Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked

Pop-culture-savvy kids (and their parents) will enjoy Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked as a pleasant, lighthearted getaway with a lot of laughs for the little ones. Jason Lee reprises his role as Dave, the manager of the worldwide musical stars the Chipmunks, Simon (voiced by Matthew Gray Gubler), Theodore (Jesse McCartney), and the eternally mischievous Alvin (Justin Long). The boyz are joined by their girl-group counterparts, the Chippettes: Eleanor (Amy Poehler), Jeanette (Anna Faris), and Brittany (Christina Applegate). The grownup viewer might wish that some of the personality of the actors playing the chipmunks were allowed some room to run, but since the voices are put through the "chipmunk synthesizer," they all pretty much end up sounding the same. Nonetheless, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked moves along at a brisk pace, with easy chuckles for toddlers and their older siblings, and some in-jokes to keep the parents amused. The plot involves the gang going on a cruise (the first half of the film, in fact, seems like a commercial for Carnival Cruises), but when Alvin is involved, something inevitably goes awry. Soon everyone is marooned on a deserted island and there are adventures and misadventures as they try to be rescued. Along the way, there are references to the Indiana Jones movies, Castaway, Gilligan's Island, and even Lost ("There are 'Others'?"). And of course, it has plenty of chipmunk-singing pop songs--lots of Lady Gaga, for those of you keeping track. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked is a big bag of popcorn of a family film that younger kids especially will love. --A.T. Hurley