Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Like the first movie, this one also is a quite nice family-friendly movie about cute stuff and how families and friends should support each other. The main theme is "highschool comedy", with all the many tropes you're used from highschool movies, but of course silliness instead of horny teenagers. :-D When it comes to humor and dancing, it's very close to the first movie, which I consider good. It does have some advantages over the first movie, though: - Theodor: Alvin finds other people at school that he wants to interact with, causing a rift between him and his family, especially him and Simon. Theodor, in this way, basically acts as the "child in between arguing parents", and he does so in a very emotional way that makes you really care for him. But Alvin's and Simon's role are also really well-displayed. Thus the movie teaches much of responsibility towards family and friends and how you have to find the people you really belong to. - The Chipettes: The biggest addition to the movie, the boys' counterpart, and I'd lie if I'd say their cuteness does not influence how much I like this movie. But seriously: The Chipettes are a really cute addition in behavior and looks. Like the boys, their models and fur look lovely, and damn, their dancing is animated SO smooth and impressive. Adding them in this movies especially fits really nice as the whole "boys vs. girls" thing fits well into the highschool setting. While the Chipettes start off as mere fangirls of the boys, they quickly develop their own personality, show the familiar "supporting each other" the boys, as of the beginning of the movie, still lack. In addition: Great compliments to whoever designed their costumes, because they look great! Once the movie turns from a highschool comedy to something a little more serious with dangers and chases through the city, the full strength of the Chipmunks and Chipettes constellation is shown and makes for a fun and enjoyable second half or last third. The only things I did not like: - Toby Seville, the human main character is...not really important. A very cheap stereotype of a "good for nothing" gamer that only gets character development in the very last bits at all and could've easily be ignored in the movie completely. - The typical highschool bully which plays an elementary role in the story, but is over-the-top asshole and can be exhausting in some moments. -- Like the first movie, a nice family movie about supporting your friends and family with the Chipettes as a great addition.