This animated meta-comedy is far better than you’d expect from the premise, but it’s still probably just ‘amusing’ rather than ‘laugh-out-loud funny’.

Premise: Thirty years after their TV show “Rescue Rangers” was cancelled, cartoon chipmunks Dale (voiced by Andy Samberg) and Chip (voiced by John Mulaney) must team up with a fangirl human cop (KiKi Layne) to investigate the disappearance of one of their former co-stars.

Review:

Let’s be honest, most people probably rolled their eyes when they heard there was going to be a reboot of the 90s cartoon Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. If you didn’t roll your eyes, you’re probably an avid fan on the TV show, and ironically, you might actually be disappointed by this film’s irreverent tone. But for the rest of us, the good news is that this isn’t a reboot in any real sense of the word – it's a meta-comedy based on the premise that Chip and Dale were actors (in a world where cartoon characters live alongside humans) in the 90s, but haven’t worked since.

The elephant in the room when it comes to films in which cartoon characters live alongside humans is, of course, Who Framed Roger Rabbit – and it’s fair to say that this movie is not in the same league as the 1988 classic. But just as there was a lot of fun to be had seeing the classic cartoon characters appearing as “themselves” in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, this film has an unbelievable number of cameos from cult cartoon characters from the 80s, 90s and beyond. I won’t spoil those cameos, but let’s just say, I’m genuinely surprised that this film got permission to use all those characters, especially as they’re often not used in particularly flattering ways (which is, of course, half the fun for the viewers).

“…I can’t quite work out precisely who the target demographic for this movie is…”

The mystery element of this film was, for me at least, a bit of a let-down. I know that the mystery is really just there as an excuse to get the estranged characters of Chip and Dale back together again, but when you consider how entertaining and genuinely gripping the mystery was in something like the superb Zootropolis, it’s a shame that this mystery is so straightforward and by-the-numbers, with no real surprises along the way.

But in fairness, this film is trying to be a comedy, not a mystery thriller, and on that level it’s surprisingly effective. That said, I can’t quite work out precisely who the target demographic for this movie is. As I mentioned above, die-hard fans of the 90s cartoon may be put off by this movie’s irreverence towards the original show – meanwhile, jaded adult viewers may find the plot and characterisations too childish, while younger viewers may find the meta-commentary and humour hard to relate to. There are plenty of jokes that will go completely over a child’s head – like a company called “Coercive Insurance”, or the revelation that the “Valley” everyone refers to isn’t the San Fernando valley in California, but the CGI “uncanny valley” – but equally, these jokes may raise a wry smile with adult viewers, but they’re unlikely to elicit any belly laughs.

“…there’s still probably enough to keep audiences of all ages mildly amused…”

Despite all these quibbles, this movie is still far, far better than a “reboot” of Chip ‘n Dale ever deserved to be. Part of the credit for that must go to writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, and director Akiva Schaffer, a member of The Lonely Island comedy group with this film’s co-lead, Andy Samberg. And the rest of the credit has to go to the cast, which features vocal appearances from the likes of Will Arnett, Eric Bana, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen and J.K. Simmons, alongside Samberg and co-lead John Mulaney, all of who manage to wring every potential drop of comedy out of the premise.

Overall, while this may end up being too meta for kids, and too childish for adults, there’s still probably enough to keep audiences of all ages mildly amused for 97 minutes.