Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
An unexpectedly fun adventure, the movie premise is that the chipmunks suspect a life change is at hand. They found a ring and believe their caretaker, Dave, is about to get married. This wouldn't be a problem since the lady in question is a fantastic, fun, cool doctor. One problem though: her son prefers to play with the furry creatures by using them as golf balls, hanging them from windmills, and getting them into every kind of predicament you can imagine. This scares Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, who think Dave doesn't see what's going on. And, as it turns out, he doesn't. Dave decides to go on a one man jaunt across the US to Miami with his lady friend while the chipmunks are forced to stay home with their potential brother as a babysitter. Oops. One thing leads to another and as the boys bond over how much they hate one another, they decide to road trip to Miami to break up their parents. Will the boys succeed at breaking up their parents? How much trouble can 3 chipmunks and a teenager find on the road?
At first I was skeptical about seeing this movie. How many Alvin and the Chipmunk movies and tv shows have there been? Could the movie producers really pull off a fun family movie so close to Christmas on a topic that has been over used? The answer, in my humble opinion, is yes! From the fun cameo appearances of Flula Borg (Pitch Perfect 2, Youtube star) and Laura Marana (Disney channel's Austin & Ally) to the … well … chipmunks, the movie comes off as fun, enjoyable, and funny. A true piece of entertainment (and note: it's just that!) to keep you busy for an hour and a half or so during the holiday weekend.
Of course, it should be noted that I did not pay for my own ticket; another family did. And even so, the ticket cost was only $4. I can't think of too many movies I'd be opposed to seeing and enjoying for $4. At a $12 ticket price, you may want to save your money. And as for the $20 dvd? Umm…
Moving on.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
What happens when good and evil collide? When a bad person chooses to be good and a good person chooses to be bad? Without any spoilers, that's what happens in the newest Star Wars. Who will win? And more importantly, is this movie the beginning of a new trilogy?
I wasn't too impressed with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. There was a lot of hype, but what I came to find was that it seemed no different than any of the other Star Wars movies. Of course, I'm not exactly a diehard Star Wars fan to begin with. The movie was put together very well with terrific visual effects and it was nice to see a strong female lead. Oh – and did I mention that Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are in the movie? Because they are. They give the movie a great reunion feel without being simply about the cast and their reactions to one another 30 (40?) years later. However, the movie itself feels very re-made. I'll leave it at that to prevent any major spoilers or leakage for those of you looking forward to seeing it. I'm not sure I would pay to see it again in theatres, but it is definitely fun going to a high attendance blockbuster film … even if you are going to see a movie with the masses.
So what movies have you gotten to see over the holiday break? Anything good? Have you been to see The Road Chip or The Force Awakens yet?
** I'm participating in Susannah Conway's December Reflections. Are you? Today's post was #16 a response to "I Said Hello" to trying new movies. Duh. :)
