Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip

***Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip*** (also known simply as ***Alvin and the Chipmunks 4***) is a 2015 American live action/computer animated family musical comedy film directed by Walt Becker and written by Randi Mayem Singer and Adam Sztykiel. The fourth and final installment in the live-action franchise, it stars Jason Lee, Tony Hale, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Josh Green, and Bella Thorne, with the voices of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney, Kaley Cuoco (replacing Amy Poehler), Anna Faris and Christina Applegate.

The film centers on the Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon, and Theodore) as they head to Miami after believing that Dave will propose to his girlfriend Samantha, who has a son who bullies the Chipmunks. Along the way they end up in unfortunate circumstances such as being put on the No Fly List.

The film was released on December 18, 2015, by 20th Century Fox. The film grossed $234 million worldwide against a $90 million budget and received generally negative reviews from critics.

## Plot

Four years after the events of the third film, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore (Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney), along with the Chipettes – Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor (Christina Applegate, Anna Faris and Kaley Cuoco) – have moved to a new house and set up a surprise birthday bash for Dave (Jason Lee) that also serves as a good-luck and going-away party for the Chipettes, who are scheduled to be guest judges on *American Idol*. Alvin invites and hires many people and celebrities to the dismay of Simon before Dave returns home in dissatisfaction. Nevertheless, Dave agrees to take them to mini-golf, and meet Samantha (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), the woman he has been dating for the past few months. While the Chipmunks like Samantha, her son Miles (Josh Green) is a bully who physically abuses the trio. Later, the Chipmunks find an engagement ring in a bag Dave brought home and believe that he is going to propose to Samantha. Realizing in horror that Dave and Samantha getting married would make Miles their step-brother, they try to steal the ring, but are unsuccessful.

Dave has to produce a record for rising pop artist Ashley Grey (Bella Thorne) in Miami, and decides to bring Samantha along with him. The Chipmunks and Miles are staying together, but they agree to head to Miami to sabotage the supposed proposal. The Chipmunks drug three squirrels and dress them up in their clothes to fool their hard-of-seeing neighbor Ms. Price, who was asked to look after them. The Chipmunks travel on a plane, but Theodore lets out a monkey, which then lets out several animals which cause an emergency landing and bring the ire of unscrupulous Air Marshal James Suggs (Tony Hale), who is revealed to have a grudge against the Chipmunks because his girlfriend dumped him for being so into them at the time, effectively eliminating his shot of becoming an FBI agent. As revenge on them, he puts them on the No Fly List (except for Miles).

The Chipmunks perform at a bar, but are caught by Suggs. However, a bar fight occurs and the Chipmunks escape. They jump into a taxi cab sitting outside. After the cab driver learns that they cannot pay him, he kicks the four out of the cab. The Chipmunks and Miles rest at an old tree, and he reveals that his father left him when he was five years old, causing the four to bond and see each other in different lights. They raise money to take a bus to New Orleans, and sing "Uptown Funk" at the Mardi Gras parade, which gets the attention of Dave when it is broadcast on live television and allows the Chipmunks to cause Suggs, who has followed them, to get drunk on moonshine.

Dave and Samantha meet Miles and the Chipmunks at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and are incredibly disappointed at them for what they did and having not responded to numerous missed calls and texts from Dave because of this the Chipmunks and Miles are punished. Because the Chipmunks are now on the No Fly List, Dave has to drive the boys. When they arrive in Miami, Alvin reveals that he stole the ring from the container, thus ruining the proposal. However, Miles had bonded with the Chipmunks during their trip and was upset that they were celebrating over this, thinking they just didn’t want to have him around. He crosses the street with his headphones on and is almost hit by a car, but the Chipmunks swing Theodore and push Miles out of the way, saving his life. They agree to give the ring back.

