Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel is the sequel to the film Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was directed by Betty Thomas (2006's "John Tucker Must Die").  Jason Lee has returned as Dave Seville and Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Jesse McCartney have returned as the voices of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore.

The movie is about what one would expect from a modern day, CGI interacting with humans, scatological humor film.  If you are an adult, you will not like this movie.  It is not designed for adults (there is no nostalgia to the cute little cartoons of the ‘80s).  This is very much a kid film and the kids love it.

The film begins not long after the end of the last movie as we see that the Chipmunks are still a rock n' roll sensation and playing a benefit concert in Paris, France. During the show, while Alvin is showing off his musical skills their fearless leader, Dave, is injured and the boys are forced to go home to the states without him.

Soon the Chipmunks return home where they meet Dave's Aunt Jackie (Kathryn Joosten) who will be taking care of them while Dave is recovering, however when Aunt Jackie accidentally falls down a flight of stairs, Dave's lazy-gamer cousin Toby played by Zachary Levi is forced to take care of the furry critters.

The gradual friendship between the brothers and Toby, who starts to finally grow up, learn responsibility, and reconnect with teacher Julie (Anjelah Johnson), a girl from his own high school days, is fairly sweet in comparison to the film's over-the-top silliness. Some of the song performances, including Katy Perry's "Hot 'N Cold" and Beyonce's "Single Ladies," are also entertaining in and of themselves.

There was also a hidden lesson for kids with siblings.  Alvin messes things up for his brothers by being selfish.  Ian, returning as the bad guy, remarks at one point, “There is no I in team, but there is in Alvin.”  However, Alvin overcomes his selfishness, learns the importance of being a good brother, rescues the Chipettes and the six little chipmunks go on to save the day.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel is a good family-friendly movie. The acting is all very good in this movie when you consider that most of the actors, especially David Cross and Zachary Levi, were acting by themselves. Both actors did a very good job with that and made the interaction with the CGI seamless.

This movie is a must see if you have children.  There was no profanity, with many popular songs, and a high speed chase keeps the little ones interested throughout this movie.  I was able to sit through the entire movie and was mildly entertained.  In the end, I was able to spend some quality time with my kids and share a valuable life lesson all in one sitting.