My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses: Chip and Dale - The Two Disney Chipmunks Who`s Become Iconic in Disney History and Starred in Their Own Movie

Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.

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With the release of Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers (the movie), it`s a perfect synergy to write about the titular duo that their movie is based on. And I apologize if this assessment comes across as spiteful towards the makers of this film, but I still wanted to convey my opinion.

Yes, this ladybug wanted to replace
my nose, but wasn`t big enough :)

Yes, even chipmunks can be
guides to Hollyood :) Belive it or
not :)

We wanted to be Popeye, but
he didn`t let us use his
costume, so we had to make
our own :)

If you think about the kind of animals who`s often been used in animation, chipmunks and squirrels are among the first to come to mind. Mainly because of being cute, accessible and easy to do. And Disney has never been a stranger to use both squirrels and cute animals. But regarding the famous squad of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Company, there`s been a couple of characters who are among this gang. But having overall received less recognition than their counterparts. And those are Chip and Dale. Regardless of this staple, Chip and Dale have still managed to become one of Disney`s most recognizable characters and icons through many years.

Don`t get used to this
collaboration :) When it`s get
open, we`ll fight about it :)

Yet what Chip and Dale shares in common with that gang is how they simply originate from shorts and series. But until 2022, they`ve never been movie characters. And just like Mickey and co, Chip and Dale originated from Walt`s time and have been synonymous with his time. But they`ve also been timeless enough to be transferred to modern time. As for their Anniversary, they happened to turned 80 in 2023 year. But due to the release of Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers in May 2022, it would be relevant to tie this entry to this issue.

General Information About Chip and Dale

Hey, you`re not
Daisy :)

Chip and Dale are essentially two brothers who`s basically yin and yang (despite not being twins). Defined by the goofy, fun-loving Dale and his prissy, strict counterpart Chip (who`s essentially smarter and more cunning). Despite how ironically both of them are mischevious, the conflicts and situations usually come from their different characters. But most of their shorts comes from their mischevious situations of mocking their aforementioned counterparts. Where Donald and Pluto are often the antagonists (despite how they`re not always starting the conflict). But their cartoon nature has made them flexible enough to be switched to different locations/settings. But despite acting somewhat semi-anthrophomorphic, they`re still more naturalisitic than their counterparts.

Don`t get smitten,
it`s filled with our
germs :)

Chip and Dale were drawn by Bill Justice and first introduced in the 1943 Pluto short Private Pluto (directed by Clyde Geronimi). Three years later, director Jack Hannah decided to use them in Donald Duck shorts (with more personality). But because they just squeaked with a speeded-up soundtrack with no words. So they decided to put words into their mouths but speed 'em up so you could just barely understand them. While originally having the same personality, Bill Peet suggested to make them different. Their names is a pun on the name of the 18th-century cabinet maker/furniture designer Thomas Chippendale, suggested by storyartist Bill "Tex" Henson. Originally their names was spelled with an ‘a’ in the middle, but it was soon changed to the familiar ‘n’.

It`s our version
without Michael
Symon :)

However, it was in 1947 the chipmunks got their breakthrough in the self-titled short, Chip an' Dale. They were given their own shorts in the 1950s, but only three under their name: Chicken in the Rough (1951), Two Chips and a Miss (1952) and The Lone Chipmunks (1954). Their very last one was Chips Ahoy (1956). They`ve appeared in 17 shorts as foils of Donald Duck between 1948 and 1956, responsible by Jack Hannah. Their shorts were constantly put on the Disneyland TV Show, so they remained in the spotlight. While Dale’s nose was red in the title card of Chip an' Dale, his nose was made black until Three for Breakfast.

Don`t think that you
can melt me with
that look :)

Their voices were mostly done by Jimmy MacDonald, Dessie (Flynn) Miller, and Helen Silbert. The earliest voices were done by female office staff, without credit. In the shorts that followed, many of these sound clips were used again. But since 1989, the duo`s been voiced by Tress MacNeille and Corey Burton respectively (MacNeille in both in Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse). The duo was nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the Oscars trice: Squatter's Rights (1946, against Mickey and Pluto), Chip an' Dale and Toy Tinkers (1949, against Donald Duck).

Chip and Dale TV Series

It`s without Bucky from The
Emperor`s New Groove :)

But despite originating from shorts, Chip and Dale have been in various cameos in Disney. But they`ve also been synonymous with something else than their shorts, as their series. Currently they`re starring in Chip`n Dale Nutty Tales (2017), a CGI series that`s a spinoff Mickey and the Roadster Racers. They`ve also been in the Disney Plus Streaming Series Chip 'n' Dale: Park Life (2021), a non-verbal show (where their love interest Clarice is a part). But of course their most relevant and remembered show is Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers show. Created by Tad Stones and Alan Zaslove, it premiered on Disney Channel March 4, 1989, after the preview episode Catteries Not Included aired August 27, 1988. On September 18, 1989, the series finally aired afternoons with DuckTales and TaleSpin on Fox before transferring to a new channel. Disney invested $28 million in Rangers.

