Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers movie review: The weirdest and most fun movie of the year

It feels as though in today’s day and age, to have a highly successful movie, it needs to either be in a massive universe or have some sort of popular Intellectual Property (a.k.a IP) attached to it. This is why people line up around the block for the newest Marvel superhero film and have never even heard of the most recent Oscar winner.

With so many IP-driven projects flooding the airwaves, one has to wonder what one world with all of these massive connected universes and characters would look like. Well, with Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers, those questions are answered.

Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers follows the animated life of actors Chip (John Mulaney) and Dale (Andy Samberg) years after the pair parted ways following the end of the TV show Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers.

Dale is still trying to relive the glory days, while Chip took the end of Rescue Rangers as a sign to move on from that world as a whole. When their friend and fellow Rescue Rangers star, Monteray Jack (Eric Bana) is kidnapped, Chip and Dale, along with new friends, must come together once again to find their friend in the toon underground.

This film has it all from fun action sequences to a plethora of meta-commentary about today’s overabundance of reboots and overuse of IP in their work. I will say, however, that I’m not entirely sure who this movie is for.

Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers is weird, fun, nostalgic satire

As the tagline says, “It’s not a reboot, it’s a comeback.” Fans of the original Disney series might get a kick out of seeing Chip, Dale, and the rest of the crew back on-screen – even if it isn’t the same voice actors they grew up with – but younger kids might not get quite the same enjoyment out of it.

Dealing with kidnapping and underground “stinky cheese” rings, mixed in with a “bootlegging” scheme, this movie isn’t light at times – which makes it obvious why Disney opted for a streaming release rather than a theatrical one.

The story that this film goes by is a relatively easy one to get, and if you are a fan of the TV show already, you might pick up on where it’s going to go. But, the straightforward story is made up for by the sheer weirdness of what is happening.

Movies have come along and used IP for the sake of using IP, but Rescue Rangers has another plan. They use these properties almost to make fun of themselves and Hollywood as a whole for the vast abundance of characters. Small easter eggs – which I won’t share so that you can have the full effect watching the movie – are spread throughout the film in such a way that makes every frame something enjoyable or attention-grabbing.

Things you would have never thought of in your wildest of fever dreams, and things that you never thought you would have to see again, all make their way into this movie creating a truly enjoyable experience.

Another reason this film is such an enjoyable one is because of every voice actor committing to their bit; especially Seth Rogen who clearly isn’t afraid to make fun of himself in the process. This massive cast understands what this movie is attempting and puts every bit of fun into it, giving the satire some sense of meaning.

Ultimately, Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers is pure fun. Every voice actor whether it’s Eric Bana, Seth Rogen, JK Simmons, Will Arnett, or the duo of John Mulaney and Andy Samberg gives their all in this meta-comedy. This will be one of the weirdest and most fun films of the entire year; a wonderful surprise from director Akiva Schaffer and the crew. I will continue watching for years to come, and, funny enough, it’s a franchise that I wouldn’t mind seeing more from.

Grade: B+

Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers premieres Friday, May 20 on Disney+.