Dave (Lee) is a wannabe songwriter who just can’t come up with a hit.  To make matters worse, he’s just lost his regular day job as an advertising consultant.  Did I also mention that Dave recently got dumped by his girlfriend because he wasn’t ready to settle down and start a family?  You should be getting the picture that Dave is down on his luck and due for a life change.

That’s where Alvin, Simon and Theodore come in.  Three talking chipmunks find their way into Dave’s house.  He finds them rummaging through his pantries and leaving a large mess.  He’s just about to get rid of them when he realises… they can talk!  He shakes his head of a little but it doesn’t change anything.  It’s not a dream.

When Dave hears Alvin, Simon and Theodore’s high pitched singing voices, it gives him an idea.  With his lyrics and their unique vocal cords, he might be able to come up with a new sound that will revolutionise the music industry.  They could be the first animals to make a hit record.

Dave’s judgement is right and soon enough, Alvin & The Chipmunks are sitting atop the music charts.  It’s not all smooth sailing though.  The Chipmunks are looking for a father figure but Dave’s still not sure he’s ready for such a commitment.  Further, a high profile music executive (Cross) is looking to take control of the band and milk as much money from them as possible.

The idea of Alvin & The Chipmunks was created by Ross Bagdasrian in 1958.  Many “chipmunk” albums have been released over the years for better or worse.  There have also been many animated television shows and movies based around them.  Now, we’ve got a live action movie (well, the chipmunks are computer generated).

Alvin & The Chipmunks is a fun family movie which is pretty easy to follow.  Its strong showing at the box-office shows that its been very popular with kids.  I don’t think its anything special but I guess it’s because I’m not in the target demographic.  There were plenty of laughs in my cinema so I’m strongly recommending this for parents looking to entertain their kids over the school holidays.