Search - Alvin and The Chipmunks - Trick or Treason on DVD

Average enough kiddie fare for Halloween, but not much more

Jonathon Turner | Highland Park, NJ USA | 12/20/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Chip and Dale aren't the only squeaky-voiced chipmunks in the realm of animation. Around the same period these two critters were born out of the Disney studio, another trio would challenge their position--Simon, Theodore, and the ever-irrepressible scamp, Alvin. Creations of musician Ross Bagdasarian (who, incidentally, had the stage name of David Seville, the mild-mannered human who "fathers" the chipmunks), these three have amused many through their numerous record albums and television shows.



This DVD compiles several episodes from the 1980's series, as well as a 1994 Halloween special, "Trick or Treason", in which egocentric Alvin aspires to be part of a monster club while Theodore strikes up a friendship with a malformed, misunderstood boy. This special, capped off by a kitschy "Chipmunk" rendition of "Monster Mash" is probably the best on the disc, with solid production values, humor, and a couple of nice (albeit predictable) twists. (Considering it is a 1994 production, such polish is to be expected.)



On the other hand, the remaining episodes (where the "boys" deal with a seemingly menacing babysitter, a monster movie, practical jokes, and nightmares) are a mixed bag. For kids unfamiliar with Alvin and company from the '60s or the curious, this is passably entertaining fare. Unfortunately, my mother (who had grown up with the "old" Alvin), found these latter episodes to be uninspired and predictable--with production values on par with, well, an 80's TV cartoon and only a number of mildly amusing moments. It's not bad stuff for Halloween or a rainy day, all in all, but Alvin, Simon, and Theodore have had better outings--try THE CHIPMUNK ADVENTURE or A CHIPMUNK CHRISTMAS instead."

Alvin Fans

Roseann Guagno | Littleton, CO United States | 07/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kids loved it. We rented this movie so many times that we finally decided to buy. The kids watch it all year round."