The Chipmunk Adventure

The Chipmunk Adventure
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Janice Karman
Produced by	Ross Bagdasarian Jr.
Written by	Ross Bagdasarian Jr. Janice Karman
Starring	Ross Bagdasarian Jr. Janice Karman Dody Goodman Ken Sansom Nancy Cartwright
Music by	Randy Edelman
Editing by	Tony Mizgalski
Distributed by	The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Release date(s)	May 22, 1987 (1987-05-22)
Running time	77 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$6,804,312 (domestic)

The Chipmunk Adventure is a 1987 American animated film featuring the characters from NBC's Saturday morning cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks. The Chipmunk Adventure was directed by Janice Karman from a screenplay by Karman and Ross Bagdasarian Jr.. The film stars the voices of Karman, Bagdasarian Jr., and Dody Goodman.

Plot

When David Seville goes off to Europe on a business trip, the Chipmunks, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are left at home with their babysitter, Miss Miller - much to the dismay of Alvin, who dreams of world travel. While the three are playing an arcade game of Around the World in Thirty Days with the Chipettes, Alvin and Brittany argue over which would win an actual race around the world. Diamond smugglers Klaus and Claudia Vorstein overhear the conversation and approach the children, telling them that they will provide them with the means for a real race around the world by hot air balloon, with the winner receiving $100,000.

After tricking Miss Miller, the Chipmunks and Chipettes meet at the Vorstein's mansion, where they are told the rules: each team is given a separate route to follow, along with a chest of dolls, made in their own likenesses, which they are required to drop off to verify that they have visited all checkpoints. Upon dropping off one of their own dolls, they will receive a doll made in the likeness of the opposing team. In reality, the dolls being dropped off are filled with diamonds, and the dolls received are filled with cash, given to them by the buyers. Both teams begin their travels; while the Chipmunks go to Mexico City, the Chipettes are caught in a hurricane. Unknown to both teams, however, they are being trailed by two INTERPOL agents, sent by Inspector Jamal, who was informed by Klaus and Claudia's butler, Mario, of the Vorstein's operation. The agents silently follow behind as the Chipmunks and Chipettes travel to many exotic locations. Both teams meet up in Athens, where Alvin and Brittany begin bickering, each claiming they can "out-rock and roll" the other, with Dave and the two INTERPOL agents nearly spotting them.

The Chipettes then travel on to Egypt, where they are captured and brought to a young Arabian prince. The prince falls in love with Brittany and, oblivious to the diamond smuggling, agrees to return the valuable dolls to Jamal but declares that he is keeping the girls, and making Brittany his bride. Despite being showered with gifts, including a baby penguin, the Chipettes are desperate to make an escape. Still unaware of the contents of their dolls, they secretly try to retrieve them - only to find them guarded by snakes. Brittany and Jeanette "charm" the snakes by singing "Getting Lucky", then grab the dolls and escape just as Eleanor arrives carrying a small cooler.

Meanwhile, the Chipmunks are camping in a jungle near a native village while taking a shortcut. Theodore senses something is wrong; Simon and Alvin don't believe him. Upon waking up the next morning, they find Theodore missing. While trying to find him, Alvin and Simon are taken captive by some local natives. They soon learn that Theodore is being worshiped as the natives' "Prince of Plenty". Alvin and Simon are quickly forced to wear loincloths and are made into Theodore's personal servants.

Meanwhile, the Chipettes learn that Eleanor's cooler contains not only food, but the baby penguin, whom Eleanor feels needs to be returned to its parents in Antarctica. The girls soon decide to head to Antarctica and sing the song "My Mother". However, Claudia is alerted to the girls' actions by her henchmen, and concludes that they must have discovered the diamonds and are trying to make off with them. She orders her henchmen to get the dolls back. As the girls deliver the penguin to its parents, they are attacked by Claudia's henchmen. The Chipettes wrestle with the men as they attempt to steal the dolls, and a doll tears as the henchman falls from the balloon. Grateful to the Chipettes, the penguins snowball the henchmen into submission as the girls escape. They then notice the torn Chipette doll lying on the floor of the balloon; Jeanette picks it up and diamonds fall out of it. Opening a Chipmunk doll, they find it full of dollar bills, and realize that the whole race was just a set-up to deliver the diamonds. Realizing that the Chipmunks are likely in danger as well, they head off to find them.

