Alvin and the Chipmunks

If the idea of Alvin and his chirruping chipmunks friends sounds familiar, it should: the sped-up, squeaky voices of the cartoon creatures have been irritating audiences since the ’50s smash hit ‘The Chipmunk Song’. This live action version sees the computer-generated furry trio Alvin, Simon and Theodore wind up in LA when their tree is felled for Christmas. Not so much innocents abroad as sussed little mammals who speak like urban teens, they become the toast of the town thanks to their vocal talents. The musical numbers are initially appealing – think close harmonies and smart foot stepping to the likes of ‘Funkytown’ – but the novelty is likely to wear thin for adults when the ’munks get kitted out as a street boy band. Jason Lee pratfalls away amusingly enough as the songwriter who becomes the boys’ reluctant father figure, and his wry approach lends an edge to some of the script’s wittier moments. But the story’s downhill slide into a hypocritical rant about commerce and the music industry does it no favours.