Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked is One Big Advertisement

Why Dave Seville hasn’t lost his ever-lovin’ mind yet is a mystery. Think your kids are a handful? Try keeping six independent chipmunks in line, especially mischievous Alvin, who not only wreaks havoc during a Carnival Cruise vacation advertisement, but manages to get separated from the ship during a paragliding incident, taking the other chipmunks along with him. The gang ends up being washed ashore on a tropical island that’s not as deserted as they think.

So begins the latest Chipmunk caper, the G-rated Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, on DVD and Blu-ray March 27, 2012. The thin story seems designed to sell products, not only the aforementioned Carnival Cruise Lines, but also Swiss Army knives, YouTube and Electronic Musician Magazine (which I didn’t even know existed, so mission accomplished on that one).

While enroute to the International Music Awards, the humans and chipmunks, as mentioned, inadvertently end up on a tropical island, where they make do as best they can. For the Chipettes, that means singing soulful songs and crafting tropical apparel (with bikini tops – is that necessary for a kids’ movie?).

For the Chipmunks, that means scouting the area for food and supplies. In Simon’s case, it also means getting bit by a poisonous spider which alters his personality to “Simone,” a cross between Charlie Sheen in Platoon and “the most interesting munk in the world” (I guess from that beer commercial starring “the most interesting man in the world”).

There’s one of the problems with this movie: they try to throw in adult references to make it interesting for adults, but it doesn’t work. We really don’t care that Zoe (Saturday Night Live’s Jenny Slate), the girl who’s been shipwrecked on the island for several years, has several inanimate “friends” a la Tom Hanks’ soccer ball Wilson in the movie Castaway.  Nor is it all that amusing when one of the Chipmunks gives us the James Bond “shaken not stirred” line when he’s on the cruise ship.

Another interesting element is when Theodore changes personality into “Simone”: they have Alan Tudyk (“Wash” from Firefly) voicing the character. Look, the Chipmunks all sound pretty much the same, so I’m not sure people really notice the different voice.

However, for anyone keeping track, the voices are as follows: Justin Long (Alvin), Matthew Gray Gubler (Simon), Jesse McCartney (Theodore), Amy Poehler (Eleanor), Anna Faris (Jeanette) and Christina Applegate (Brittany). David Cross reprises his character of Ian from the other movies.

Here’s the thing. The Chipmunks are pretty cute at first glance, and even their array of pop tunes, including covers of Bad Romance and Born This Way from Lady Gaga, Trouble from Pink, and Survivor from Destiny’s Child, are fun. But they’re only fun for about ten minutes. Then they get really annoying.

There is, however, a takeaway message when Alvin realizes that “Simone” is driving him crazy just like HE drives Dave crazy. I’m guessing this revelation doesn’t totally reform Alvin, though. I’m sure he’ll be back disobeying the rules in future movies.

To help sell the DVD and Blu-ray editions, they’ve loaded a ton of bonus features, including sing-a-long music videos, behind-the-scenes featurettes, extended scenes, and lots more.  Fans can also enjoy a Chipwrecked: Coloring with The Chipmunks App, featured exclusively on the Blu-ray Disc. Let’s take a closer look at those bonus features:

Bonus Features/Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy: 

• Feature Film
• Munk Music & Dance Machine
  • Vacation
  • Trouble
  • Whip My Hair
  • Party Rock Anthem
  • We Speak No Americano / Conga
  • Kumbaya
  • Survivor
  • Real Wild Child
  • Bad Romance
  • Hello
  • Say Hey
  • S.O.S
  • Vacation (Reprise)
  • Born This Way / Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now / Firework
  • Party Rock Anthem (Reprise)
  • We Have Arrived
• Going Overboard with The Chipmunks
• Munking Movies in Paradise
• Everybody Munk Now!
• Alan Tudyk, Chipmunk Appearance
• Music Videos / Sing-A-Longs
  • Vacation
  • Survivor
  • Bad Romance
• Fox Music Channel presents “Growing up Alvin”
• Fox Movie Channel presents ”In Character with Jason Lee”
• Extended Scenes
  • Walk The Plank
  • Brittany’s What If…
  • Ian’s Hungry
  • I Don’t Spank Them
  • No, No, No…
  • Zoe’s Map
  • Nowhere Else To Go
• Promotional Fun Featurettes
  • Survival Tips
  • Rules
  • Theatrical Trailers
• Chipwrecked: Coloring with Chipmunks App – Blu-ray Excusive

2-DISC DVD: 

Same as above Blu-ray features (except Chipwrecked: Coloring with Chipmunks App)

DVD: 

• Feature Film
• Munking Movies in Paradise Featurette
• Munk Music & Dance Machine
  • Vacation
  • Trouble
  • Whip My Hair
  • Party Rock Anthem
  • We Speak No Americano / Conga
  • Kumbaya
  • Survivor
  • Real Wild Child
  • Bad Romance
  • Hello
  • Say Hey
  • S.O.S
  • Vacation (Reprise)
  • Born This Way / Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now / Firework
  • Party Rock Anthem (Reprise)
  • We Have Arrived