Ah nostalgia. There are some things that will drum up fond memories of childhood. Snow days off from school. A hot cup of cocoa. That one song that always remained on the tip of your tongue, but you could never remember. And of course there’s Alvin and the Chipmunks. The famous trio that could solve any problem with a song.
On Jan 13, 2009, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Chipettes comes to DVD from Paramount. At first glance you may shun this DVD, since it is hardly the full Chipmunks collection you’ve been dying for. And, truth be told - it doesn’t even contain that one special Alvin and the Chipmunks episode we all remember. You guessed it - the episode with Mr. T.
What this DVD does have is six fun episodes filled with chipmunk action. Don’t worry, it’s not just the Chipettes in solo one-offs. The DVD just features episodes where the Chipettes are a main part of the plot.
Each episode on the DVD starts off with the classic Alvin and the Chipmunks theme song for you to bop your head along to. The title screen is still shaky so you’ll feel like you are back in the 80s right away.
One thing that’s striking about this series, is that Alvin and the Chipmunks was a very progressive cartoon for the time. The Chipmunks are always involved in some form of community service activity, and it’s not done in an overbearing way. The Chipmunks end up competing with the Chipettes over who can do the best to help there fellow man. Also, background characters aren’t your typical background characters for the 80s. Neither race nor handicaps are an issue. There is tons of interracial dancing and kids in wheelchairs are just having a good time. If it were any other show, that would have been the plot line.
And, of course each episode wouldn’t be complete without the gift of song - from “It’s My Party,” to “Girls Just Want to have Fun,” you will have your fill of songs to sing along to.
Unfortunately, even as a Chipettes collection this DVD set is not without its flaws. The first episode is “May the Best Chipmunk Win,” which is the episode where the Chipettes first sign up at the Chipmunks school. Paramount neglected to throw in the episode where Alvin’s Chipmunks actually meet the Chipettes for the first time when throwing a concert using the same name “The Chipmunks.”
Luckily, since this is not a complete Chipettes collection, you won’t get stuck watching Ms. Miller, easily one of the most hated characters in any Chipmunks cartoon. The whole, “I can’t drive because I forgot my glasses” gag got old very quickly.
The major drawback of this DVD set is the lack of special features. There just aren’t any. Paramount didn’t waste their time giving viewers any bonus material. All you get is a special trailer which basically just says, “buy more dvds.”
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Chipettes Episodes:
- May the Best Chipmunk Win
- Operation Theodore
- Sisters
- The Greatest Show
- My Fair Chipette
- Tell it to the Judge
Buy Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Chipettes
Release Date: January 13, 2009
I liked Ms. MILLEr!!! hehe -xo