Malvika Murkumbi
A heart-wrenching tale of brotherhood, power, loyalty and redemption, this timeless piece of work has it all. Mike Mitchell’s classic Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011) weaves a tale many screenwriters of his time were simply too afraid to tell when they put pen to paper.
While some have disregarded the film’s true cinematic mastery by calling it “just a kid’s movie” and “the one where the squeaky fuckers destroy Destiny Child’s Survivor”, it is my sincere belief that these ignorant and chipmunkphobic reviewers simply don’t see what I see:
Mitchell’s magnum opus is an upgrade of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather trilogy–the thematic similarities are simply too significant to ignore.
The Undeniable Glory of Found Family
Just as the Corleone family adopt Tom Hagen as one of their own, Dave takes in the chipmunks as his own children. Even when he’s seething with rage at Alvin’s insolence, he refuses to abandon him, a moving display of the power of found family.
Loyalty
A sense of unwavering loyalty is salient in both the Corleone and the Chipmunk-Chipette family. One of Vito Corleone’s key moral tenets was staying loyal to family no matter what. Chipwrecked strikingly mirrors this family dynamic – no matter what Alvin does. Simon, Theodore, Brittany, Jeanette, Eleanor, and, most importantly Dave, never leave his side – even when he, in true daredevil fashion, takes over the adults-only Serenity Deck.
Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely
Like patriarch Vito Corleone, Alvin is the de facto leader of the Chipmunks and Chipettes. He is well-aware that his affinity for lawlessness will not strip him of his status as head of the group. His absolute power enables his reprehensible actions, which he justifies as being in the best interest of the Chipmunks. While Coppola made an admirable effort to craft interesting and nuanced anti-heroes through Vito and Michael Corleone, their complexity arguably pales in comparison to Alvin’s character.
Redemption
Tom Hagen and Michael Corleone certainly redeem themselves in some ways, but Chipwrecked manages to fit two comprehensive redemption arcs in a humble 92 minutes. Both Zoe and Ian redeem themselves in ways Hagen and Corleone simply did not. Coppola made a valiant effort, but I think we can all agree that Mitchell achieved what he could not.
In this loving musical tribute to the film giants before him, Mitchell evidently did what Coppola couldn’t, with more nuance and in half the time.
This article appeared in CG 87.
