Alvin and the Chipmunks

The concept of a fully grown man playing host to three singing chipmunks was old hat 30 years ago, and—truth be told—the ability to render the chatty critters in CGI doesn't necessarily make it any more appealing. Jason Lee plays struggling songwriter Dave Seville, whose career gets a boost when he discovers the chipmunks and persuades his producer (David Cross) to record their new song, which becomes a surprise hit, spurring the greedy executive to look for ways to exploit the rodent trio, while newly popular Seville attempts to get his life back on track by reconciling with an old girlfriend (Cameron Richardson). Released theatrically during 2007's Christmas season, the film naturally showcases a spiffed-up version of “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late),” the novelty number that catapulted impresario Ross Bagdasarian to fame and fortune nearly 50 years ago and eventually made multimedia stars of Alvin and his furry friends. And that's the closest thing to a highlight this motley movie offers. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “Chip-Chip-Hooray! Chipmunk History” featurette (12 min.), a nine-minute “Hitting the Harmony” soundtrack featurette (9 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for an unexceptional family film.] (E. Hulse)[DVD Review—Nov. 11, 2008—Fox, 91 min., PG, $29.98—Making its second appearance on DVD, 2007's Alvin and the Chipmunks sports a great transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. DVD extras include the 22-minute “Get Munk'd” dancing featurette, “Chipmunks Live on Tour!” at the Chula Vista Mall (12 min.), a nine-minute “Behind the Nuts: Munkumentary” featurette, “The Dudes Behind the Munks” featurette (6 min.), five minutes of deleted scenes, the music videos for “Witch Doctor” and “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late),” an interactive “Chipmunk Funk Mixer,” and trailers. Also included is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a fuller extras package for a still unremarkable family film.]