Alvin and the Chipmunks: the squeakquel Blu-ray
Those cute talking chipmunks are back in their second feature length film with a new twist in a trio of female chipmunks, they even sing as well as Alvin, Simon and Theodore.
Film making 15/25
Video 20/25
Audio 18/25
Bonus Features 18/25
Total 71/100
Alvin, Simon and Theodore meet a new trio of talking chipmunks who are called the Chipette's by their new manager and the Chipmunks old manager Ian Hawke played by David Cross. The film opens with the Chipmunks playing a benefit in France and wind up pulling their infamous disastrous antics led by Alvin.
Alvin trying to be the show off he is puts Dave played by Jason Lee in the hospital with multiple injuries and mostly covered with casts. Alvin, Simon and Theodore voiced by Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney are sent back to the US to stay with their aunt but yet again cause her serious injury.
Dave's cousin Toby played by Zachary Levi is given the dubious task of watching the chipmunks after the aunt is also sent to the hospital. Toby is a video gaming junkie fresh out of college but without any ambitions other than to play games and be the best couch potato he can.
The chipmunks are off to high school and meet the Chipette's after the usual first day run in with sports jocks that continue to humiliate the three until Alvin joins them. In typical high school cliché ridden antics involving the chipmunks getting dunked in toilets and other pranks until finally Alvin is asked to join the football team.
When Alvin saves the day and lands with the football in the end zone to score the winning touchdown his stature in the high school hierarchy is assured. But Alvin was supposed to be joining Simon and Theodore at a school competition to get them to the finals of a musical competition that would give the school enough funds to support their music department.
In the end the chipmunks help the Chipette's to win the competition that earns the school their much needed funding. The film is your typical Chipmunks antics along with the cliché ridden high school antics along with many other cliché ridden moments that add up to a fair movie.
While you do have the better computer graphics and well done voice acting you still have the cheesy Chipmunks story along with the cliché ridden high school moments. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The squeakquel is a pretty good film for kids that like the Chipmunks but that about ends right there.
I found the movie funny at times but also quite dull and lifeless when it comes to the inevitable return to fart gags and toilet dunks that high school films are replete with. The Blu-ray version does have a lot of extras including the Blu-ray version, a DVD and digital copy along with lots of bonus features but you still have the cheesy base film to deal with.
The video and audio are very good to great and the video with its wonderful computer animation get my vote of approval from the beginning. The fur on all the chipmunks looks so realistic and the video in all its high definition wonder just looks great.
Audio is also well done with get clear voice and well done songs unfortunately dubbed with squeaks but does not compare to the video. The audio is DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and is very good but most of the songs are in that high octave chipmunk squeak that gets to be annoying even before the middle of the film.
Bonus content includes enough extras to keep anyone busy just thumbing through it for an hour or more with several making of features, a few useless song viewing and creation extras and more. Most of the bonus content is either the decent making of features and a look back at the history of the Chipmunks' or the silly and sometimes annoying songs of the film or kids stuff that most kids will get bored with.
While much of the film may not be all that entertaining for adults it does have its moments and overall is harmless and entertaining fun for kids. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is worth the cost to keep kids entertained in a family friendly way and the extras do add up to a well mixed bag for both adults and kids.