The Chipmunk Adventure

The Chipmunk Adventure is a 1987 American animated musical fantasy adventure comedy film featuring the characters from NBC's Saturday morning cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks. The Chipmunk Adventure was directed by Janice Karman and written by Karman and Ross Bagdasarian. The film stars the voices of Karman, Bagdasarian, 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).
While at a diner the three are playing an arcade game of "Around the World in Thirty Days" with the Chipettes, Alvin is behind and to catch up to Brittany takes a dangerous shortcut, sadly though, Alvin's balloon is eaten by a crocodile and Brittany is victorious. However the two argue over which would win an actual race around the world. Diamond smugglers Klaus and Claudia Vorstein overhear the conversation as it turns out they have $1 million worth of diamonds but need someone who would not be suspected by Inspector Jamal of Interpol. They approach the children, telling them that they will provide them with the means for a real race around the world by hot air balloons, with the winner receiving $100,000.
That night Alvin tries to talk his brothers into it but Simon refuses. As a cover Alvin records a message over the phone with Dave's voice, tricking Miss Miller into believing that he wants the boys to meet him on his trip, she buys it. Soon the Chipmunks and Chipettes meet at the Vorsteins' mansion; Simon tries to get Klauss to call it off but Alvin is too determined. Soon 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 the 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. Whoever gets back first will win $100,000 which Brittany and Alvin fantasies about. 
Jenette asks Simon what route to take to their first stop, Simon says that one way on the route has a hurricane. Brittaney however thinks he's lying so they won't win. Klauss and Sophie get ready to launch the balloons, even at the last second Simon begs them to reconsider but the race begins so he grabs onto his brothers' balloon. Both teams begin their travels; while the Chipmunks go to Mexico City and celebrate a fiesta, the Chipettes are caught in a hurricane on their way the Bermuda which Brittaney continued to deny, until her sisters confront her. While going underwater to meet their buyer and Brittany comes very close to becoming eaten by a shark. 
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 of the exotic locations. The two teams have a wonderful time traveling and exploring the many countries. They are also making great time with their Diamond drop offs and missing the agents completely. 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. They two teams bust out a rock and roll at the Pantheon before taking off to their next stop. Dave, who happened to be in Athens at the same time, thinks he sees the boys but after calling Ms. Miller, she assures him noting is wrong.
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 (despite Jamal requesting that the girls be returned to the US), and making Brittany his bride tomorrow.
Despite being showered with gifts, including a baby penguin, the Chipettes are desperate to make an escape. Brittany says they have to find their dolls and leave that night. 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 worshipped as the natives' "Prince of Plenty". Alvin and Simon are quickly forced to wear loincloths and are made into Theodore's personal servants, while Alvin is against the idea, he has no choice so agrees.
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. Brittany who is more determined to win the race is against the idea but after seeing how heartbroken the penguin is agrees to take him back. The girls soon 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 for their help, 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. They now 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 and tell them the truth.
Alvin and Simon, meanwhile, are forced to search a nearby cave for mushrooms in the middle of the night, with Alvin growing increasingly fed-up with the situation. Inside the cave, they find a series of ideograms on the walls, which Simon is able to translate -thanks to his vast intellect. The ideograms 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.
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 as Dave Seville, Alvin and Simon
* Janice Karman as Theodore, Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor
* Dody Goodman as Miss Miller
* Anthony De Longis as Klaus Vorstein, a European diamond smuggler
* Susan Tyrrell as Claudia Vorstein, another European diamond smuggler and Klaus' sister
* Frank Welker as Sophie, the Vorsteins' pet Yorkshire Terrier puppy and Baby penguin
===Additional Voices===
* Ken Sansom as Inspector Jamal, a detective for the INTERPOL
* Nancy Cartwright as the Arabian Prince
* Philip Clark
* George Poulos
* Charles Adler
* Pat Pinney
==Release==
Though scheduled for Christmas 1986, 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.
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, Warner Home Video in the early 1990s, 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.
==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".
In contrast, Siskel & Ebert condemned the movie, saying it would inspire kids to "trick their parents & run away from home" and that some parents left theaters rather than let their children be exposed to the chipmunk misbehavior. Both also criticised the plot and the chipmunks' squeaky, high-pitched voices.
However after it was released on video the tone changed as it was supposed to be an adventure the whole family could enjoy.
==Trailer==
thumb|right|335 px
thumb|right|335 px
thumb|right|335 px
Category:1987 animated films
Category:1987 films
Category:1980s children's animated films
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