Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is a 2022 American live-action/animated action-adventure comedy film based on the characters Chip 'n' 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 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 accidentally 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.
Cast
John Mulaney as the voice of Chip, a chipmunk and the once-heroic, intelligent, unflappable leader and co-founder of the Rescue Rangers who upheld a strong moral standard and now works as a risk-averse and bitter insurance salesman. Tress MacNeille briefly provides the voice acting for Chip's chipmunk voice (credited as "high-pitch Chip"), reprising her role from the original series. Mason Blomberg voices Chip as a child during the film's prologue. Andy Samberg as the voice of Dale, a chipmunk and Chip's fun-loving former best friend and co-founder of the Rescue Rangers, who possesses an impulsive mindset and now makes a living with fan convention appearances. Dale's present-day appearance is depicted with photorealistic computer-animation, unlike the cel-shaded animation of his former teammates; this was explained in-universe as "getting CGI surgery," an equivalent to plastic surgery. Corey Burton briefly provides the voice acting for Dale's chipmunk voice (credited as "high-pitch Dale"), reprising his role from the original series. Juliet Donenfeld voices Dale as a child during the film's prologue. Will Arnett as the voice of Sweet Pete, the toon actor who played Peter Pan, being now a middle aged man with a Bobby Cannavale-esque voice who founded the Valley Gang after being fired due to his age. Archival recordings of Betty Lou Gerson as Cruella de Vil were used for the chimeric Sweet Pete's laughter. Eric Bana as the voice of Monterey Jack, a cheese-loving Australian mouse and a member of the Rescue Rangers. The character was originally voiced by Peter Cullen in season one of the original series and by Jim Cummings in season two of the original series. Flula Borg as the voice of DJ Herzogenaurach, a snake DJ who is a fan of Chip and Dale and encounters them in a bathhouse. Dennis Haysbert as the voice of Zipper, a housefly and member of the Rescue Rangers. He and Gadget eventually got married and had hybrid children after the show's cancellation while also speaking English. Corey Burton also provides Zipper's unintelligible buzzing sounds from the original series. Keegan-Michael Key as the voices of: Bjornson the Cheesemonger, a CGI Swedish Chef-esque cheesemonger and member of the Valley Gang. A frog co-worker of Chip. Tress MacNeille as the voice of Gadget Hackwrench, an inventive mouse and member of the Rescue Rangers. She and Zipper eventually got married and had hybrid kids after the show's cancellation. MacNeille reprises her role from the original series. Tim Robinson as the voice of Ugly Sonic, a version of Sonic the Hedgehog who appears in his scrapped original design from the 2020 feature film adaptation. Seth Rogen as the voices of: Bob, a motion-capture Viking dwarf and member of the Valley Gang. Bob is loosely based on the motion-capture characters of various motion-capture films such as The Polar Express and Beowulf. Pumbaa from the 2019 version of The Lion King Master Mantis from the Kung Fu Panda franchise B.O.B. from the Monsters vs. Aliens franchise. J. K. Simmons as Captain S. Putty, a Gumby-esque stop-motion claymation police captain who is investigating the missing toon cases, but is later revealed to be part of the Valley Gang. KiKi Layne as Ellie Steckler, a rookie LAPD police officer and lifelong fangirl of the Rescue Rangers.
Additionally, Da'Vone McDonald voices Jimmy, a CGI polar bear and member of the Valley Gang. Director Akiva Schaffer alluded Jimmy's appearance to the Coca-Cola polar bear. Schaffer provides voices for numerous minor roles including E.T. from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Mr. Natural while also appearing in live-action as the director of the original show. Rachel Bloom voices Flounder from the 1989 version of The Little Mermaid, Cubby of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan (1953), Chip's mom, and a bootleg Bart Simpson, among other characters. Liz Cackowski voices Tigra, who is modeled after her appearance in The Avengers: United They Stand, Officer O'Hara, and a cartoon cow who strongly resembles Clarabelle Cow. Despite not reprising Monterey Jack in the film, Jim Cummings reprises his roles as Fat Cat from the original series, the Shredder's "right arm" from the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, Pete, and Darkwing Duck, in addition to voicing bootleg versions of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. Chris Parnell appears as Dave Bollinari, Dale's agent. Jeff Bennett voices Lumière from the 1991 version of Beauty and the Beast. Steven Curtis Chapman voices Baloo from the 2016 version of The Jungle Book who Jimmy meets. Jorma Taccone voices the DC Extended Universe version of Bruce Wayne / Batman along with other minor roles. Jean Gilpin voices Chip's neighbor Mrs. House. Alan Oppenheimer voices both He-Man and Skeletor (reprising his role as the latter) from the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Charles Fleischer reprises his role as Roger Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, as well as the character's first animated appearance since the 1993 short Trail Mix-Up. Original Rescue Rangers co-creator Tad Stones cameos as the voice of a studio executive. David Tennant reprises his role as Scrooge McDuck from the 2017 version of DuckTales. Paula Abdul appears as a de-aged version of herself, alongside MC Skat Kat from her video for "Opposites Attract", and also voices the 3-D reporter modeled after her. Paul Rudd appears in a live-action cameo as himself.
In the spirit of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the film features numerous cameo appearances of other animated characters from within the Disney catalogue and other third-party properties that appear without dialogue:
Among the Disney characters include the Three Little Pigs, the Magic Carpet from Aladdin (1992), the Colonel from One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), Linda Flynn-Fletcher from Phineas and Ferb, Doc McStuffins, Wynnchel and Duncan from Wreck-It Ralph, and Professor Norton Nimnul, Wart, and Mepps from the original series.