Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (film)

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is a 2022 American live-action/animated adventure comedy film based on the characters Chip and Dale, and is a follow-up to the 1989 animated TV series of the same name. Directed by Akiva Schaffer and written by the writing team of Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, the film stars John Mulaney and Andy Samberg as the voices of the respective eponymous pair, alongside Will Arnett, Eric Bana, Flula Borg, Dennis Haysbert, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Tress MacNeille (reprising her role from the series), Tim Robinson, J. K. Simmons, and KiKi Layne co-starring in supporting roles, with the latter in a live-action role. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures in association with The Lonely Island (Schaffer and Samberg are two of the members of the group) and David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman's Mandeville Films, the film is set 30 years after their original show got cancelled due to a falling-out, and takes place in an alternate world where fictional and cartoon characters live alongside real humans. In the film, Chip and Dale attempt to reconcile their differences while investigating the mysterious trafficking of cartoons and the kidnapping of their friend and co-star Monterey Jack.

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 16, 2022, and was released in the United States on May 20, streaming on Disney+ as an original film. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, and won the award for Outstanding Television Movie at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Plot

In a world co-populated by real humans and fictional characters, two chipmunks named Chip and Dale meet in elementary school and become best friends. They later relocated to Hollywood and, after casting as extras in commercials and shows, went on to star in the successful television series Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers in the early 1990s. However, when Dale gets his own show, Double-O-Dale, a heated argument breaks out, causing them to fall out, which leads to both shows' cancellation.

Thirty years later, Chip is a successful but disillusioned insurance salesman while Dale spends most of his time on the fan convention circuit, having been put through CGI surgery. One night, the two are contacted by their former Rescue Rangers co-star Monterey Jack, who owes money to the criminal Valley Gang due to his stinky cheese addiction. Monty warns the pair of a trafficking operation where toons are abducted, have their appearances altered, and are shipped overseas to produce bootlegs of their works for the rest of their lives. Later that night, the two are informed that Monty has been kidnapped. They meet Police Captain Putty and Officer Ellie Steckler; the latter reveals herself to be a big Rescue Rangers fan, and with the police's hands tied, she suggests Chip and Dale investigate on their own.

Chip and Dale visit Bjornson the Cheesemonger, Monty's cheese dealer, and ask about the Valley Gang. They are taken to the uncanny valley part of town and meet the gang's head, Sweet Pete, a toon actor who played Peter Pan, now an adult, and his henchmen Bob and Jimmy. Thinking they are investigating his bootlegging business, Pete tries to capture the pair, but the chipmunks escape. The two later share their discoveries with Ellie, learning that she is shunned by Putty due to acting on a bad tip and raiding the Nick Jr. Channel studios with negative results.

With Ellie's help, the chipmunks sneak into a bathhouse to steal Pete's fitness tracker. They trace his movements to a dock warehouse, though it is already abandoned by the time the police arrive. Inside, they find a large operating machine designed to alter toons' bodies, along with several toon parts, including Monty's mustache.

At the police station, the pair argue over the loss of Monty and their past feud but smell the scent of Monty's cologne. Realizing either Putty or Ellie is working with Sweet Pete, the two flee the station. At the ongoing Fan Con, they try to convince Ugly Sonic to ask his FBI contacts for help, but Pete and his henchmen arrive, having tracked Dale using his social media posts. In the ongoing chase, Bob is restrained and arrested, but Chip is caught by Jimmy and taken to the warehouse. Ellie is also lured there by Putty, revealing he is part of the Valley Gang and has been covering for Pete, including giving Ellie the false Nick Jr. tip while Dale regrets getting Double-O-Dale in the first place.

Sweet Pete has Ellie call Dale to lure him to the warehouse, but Ellie sends a coded message using a Rescue Rangers episode. Dale realizes Ellie is in trouble and contacts former Rescue Rangers co-stars Gadget Hackwrench and Zipper, now married with children, for help. Dale enters the warehouse using a firework, which gets lodged into the machine and stops it before it can be used on Chip. The machine goes haywire, transforming Jimmy into a fairy and Pete into a giant amalgamation of various toons. While Ellie fights and defeats Putty, Pete chases Chip and Dale through the warehouse, revealing it to also be where the bootlegs are filmed. The chipmunks lure Pete to the docks and use a ploy from a Rescue Rangers episode to trap him.

The FBI, led by Ugly Sonic, arrives to arrest Sweet Pete and the Valley Gang. Sweet Pete fires a cannonball at Chip, but Dale takes the hit. Chip fears Dale is dead and apologizes for his behavior over the years, but Dale reveals he was protected by a golden pog Chip gave him. The chipmunks free all the bootlegged toons, including Monty, and Dale introduces the Rescue Rangers to Ellie, who decides to open her own detective agency, while Sweet Pete and the Valley Gang are arrested for their crimes. As the team departs, Dale convinces them to film a Rescue Rangers reboot, which is released to great success.