During the dinner, Suggs catches up with the Chipmunks, but they trap him in an elevator. Miles and the Chipmunks return the ring to Dave saying they accept Samantha and Miles into the family, but Dave reveals he never intended to propose to Samantha for the time being, and the ring belonged to his friend Barry, who was proposing to his girlfriend, Alice, who is disgusted to find a breath mint inside the container, which Alvin had placed there as a replacement for the ring. In one last effort, they try to make it up to him by singing a new song to him at the launch party with the help of the Chipettes, Ashley and Miles. They also return the ring to Barry, who reattempts his proposal to Alice, and this time, Alice accepts. Having forgiven them (while also apologizing for going overboard with his no music policy which was their punishment), Dave returns to Los Angeles with the Chipmunks and officially adopts them as his sons, only to head home and see the squirrels have destroyed their house, much to Dave’s anger. On the other hands Suggs escapes the elevator and decides to relax by the pool, only for two security guards to carry him out of the hotel.

## Cast

* Justin Long as Alvin Seville, a brave and musical but mischievous chipmunk who is the leader of the Chipmunks.
	+ Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. provides Alvin's singing voice.
* Matthew Gray Gubler as Simon Seville, an intelligent chipmunk who is the tallest of the three and a member of the Chipmunks.
	+ Steve Vining provides Simon's singing voice.
* Jesse McCartney as Theodore Seville, a timid chipmunk who is the smallest of the three and a member of the Chipmunks.
	+ Janice Karman provides Theodore's and the Chipettes' singing voice.
* Jason Lee as David "Dave" Seville, a struggling songwriter and the adoptive father of the Chipmunks and the Chipettes.
* Tony Hale as Agent James Suggs, the unscrupulous air marshal who shows cruelty to the Chipmunks as he hates them because they ruined a former relationship between him and his girlfriend, and as a result, he puts them on the No Fly List for revenge.
* Kimberly Williams-Paisley as Samantha, Dave's girlfriend and the woman he's been dating for the past few months.
* Josh Green as Miles, Samantha's son who was initially mean to the Chipmunks, but later becomes their friend and probably has a one-sided love for Ashley.
* Bella Thorne as Ashley Grey, a pop singer whom Dave has to produce a record to in Miami.
* Christina Applegate as Brittany, a fearless, determined, and independent chipmunk who is Alvin's girlfriend, and the leader of the Chipettes.
* Anna Faris as Jeanette, a female chipmunk who is the tallest of the three, Simon's girlfriend, and the member of the Chipettes.
* Kaley Cuoco as Eleanor, a female chipmunk who is the smallest of the three, Theodore's girlfriend, and the member of the Chipettes. (Cuoco replaces Amy Poehler as the voice of Eleanor) .
* Eddie Steeples as Barry
* Maxie McClintock as Alice
* Retta as Party Planner
* Uzo Aduba as TSA Officer Jane Johnson
* Mark Jeffrey Miller as Cab Driver
* Redfoo (*cameo*) as himself
* John Waters (*cameo*) as John
* Jennifer Coolidge (*cameo*) as Ms. Price
* Laura Marano (*cameo*) as Hotel Babysitter

## Production

In June 2013, 20th Century Fox announced that a fourth installment, *Alvin and the Chipmunks 4*, would be released on December 11, 2015. In August 2014, Randi Mayem Singer signed on to write the fourth installment. On December 18, 2014, it was announced that Walt Becker signed on to direct and that the film would be released on December 23, 2015. The movie was officially released on December 18, 2015. It was also announced that the film would be titled *Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip*. In February 2015, Tony Hale joined the cast. On March 10, 2015, Kimberly Williams-Paisley joined the cast. On March 23, 2015, it was confirmed that Bella Thorne had joined the cast. Principal photography began on March 16, 2015, and ended on May 20, 2015.

## Music

Mark Mothersbaugh, who previously scored *Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked*, returned to score *The Road Chip*.

## Home media

*Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip* was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 15, 2016.

## Soundtrack

***Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack*** is the licensed soundtrack based on the film. It was released on December 11, 2015, by Republic Records.

