics gave it positive reviews.
Granted, I do know a few “adults” who find a lot of humor in falling and bathroom jokes. If that’s the case, have a great time at the movies with your kids. However, I know a lot more adults who find it mind-numbing to sit through a flick filled with nothing but bathroom humor and falling jokes.
Don’t fall for it
If that’s the case, I say adults take a stand this year. Don’t fall into the trap of just going out to see whatever kid-appropriate film is available on Christmas Day. Tomorrow or Thursday, go rent a quality movie you can enjoy with your kids. Another bonus to renting a movie and staying home is that you don’t even have to change out of your pajamas.
There are so many great movies out there that are appropriate for kids but not so dumbed down that they’re unenjoyable for adults. I personally recommend “Ratatouille” and “Monsters Inc.” Though I loved the Chipmunks well when I was young, I think they should have stuck to Christmas albums and short cartoons instead of making “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.”
