Seeing how Disney+ is a haven for much of our childhood nostalgia, it comes as no surprise that the studio would want to use their streaming service as a means to revive our favorite shows. Of course, not all of them on exactly on board with the idea of a reboot though. And rightfully so, it’s just a means to cash in on what most of us hold dear. But for “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers,” it’s not so much of a reboot as it is a loose “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” sequel and comeback disguised as a commentary of the Hollywood industry. While Akiva Schaffer’s Lonely Island sense of humor would bring plenty of laughs to such a satire and reignite our love for the two chipmunk gumshoes, the film can’t figure out if it wants to be an homage to the show or a Lonely Island family-friendly comedy.
Like the original “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers,” the film is set in a world where humans and cartoon characters co-exist. It’s during the film’s opening that we learn and Chip and Dale weren’t a formidable pair from the start but childhood friends who developed their act together and then took it Hollywood once they graduated. We learn that they worked their way up the ladder by appearing in commercials and making background appearances on popular TV sitcoms. But their time finally came when they got to call to lead the titular show.
But like any good Hollywood fall from grace, Dale’s ego couldn’t take playing second banana in a two-chipmunk act. Decisions were made, and the show would eventually be cancelled. This created a 30 year rift between the formerly inseparable characters who practically relied on each other all their lives. While the logical Chip lives his life as a successful but bored insurance agent, a now CGI-surgery Dale works the pop culture convention circuit. But when they learn that one of their beloved castmates has gone missing, they set aside their differences and take on their detective personas to solve the case.
Using a script written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers” ventures outside the confines of its show to become his action-adventure comedy mystery disguised as Hollywood satire set in modern-day Los Angeles. There are plenty of exaggerated set pieces that glamorize the Hollywood life style and then there are other moments that touch on its seedy underbelly hidden behind a riff on Main Street. There, a criminal operation run by Sweet Pete (Will Arnett) kidnaps these beloved toons who have debts and smuggles them overseas to a black market group where they are doomed to make cheap knock offs of highly revered animated films.
Much to everyone’s surprise, no one is out of reach in terms of cameos. Sure, there’s a CGI Baloo singing Bare Necessities, and Paul Rudd signing autographs for his latest project, Aunt-Man. But there are also billboards for “Batman vs ET,” and the rejected Sonic the Hedgehog with teeth (Tim Robinson). Even a few of Seth Rogen voiceover characters make cameo apperances. But it’s nothing compared to his uncanny valley Viking character. Those dead eyes bring back some awful memories of the early days of CGI animation.
Though a lot of those jokes work for those who may be familiar with how the industry works or are just a fan of Chip ‘N Dale, a lot of the material may not land with those outside of it. What’s more, the film has a hard time figuring out if it wants to be an homage to nostalgia or a Lonely Island family-friendly film. And while it can’t do both, it does have the benefit of a director and actor who knows the material well enough to execute that self-deprecating humor in a way that works for the film’s setting.
So the film reveals much of the titular characters back story while also exploring the history of animation within a 90 minute timeframe.During the course of the movie, we see all sorts of animation from different eras make an appearance. From the early days of hand-drawn animation to the uncanny valley to the more polished iterations. They all make an appearance, adding a few layers to how these characters continue to work or have moved on with their lives to be a 9-to5er. It also provides a reasonable explanation as to why Chip (Mulaney) and Dale (Samberg) voices are different from that of the original show’s Tress MacNeille and Corey Burton. And it’s fun to hear those pitch-pitched voices squeak their way into the film in clever ways like during the production of an episode or through some older footage. And at the pace the film moves, there’s no way to predict which cameo will come up.
And the cameos serve a dual purpose. Sure they are there for a few good cheap laughs and oh my gosh moments, but at other times, they are a small commentary on what happens to washed out characters who try to stay relevant by playing bit parts or succumbing to their worst vices and paying off their debts by unwillingly participating in cheap knockoff films. The visual gags of ET saying that name to Batman or Monterrey Jack being bootlegged is just a funny commentary on what’s become of the industry.
Although, pacing is another one of the film’s bigger issues. As much as the film wants to be a story about two friends mending a broken friendship and how it tries to use the larger mystery as a vehicle to drive to that point, it never achieves a cohesiveness. Some of the more characters like Captain Puddy (J.K. Simmons) and rookie cop and Rescue Rangers superfan Ellie Whitfield (Kiki Layne) are so far removed from the film itself that their parts could be taken out and you wouldn’t notice a difference. That’s because the film’s obvious focus is on sparking new and renewed interest in the titular characters. And it’s not that Simmons and Layne aren’t good, it’s just they have to work with what they’ve got.
Still, there’s some worthwhile entertainment that could be found within this bizarre comeback. Mulaney and Samberg make for quite an oddball duo and retain much of the character’s recognizable personality so not to stray too far from the original work. And the missing cartoon character mystery with a Lonely Island twist is a swell nod to the buddy cop genre. So even with its flaws, “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers” makes you laugh with its self-deprecating humor and delights you with its sweet nostalgia.
7.5/10