Yeah, I find you to be a strange
sight :) Get used to it :)

Rescue Rangers introduced our duo with a timely, new setting (living in a tree in a park) and three new pals: Female mouse inventor Gadget Hackwrench (voiced by Tress MacNeille), muscular adventuring Australian mouse Monterey "Monty" Jack (voiced by Peter Cullen and Jim Cummings), and Zipper the fly. The villains are Mafia-style tabby cat Fat Cat (also voiced by Jim Cummings) and his gang. And mad scientist Norton Nimnul. Chip and Dale are more anthrophomorphic than before. Like Indiana Jones, Chip wears a fedora and a bomber jacket and uses a rope to lasso or swing to other spots. Dale wears a red and yellow Hawaiian shirt like of Thomas Magnum in Magnum, P.I.

Yes, Gagdet`s car doesn`t fly.
It rather catches us with it`s
gagdet :)

Originally the show was about a mouse named Kit Colby, based on Indiana Jones called Metro Mice. When Stones proposed the show to the executives, it was well received except for Kit. Michael Eisner suggested the chipmunk duo to give time to some established characters (and also to not tarnish Mickey or Goofy). Stones pitched a TV show based on The Rescuers, but Disney rejected it as the sequel was made. The rest of the team had a chameleon, another version of Gadget and a character resembling Monty with a different name. As for the reputation and reception of Rescue Rangers, it`s overall been a good one. It was rated as #1 syndicated cartoon for the first season. Nominated at the 17th Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program. IGN named it 60th-best in the Top 100 Animated TV Shows.

Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers (The Movie)

Yes, what`s a Mermaid
technically is :)

But as for the purpose of this entry, Chip and Dale starred in one of the most peculiar movies made from Disney lately. Peculiar in that sense that it`s been remarkably self-referential and meta (which was a conscious choice). And also a product that is essentially second-rate in various ways (sorry creators, but that`s essentially how this movie is). Released May 20th, 2022 on Disney Plus, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers is a movie in the same vein as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Space Jam A New Legacy. Such an angle is somewhat weird, as it paints the illusion of how their Rescue Rangers show was a bigger sensation than it was (it was originally titled The Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers Reboot That Nobody Asked For).

I come straight out of Sponge
Bob`s World :)

But it`s also irreverent due to how it pokes fun the transition between
CGI and hand drawn. And Disney`s brand with their past and recent trends (with the live action renditions of their beloved characters). But it also pokes fun of non-Disney content and brands, as even the new rendition of Sonic gets a cameo, as the director "wanted the film to be a love letter to of animation". But these non-Disney companies gave Disney legal permission to use their characters in their film (and one artists who worked on Roger Rabbit animated him for Rangers).

Yes, a mouse can grab two
chipmunks :) Don`t get
surprised :)

It took eight years before this project was announced and until it graced the screen. And it was supposed to be like Alvin & the Chipmunks movies. Originally being a origin story for the Rangers, it was rather influenced by buddy cop films as Lethal Weapon. John Mulaney is Chip and Andy Samberg is Dale (with Tress MacNeille and Corey Burton providing their chipmunk voices). Eric Bana is Monterey Jack and Dennis Haysbert as Zipper.

Yes, I`ll get careful, so I`ll
don`t burn everything around
me :)

What makes it all more meta is how our two leads are given different styles. Chip is handdrawn, Dale is CGI (which was planned from the get-go). But Dale is designed in a way that he doesn`t resemble himself. But following its trailer, Rangers was first met with negativity. For the villain, they played that child actors who weren`t able to act as adults. But with no intent to mock of any specific actor. They wanted an adult Charlie Brown, but ended up with Peter Pan (for licensing). But yeah, critics and users have ranted about this blasphemic choice towards his voice actor, Bobby Driscoll.

Don`t worry, this is going to
be a safe ride :)

So yeah, Rangers is moslty a second tier-product in a low budget. And the movie looked like it was going to fail tremendously. But while the reactions have been mixed from fans, it still received positive reviews. But is it really horrible? Well, as for my opinion, it could`ve been worse. Still, the meta-angle doesn`t really work. As it`s contrived, cheaply done and therefore doesn`t truly reasonate. Which doesn`t make it a honorable mockery overall. And again, I do apologize my statements towards those who worked on this movie. But that`s how I feel.

Epilogue

Yes, I wanted to shine without
Dale :)

At the end, Chip and Dale are two iconic, unforgettable and recognizable characters in Disney`s evergrowing pantehon of characters and are often associated with the studio`s great legacy. Whether they should be regarded as either being belonging to Walt`s era or his post-era, is another case. However, it`s still a pity that they`ve been given a low budget movie who`s not worthy to their legacy. Despite this, this duo are so iconic that we should hope that their legacy will outlive the lackluster movie that they`ve been given. But to those who liked the movie, at least there`s nothing wrong with liking it.

You`re so stupid, Dale.
Because of your pushing,
we`re losing the nuts.
Dumbass :)

As for my own overall experience with Chip and Dale, I happened to like them when I was a toddler. My introduction to them was through both Rescue Rangers and their shorts. Which I both liked as a kid. But Dale used to be my favorite for obvious reasons (for being more fun and accessible). While my fascination for them was bigger as a toddler, I never disliked them afterwards. Still, Chip and Dale are honorable and cherished characters who most likely will live on forever, regardless of what`s been given to them. And considering they`ve now reached their 80th Anniversary, it`s hard to believe that they`ve stayed with us that long.