Alvin and Simon, meanwhile, are forced to search a nearby cave for mushrooms, with Alvin growing increasingly fed-up with the situation. Inside the cave, they find a series of ideograms on the walls, which tell of the Prince of Plenty being sacrificed on a full moon, which is tonight. Before long, all three Chipmunks are tied to stakes by the natives, hanging precariously above a pit full of crocodiles. In a desperate attempt to delay their own deaths, they sing "Wooly Bully", which pleases the natives and lasts just long enough for the Chipettes to rescue them.

Together in the Chipettes' balloon, the kids return to Los Angeles, where they are met at the airport by Klaus and Claudia. After a high energy chase through the baggage claim (as the Chipettes sing Diamond Dolls), the two groups are forced into a car under the false threat of Miss Miller's being kidnapped. Dave is arriving home to the airport at the same time, and hears Alvin's cries for help. Inspector Jamal runs up, identifying himself, and he and Dave begin to make chase. While it at first appears that Klaus and Claudia will escape, they are accidentally run off the road by Miss Miller, who was heading to the airport to pick up Dave. The diamond smugglers are arrested, and Brittany and Alvin argue over who really won the race, but Dave breaks up the argument and guides them to Miss Miller's car. Alvin tries to explain what happened, causing Dave to yell "ALVIN!" as the film ends.

Voice cast

• Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. as David "Dave" Seville, the adoptive father of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, Dave is a songwriter who has his hands full keeping track of Alvin's doings. Badgasarian also voices Alvin Seville, the leader of his brothers and the oldest chipmunk who is known for his arrogance and egotism; and Simon Seville, the middle, who is highly intelligent and extremely practical, with a very dry sense of humor.
• Janice Karman as Theodore Seville, the youngest, as well as more passive and kind-hearted than the other two. He enjoys eating, and can easily be bribed by Alvin with food. Karman also plays Brittany Miller, the oldest of the Chipettes who often bosses her two sisters around, but she also has a good heart, and loves her sisters dearly; Jeanette Miller, the middle and most intelligent of the Chipettes; and Eleanor Miller, who is the youngest of the Chipettes, and can stand up for herself.
• Dody Goodman as Ms. Beatrice Miller, the Chipettes' surrogate mother and legal guardian. She often babysits the Chipmunks while Dave is away, much to Alvin's dismay.
• Anthony De Longis as Klaus Vorstein, a European diamond smuggler. Klaus lacks willingness to go to extremes. He is easily intimidated by his sister Claudia, and reminded often of past failures.
• Susan Tyrrell as Claudia Vorstein, another European diamond smuggler and Klaus' sister. Claudia is extremely ruthless, mean, and a spoiled brat, and more confident than Klaus.
• Frank Welker as Sophie, the Vorsteins' pet Yorkshire Terrier puppy.
• Ken Sansom as Inspector Jamal, a detective for the INTERPOL, who has been trying to capture Klaus and Claudia for years.
• Nancy Cartwright as the Arabian Prince, who wants Brittany for his wife.

Production

After the success of his animated cartoon series on NBC, Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. began developing a concept for a full-length feature film. Fortunately for Bagdasarian Productions, the box-office failure of Disney's The Black Cauldron in 1985 had led to the layoff of a number of Disney animators, whom Bagdasarian promptly hired to work on his film. The result was extremely high-caliber animation.

Bagdasarian and his wife Janice Karman decided to finance the project themselves, having generated so much revenue from the Alvin and the Chipmunks TV series. Their decision to work with several overseas studios led to major production delays. By late 1986, production had fallen far behind schedule, and a shortage of time and money resulted in major cuts being made to the film.

