"Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers" - Film Review
Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers is adamant that it’s a comeback, not a reboot. To the film’s credit, it is much more interesting than a plain and simple reboot. Within the world of Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers, Chip (John Mulaney) and Dale (Andy Samberg) exist outside their famous cartoon from the ’80s. That’s to say that Chip, Dale, and the rest of the Rescue Rangers are simply actors. Cartoons and real people coexist in this world. The streets of Los Angeles are filled with cars from Cars, a variety of forgotten C-list cartoon characters, and human beings. It’s a lively, genre-bending, fantastical world.
Chip and Dale meet in elementary school and quickly become a dynamic, inseparable, comedic duo. They decide to take a chance and move from their small town to the big city of Los Angeles. After booking a few commercials here and there, they land the tv show that changes their lives: Rescue Rangers. For a few years, everything is sparkling and perfect, but then Dale gets a chance to break out on his own. It’s a decision that forever alters the relationship between Chip and Dale.
In the years between then and now, Dale has fully leaned into his acting career. He spends most of his time at conventions trying to regain the level of fame he achieved with Rescue Rangers. Chip has left the entertainment world behind altogether. He’s an insurance salesperson living a quiet life far removed from his past, but a series of cartoon kidnappings drags him and Dale back to their gumshoe roots.
disney+
It’s a lot of fun to see so many different characters and animation styles together into one movie. The widely mocked cats from Cats (2019) living in the same world as Ugly Sonic (Tim Robinson) does certainly have its charm. That’s not to say there’s an ounce of nuance in Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers, and it lacks the same “try-hard” fan service of other cameo-filled movies. This adds a genuineness that keeps the film from feeling grating. Not every reference is shoved aggressively in the audience’s face, and some are more like a game of Where’s Waldo.
Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers is good, simple family fun. There’s nothing about it that’s particularly new, but it’s a breezy little story that keeps the action moving. Samberg and Mulaney are a fantastic duo who easily sell the charm of these beloved chipmunks. With just enough humor and heart to make the nostalgia trip worthwhile, Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers might just be a comeback.
Follow me on BlueSky, Instagram, Letterboxd, & YouTube. Check out Movies with My Dad, a new podcast recorded on the car ride home from the movies.