Chip N Dale: Rescue Rangers

 The most I remember about the Disney show Chip N Dale: Rescue Rangers boils down to the theme song and visuals. Any individual episode plots? I've forgotten. The Lonely Island, however, are out to jog a few memories with their live-action/animated take on the show. It's a wackier take on Who Framed Roger Rabbit and it's on Disney + now.

Chipmunks Chip (John Mulaney) and Dale (Andy Samberg) used to star in the titular show, where they and their fellow Rescue Rangers "pick up the slack" when "some crimes go slipping through the cracks." But then their show got cancelled when Dale tried to go solo with Double-O Dale. Years later, Chip's an insurance salesman and Dale is a CGI remodified star. Their fellow Rescue Ranger Monterey Jack (Eric Bana) disappears, having warned them about a "bootlegging" racket. They get on the case.

The ringleader is none other than an adult Peter Pan (Will Arnett), now calling himself Sweet Pete, and his CGI henchmen are Bob the Viking (Seth Rogen) and Jimmy the Polar Bear (Da'Vone McDonald). Our heroes are helped by Det. Ellie Steckler (Kiki Layne), a longtime fan of theirs. Can they overcome their longtime grievances to deal with the biggest cartoon trafficking case in history? Obviously.

Director Akiva Schaffer and his writers, Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, flood the film with meta humor galore. Spotting every fictional film poster (a few highlights include Lego Miserables and Batman vs ET) and licensed cameo is sure to take hours. They take jabs at Cats, The Polar Express and The Lion King for its uncanny valley nature. They even turn Sonic the Hedgehog's rejected initial movie design into a major supporting character named Ugly Sonic (Tim Robinson). The audacity of their jokes is impressive; their most surprising twist is the reveal that obvious villain Captain Putty (JK Simmons) is, in fact, a villain. The only downside is that all the wackiness can easily overwhelm viewers.

It's still a good buddy picture. Chip and Dale are so likable that you'll feel something when Dale is presumably killed (twice) despite knowing he'll be OK. Seeing them work out their grievances makes it a compelling 98 minutes. Ellie is fine and Putty, while no Judge Doom, is hilariously sinister. Pete is a sympathetically sadsack big bad. Bjornson the Cheesemonger (Keegan-Michael Key), a twisted parody of the Swedish Chef, is a memorable bit villain. It's also quite something when we see what the remaining Rescue Rangers, Gadget and Zipper (Tress MacNeille and Corey Burton), are up to. 

There's plenty of visual style with the toon characters. Or, rather styles, as 2D, CGI, claymation and even muppets, occupy the same world as humans, and do it well. I'm sure a lot of the off moments are intentional. For instance, Pete moves around like someone from a Ralph Bakshi film, while some 2D characters are clearly cel-shaded. This is a movie that uncovers the uncanny valley with a spotlight, after all. On the aural side, Brian Tyler composes a good action score with some classic Disney thrown in. It's a good mixture.

Anyone lamenting the loss of Roger Rabbit 2 can finally rest. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is a surprisingly worthy successor to the early film. It's a good buddy film, a visual delight, a great treasure trove of cameos & meta humor, and more. Roger Rabbit even cameos! All this in a feature film of a simple adventure cartoon. See what all the fuss is about on Disney + now. You can also jog your memory there with episodes of the old show.