Ting Tang Walla Walla Bing BANG!

Okay, I'm about to make a big admission here ... I remember the original Alvin and the Chipmunks from when I was a kid! Yes I used to sit and watch them on the television and I used to sing along with some of the songs.

So when this came out in the cinema, I just had to take my children to watch it so they could see the kind of stuff mum and dad used to watch when they were young, and i also wanted to see if the new and improved was just as good as the original.

And I was not disappointed!

***Synopsis***

Alvin, Simon and Theodore are three little chipmunks who live in the forest and collect their nuts to store for winter. One day their tree is cut down and transported to a big office building where it is used as a christmas tree.

Dave Seville is a marketing and advertising executive who really wants to be a songwriter. He goes to this office building to see Ian Hawk, who is a record label executive. Ian doesn't really like Dave's songs and advises him to give up on his dream of songwriting. Dave goes home rather despondent, but unbeknown to him, he goes home with 3 little passengers.

And so he meets Alvin and the Chipmunks!
After the initial shock, Dave discovers that these three little chipmunks are rather talented in the vocal department, and sets to work writing songs for them. Unfortunately, the first time he takes them to meet Ian, they are frightened, but that soon changes.

And so begins the rollercoaster ride that is the rise to fame for these little guys, and Ian plots to take the chipmunks away from Dave.

And there is the film in a nutshell

***Cast ***

Dave Seville - Jason Lee (Dogma, My Name is Earl)

Ian Hawk - David Cross (Men in Black, Kung Fu Panda)

Alvin - Jason Long

Simon - Matthew Gray Gubler

Theodore - Jesse McCartney

*** My Opinion ***

What can I say ... it's fun, it's fun, it's fun! My kids absolutely loved this and all they want to sing is the witchdoctor song! The animations were just great - it was a real pleasure to watch. My kids are now on the "i want the chipmunks on cd", so I think we will have to go and get some from itunes.

Jason Lee is actually quite convincing as Dave, his performance, in my own honest opinion was flawless. David Cross was great, he really portrayed the sleazy Ian perfectly. And the voices of Alvin, Simon and Theodore were very good, how they managed to get them to sound so much like the originals I will never know, but it made the film enjoyable for both my kids and for me.

I even noticed hubby's feet tapping during the movie! I have to say that it was all the better because my kids(aged 6 and 3) were mesmerised for the whole film and did not fidget once! Now in my opinion that is what makes a good children's film - the ability to captivate the audience. And that is what this film did for my children. It caught their attention and kept hold of it right to the end.

My only gripe (if you could even call it that) is the fact that, sometime when the chipmunks were singing, the words weren't fully understandable. But these are chipmunks, you aren't always going to understand them, especially when they were singing!

***Final Word***

Do I recommend this to you all? Would I recommend this to a friend? Well, the answer has to be a resounding YES!!! I would recommend this to anyone who has kids, anyone who is a big kid at heart. In fact I would recommend this to everyone!

It has a truly universal appeal to all, yes it may be a bit cheesy but so was the original, and that was a huge success in its day as well.

I hope they bring out another movie, I thoroughly enjoyed this and I know my kids can't wait till we buy them the DVD ... now that will be money well spent!

Thanks for reading and happy watching! Di xx