Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers Review – A Bold Return For Disney’s Star Chipmunks

Between the 1980s and the year 2000, the renaissance of TV animation was in full swing. The long-standing rivalry between Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel put out classic series after classic series, each with its own story and style to call its own. And right in the middle of that, tucked away on the Disney Afternoon, was a humble little show called Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers. Following the adventures of the titular Chip and Dale, the show was exemplary of the era that cartoons were in at the time: colorful characters, cheesy comedy, and wondrous charm that made audiences smile.

However, after only three seasons, the show met its end and was soon replaced by newer, grander projects to fit the ever-changing nature of the industry. In the years since Rescue Rangers’ release, animation has changed a great deal, and in that transition, it seemed that old Chip ‘n’ Dale were left mostly to the archives. However, with the modern growth of streaming content and a vast pool of nostalgic fans, Disney has now given the chipmunks another chance: a new film that honors not only their own legacy, but that of animation as a whole.

Now under the banner of Disney+, the new Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers is a creative and well-made ride through the history of cartoons. It may lack polish in its presentation and storytelling, but makes up for it with ambition, spectacle, and an abundance of love for its source material.

As soon as the film begins, its core hook is placed front and center: the premise. Taking cues from classics like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, human characters and animated ones are mashed together into a shared world, presenting cartoon icons like Chip and Dale as nothing more than well-paid actors. This provides a new and interesting backdrop for the traditional Rescue Rangers format, which now involves the saving of series mainstay Monterey Jack from a fiendish syndicate of has-been cartoons. As a concept, this works very well, creating plenty of potential for wacky scenarios and allowing for a wide range of animation styles to all gel together under the roof of the “real” world.

From traditional 2D to CG to even odd choices like claymation and sock puppets, the variety in art style is impressive, and is utilized within the film’s narrative to a surprising degree. Without spoiling any surprises, this story takes the idea of “real-life” animated characters to some very interesting places, with plenty of commentary about the nature of the industry, the evolution of the medium, and what sorts of problems might arise from their existence in our world. While undoubtedly ham-fisted in its approach, examining these topics in this way was something that couldn’t be done anywhere else, and I respect the decision to discuss down-to-earth ideas in an otherwise upbeat and comedic film.

Of course, having such a wide breadth of animation styles gives many opportunities for cameos from beyond the world of Chip ‘n’ Dale. Obviously, plenty of Disney characters make appearances, but alongside them are icons of Sony, DreamWorks, and even Warner Bros, some with surprisingly important roles in the story. Every time a new character would cross the screen, whether it was the My Little Ponies, He-Man, the abominations from the 2019 Cats remake, or even Ugly Sonic (yes, they really call him that), I couldn’t help but grin at the pure absurdity of it all.

However, such ambition in terms of scope and art style was bound to come with some problems. While the quantity of characters they were able to faithfully recreate is commendable, not everything panned out for some, especially when working in “2D.” Unlike previous films that use this premise, most of the characters here aren’t actually drawn in 2D, but rather rendered to look 2D using 3D models. For cameo appearances and minor characters, this works well enough, but for important roles like Chip and Monterey Jack, the models glitch often enough to hinder my immersion in the film. This is especially true whenever they interact with real objects. I understand that budget constraints required these characters to be animated this way, but considering this is a film with such focus on animation and its history, its hard not to be at least somewhat disappointed.

Then there’s the issue of the film’s narrative. While it’s premise is strong and ideas creative, the execution of the story feels notably unpolished in a few key areas. Chip and Dale are merely serviceable as protagonists, doing everything necessary to progress the plot but failing to play off each other the way I’d expect from such an iconic duo. It was also difficult to become invested in the “Rescue Rangers” aspect of the film, as little development is given to Monterey Jack beyond the most basic characterization (though this is less of an issue if you’ve seen the original show).

On top of this, the film’s comedy is entirely reliant on it’s cameo characters to get a laugh out of viewers. In all fairness, this does work for a good portion of the film, but after the tenth round of “hey, look at that character you love! Isn’t it crazy that they’re in the real world?” it begins to border on lazy writing.

None of these are issues that ruin the experience, and the upsides will far outweigh them for some, but if you aren’t invested in cartoons or their culture, I struggle to recommend this outright, especially to the children that should be its main audience.

Verdict

While it may not be the next Who Framed Roger Rabbit, there is a lot to like about Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers. It’s animation is ambitious and full of love for its source material, and the creativity it displays at certain points is the best I’ve seen from Disney in quite some time. As a fan of animation, the raw spectacle of seeing so many iconic characters under the same roof was worth the price of admission alone, but I acknowledge that won’t be the case for everyone.

In the realms of story and characters, there are noticeable problems that lessen the impact of what should be an amazing film, and because of that, I can’t give a firm recommendation unless you already have a love for the medium of an animation. At the end of the day, the grand return of Chip ‘n’ Dale is a spectacular, yet clearly flawed film that deserves substantial praise for what it has achieved, as well as a sequel to fix its issues and create something truly magical.

Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers: 6/10