The film was promoted one year before its release, at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.^[1]

Deleted scenes

• Production stills and concept art available on the DVD show that there was originally a scene in which the boys are captured by dogs in Russia.
• Early concept art also reveals that the producers originally intended to have a scene where the boys drop off a doll in a church confessional and that the sacrifice scene was originally set on top of a Mayan pyramid instead of a crocodile pit. Another sketch shows the boys in some sort of sewer or prison with two men prying open bars at an opening at the top.

Soundtrack

The film score of The Chipmunk Adventure was composed by Randy Edelman and performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Several songs throughout the film were performed by both The Chipmunks and The Chipettes. On April 1, 2008, the soundtrack was re-released as a bonus CD with the film's DVD.

Track listing

1. "Chipmunk Adventure Theme" - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2. "I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi/Cuanto le Gusta - The Chipmunks
3. "Off to See the World - The Chipmunks and the Chipettes
4. "Weekend in France, Italy, England, Amsterdam, Greece..." - David Seville and the Chipmunks (heard instrumentally in the film)
5. "The Girls and Boys of Rock and Roll" - The Chipmunks and the Chipettes (originally appeared in the 1986 low-budget film The Malibu Bikini Shop)
6. "Flying with the Eagles" - The Chipmunks and the Chipettes
7. "Getting Lucky" - The Chipettes
8. "Mexican Holiday" - The Chipmunks (heard instrumentally in the film)
9. "My Mother" - The Chipettes
10. "Wooly Bully" - The Chipmunks
11. "Diamond Dolls" - The Chipettes

Songs heard in the film but not on the album

1. "Underwaterture" - Randy Edelman. Lengthy piece of music recorded for the underwater sequence. Unreleased on record.
2. "Come On-a My House" - Dody Goodman. Unreleased on record. Sung briefly by Miss Miller.
3. "A Matter of Fact" - Electric Light Orchestra. Recorded in 1986 by that band as source music for the film's "Wooly Bully" sequence. First released as the B-Side to the UK version of that band's "So Serious" single, four months ahead of the film's release. Unavailable in the U.S. until 1990 in its inclusion on that band's first box set, Afterglow.
4. "Witch Doctor" - Dody Goodman. Unreleased on record. Sung briefly by Miss Miller.

Release

Though scheduled for Christmas 1986,^[1] The Chipmunk Adventure opened on May 22, 1987. With an opening weekend take of $2,584,720, it ultimately grossed $6,804,312 in North America alone.^[2][3]

The film was produced by Bagdasarian Productions, and distributed to movie theatres by The Samuel Goldwyn Company. It was released on VHS by Lorimar in the 1980s, and Universal Studios Home Entertainment in the late 1990s. On May 23, 2006, the movie was released on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment digitally remastered from the original 35mm film and presented with 5.1 surround sound. A special edition DVD re-release of the film with a bonus CD (which is the same soundtrack disc) was released on April 1, 2008, which matches that of the live-action/computer-animated Alvin and the Chipmunks and another DVD volume of Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies.^[4]

Reception

In his Family Guide to Movies on Video, Henry Herx deemed the film a "charming, lighthearted diversion for the younger set", and remarked that it resembled "a musical revue of pop tunes".^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Coburn, Marcia Froelke (May 18, 1986). "Bashes 'N' Cash Amid Fears of Clash; Cannes Fest Lives Up to Its Hot Image". Chicago Tribune: p. 10 (Arts). http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-05-18/entertainment/8602040844_1_chipmunks-cannes-mad-tea-party. Retrieved April 12, 2011. 
2. ^ "Weekend Box Office". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1987-05-27/entertainment/ca-1673_1_box-office. Retrieved 2011-01-06. 
3. ^ The Chipmunk Adventure (1987) – Box Office Mojo
4. ^ DVDizzy.com Upcoming DVD & Blu-ray Release Schedule – April 2008
5. ^ Herx, Henry (1988). "The Chipmunk Adventure". The Family Guide to Movies on Video. The Crossroad Publishing Company. p. 54 (pre-release version). ISBN 0-8245-0816-5. 

External links

• The Chipmunk Adventure at the Internet Movie Database
• The Chipmunk Adventure at AllRovi
• The Chipmunk Adventure at Box Office Mojo
• The Chipmunk Adventure at Rotten Tomatoes