## Reception

### Box office

*Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip* has grossed $85,886,987 in North America and $148,911,649 in other territories for a worldwide total of $234,798,636 against a budget of $90 million.

In the United States and Canada, *The Road Chip* was released on December 18, 2015 across 3,653 theaters. The film grossed $4,126,717 on its first day and $14,287,159 in its opening weekend, finishing second at the box office behind *Star Wars: The Force Awakens* ($247,966,675).

### Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 15% based on 67 reviews and an average rating of 3.42/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "In some respects, *Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip* is a marginal improvement over prior installments, although this in no way qualifies as a recommendation." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 33 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.

## References

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1. ↑ *ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP* (U). *British Board of Film Classification* (January 5, 2016).
2. ↑ 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Rockets to Record $57 Million in Thursday Previews (December 18, 2015).
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015). Internet Movie Database.
4. ↑ Petski, Denise (July 7, 2015). 'Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip' Trailer: Alvin, Simon & Theodore Hit The Road For NYC.
5. ↑ Alvin and the Chipmunks.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015). Fandango Media.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Pedersen, Erik (2015-03-10). Kimberly Williams-Paisley Cast In 'Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip'.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Hipes, Patrick (2015-02-11). John Ortiz Cast In 'Steve Jobs' Movie.
9. ↑ 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' road-trip sequel takes a familiar route.
10. ↑ Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Pedersen, Erik (2015-03-23). Bella Thorne Joins 'Chipmunks 4′; Jon Bernthal, Richard Armitage in 'Pilgrimage'.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Alvin and the Chipmunks - About. Facebook.
13. ↑ Redfoo Juicy Orange Studded Flat Top Glasses from Alvin. The Take (2015-02-11).
14. ↑ John Waters has a cameo in latest 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' movie. *Chris Kaltenbach*. The Baltimore Sun (December 17, 2015).
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: ROAD CHIP - The Review. *Tom Stockman*. We Are Movie Geeks (December 17, 2015).
16. ↑ Laura Marano Making Surprise Appearance in New 'Alvin & the Chipmunks'. Fanlala.com (2015-12-17).
17. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Lussier, Germain (June 11, 2013). "Fox Dates 'Frankenstein,' 'Alvin and the Chipmunks 4′ and Animated Films Through 2018". *SlashFilm*. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
18. ↑ Douglas, Edward (August 22, 2014). Mrs. Doubtfire Writer Signs Onto Alvin and the Chipmunks 4. *ComingSoon.net*.
19. ↑ Kit, Borys (December 18, 2014). 'Alvin and the Chipmunks 4' Finds a Director (Exclusive). *The Hollywood Reporter*.
20. ↑ Diane, Megan. 'Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip' Open Casting Call in Atlanta. Projectcasting.com.
21. ↑ On the Set for 5/25/15: Chris Pratt Starts on The Magnificent Seven, Brad Pitt and Christian Bale Wrap 'The Big Short'. Ssninsider.com.
22. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Mark Mothersbaugh Scoring 'Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip'". *Film Music Reporter*. Film Music Reporter. November 6, 2015.
23. ↑ Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Various Artists on iTunes. Itunes.apple.com (2015-12-11).
24. ↑ Anthony D'Alessandro, Nancy Tartaglione (December 14, 2015). Planet Earth Braces For 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' To Make Intergalactic B.O. History.
25. ↑ Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip Reviews. *Metacritic*. CBS Interactive.
26. ↑ Anita Busch (2015-12-21). 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Box Office: Record $250 Million Bow Likely.
27. ↑ Foster, Elizabeth (October 19, 2016). Horrible Histories, TrueTube lead BAFTA Children's noms. Kidscreen.
28. ↑ 2016 Children's BAFTA Kids' Vote - Film. British Academy of Film and Television Arts (November 21, 2016).
29. ↑ 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Tops Razzie Awards. CNN.com (2016-02-28).
30. ↑ Template:Cite magazine

## External links

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* Official website
* *Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip* at IMDb
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