Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) Review

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers follows Chip and Dale, who, now living in modern day Los Angeles, reunite after hearing that Monterey Jack has been kidnapped and sold into the bootleg movie business. 

While it almost feels hypocritical after all the shit I’ve given Warner for exploiting every single IP they own, there’s something tasteful about the way it’s done in Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, that I feel serves the overall narrative wonderfully to a point that makes this a really fun whodunnit with plenty to keep an eye out for. With their return to screens, we’ve seemingly come full circle since the days of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, another noir mystery that combines animation with the realism of our modern world, reuniting our favorite chipmunks (fuck Alvin and the Chipmunks) to uncover a bootleg movie ring ran by Sweet Pete (a hilariously washed up Peter Pan). 

Now admittedly, Chip ‘n Dale’s original TV run was a bit before my time, so I may not get as much satisfaction as fans of the original series, but for those who are fans, this has got to be a gold mine of nostalgia, reuniting all of these characters, calling back to specific episodes, and acting as a meta representation of not only their run on TV, but also as a representation of classic Hollywood and how it’s stars are so quickly passed over by the world. Embedded in all of this films cameos is a deeper story about older cartoons and their place in the world, as if real people, and how they’ve handled the loss of their fame, such as Chip and Dale themselves, who obviously are nobodies in our modern day (until they save the day of course). 

Rescue Rangers sports a super talented cast, starring Dennis Haysbert, Eric Bana, Tress MacNeille, Tim Robinson, Will Arnett, Seth Rogan, J.K. Simmons, Kiki Layne, John Mulaney, and Andy Samberg. Samberg and Mulaney work beautifully together, capturing a camaraderie and friendship that feels decades old, especially in their most heartfelt or bitter moments.

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, directed by Akiva Schaffer, is a surprisingly entertaining meta commentary on the downfall of fame, boasting plenty of fun and ridiculous cameos (like Ugly Sonic), on it’s way to reintroducing Chip and Dale to a whole new generation of audiences. 

8.2/10