Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers Parent Guide

Back in the early 90s, best friends Chip (John Mulaney) and Dale (Andy Samberg) were stars of the hit TV show Rescue Rangers which put them on path to superstardom. That is, until Dale decided to set out on his own and both of their careers came to a screeching halt. Thirty years later, the two estranged chipmunks come back together when their old pal, Monty (Eric Bana), mysteriously disappears. Can these two fake detectives set aside their differences and solve the case before it’s too late?

I’m just a little too young to have seen Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers back in the day, so I have zero nostalgia for it, though I know a lot of older millennials do. But as with all things 90s nostalgia (now that the 80s have been tapped out), our corporate overlords have chosen to bring the series back to squeeze as much profit as possible out of the franchise. This year’s streaming release features popular millennial comedians, pop culture references from multiple decades, and a strong postmodernist meta vibe. Is it a cynical cash grab that knows exactly what it’s doing? Absolutely. Did that stop me from enjoying every second of it? Nope.

Yes, I know this film was designed specifically for my demographic to enjoy. Yes, I know I’m being manipulated. But darn it if these writers aren’t extremely good at their jobs. This movie is hilarious. The meta jokes and pop culture references are clever and fresh, and I laughed out loud multiple times. Also, the fact that Disney was allowed to depict and poke fun at intellectual properties that the Mouse House doesn’t own is a feat unto itself. It’s like a modern day Who Framed Roger Rabbit but more kid-friendly.

That all said, I really think this film was designed for millennials, not children. It’s not that it’s inappropriate, it’s just that the jokes and references are going to fly way over kid’s heads. I’m sure they’ll still enjoy it because it’s full of fun action sequences and goofy animated characters, but they’re not going to understand anything other than the basic plot. The writers do come close to the PG line a few times with some of the plot elements and jokes, which is another reason I think the script was written with an older audience in mind. There are a couple scenes which might be frightening for very young audiences, and some of the jokes make references to addiction and violence, though, again, it’ll be over most kid’s heads.

I had fun, but I could see how some viewers might find Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers to be a cynical mess of references and meta commentary. Your mileage may vary. But in my opinion, if every soulless reboot had the same quality as this one, Hollywood would be a much better place right now.