Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel, poignant and bloody in equal measures, is the cinematic U-turn you didn’t know you needed. With this new film, the Alvin series has established itself as a masterpiece in two acts—separate but parallel, like cracked mirrors.
Alvin and the Chipmunks 1, as everyone knows, follows a quirky group of anthropomorphized rodentia through a move to Los Angeles and an ascension to stardom that is rife with hilarity.
The second film, however, focuses less on this wacky group of chipmunks and more on the evil that festers beneath the surface of humanity. Like all great surrealist second acts, it follows a completely different plot: that of a small town plagued ceaselessly by a soulless, razor-toothed alien clown intent on tearing humanity limb from limb.
And the plot of the “Squeakquel” isn’t the only thing to take a turn. The first film’s protagonists—a shrill-voiced little gang of rat boys—are inexplicably replaced by a ragtag group of traumatized Maine natives.
The darkness and poignancy of this story is refreshing, but entirely unexpected. It seems that the Alvin 2 marketing team took measures to ensure that the film’s twist would be a surprise, withholding casting information and honest reviews. The cheesy, goofy trailers do not prepare audiences for, for example, the scene in which thousands of red balloons seep like a bloodstain through the air, parting to reveal a laughing clown committing murder.
This unexplained shift is clearly reminiscent of the greats of surrealist theater and film—Caryl Churchill, for one. It’s admirable that director Andrés Muscheietti recognizes the degree to which his audience has grown since the first film, that they are mature enough to handle something new and gory.
All in all, it (Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel) is a must-see. Leave the kids at home for this one.
Eva Buckner is a senior and the ECHO’s opinions editor and columnist. Outside of writing, she babysits and plays volleyball. She is also the vice president of East’s March For Our Lives chapter, and president of LitCon. Eva can be contacted at evahelenbuckner@gmail.com.
