Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers Had No Right Being That Good

When I first saw that trailer for Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers, I thought it would be… fine. I wasn’t much of a Disney Afternoon kid so it looked cute and that was about as much thought I put into it. Then, more details came out for the film. Peter Pan was the villain and it was actually Peter Pan as a washed-up actor running a bootleg mafia. There was a spin that the title characters were actually actors when Rescue Rangers was once a hit show. It seemed intriguing. Still, nothing about the movie grabbed me.

But then I woke up on the Friday morning the film was released to see two words trending online. They were two words I hoped I would never see again: Ugly Sonic. As I clicked on Twitter, the beast himself was waiting. There he was, the memeable first design of Sonic the Hedgehog from the live-action film which I love. He was one of the surprise cameos in the Chip ‘N Dale. I knew then I had to watch it.

And I’m so glad I did.

Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers was a delight from start to finish celebrating all eras of animation. Unlike Wreck-It Ralph 2 which was more of a long Disney promo, Chip ‘N Dale gives some love for properties from the Fleischer Studios era to DreamWorks, Mattel, and everything in between. Claymation is used in a fun way for one of the main characters. There are puppets in this world! Even some adult titles I would never expect like South Park and Rick and Morty snuck in there. Fondly poking fun at different eras (that Uncanny Valley joke had me screaming at the CATS), Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers created a unique world that feels like an updated version of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Meta the entire way through, the film tackled the nature of reboots and nostalgia. Jokes are aplenty in the movie from characters getting “the CGI update” or jabbing at pop stars covering theme songs. Taking these tropes, it turns the movie on its head enough to work in the frame of the world. They even use clichés to pivot around a surprise villain by leaning in to “it’s too obvious to be this person” and it works. Clichés and tropes are often used in reboots to get the audience to point and see ‘the thing’ from their childhood. In Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers, they use it well.

For the most part. There are some jokes that don’t fully land. Luckily, the movie is so fast-paced that it never lingers too long on the clunkers.

But leaning into the cameos is also one of my criticisms of the film. I’m not sure how rewatchable Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers is. Part of the joy the first time through is seeing what character would pop up or what franchise would get lovingly jabbed at. Now that I know what’s in the movie, I don’t think it would be strong on a second viewing. I’ve only looked back at a few scenes to spot the Easter eggs or cameos, but I can’t see rewatching the entire movie. The surprise factor is gone.

Part of the reason is I’m not sure how well it works as a Rescue Rangers movie. It’s important that the main characters stand out if someone is really experiencing them for the first time. Chip and Dale are likable leads. They do a good job building their friendship and detailing how the duo fell apart. Both are relatable. But they’re also the weakest part of the movie to me. It’s not bad by any means, but Chip and Dale’s story isn’t anything new. The strength of the film is the meta-commentary and playing with nostalgia. And for a Rescue Rangers movie, the five members of the Rescue Rangers are barely together. I honestly don’t know how fans would feel about this point. I feel like fans of the original series will either love the new take or dislike it.

I do wish they cut a joke or two and put a touch more emphasis on the characters’ relationships. They were missing that extra something to really make it work. The most important part of the story, being Chip and Dale, fell a little flat.

Still, Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers was a fun, fast, and enjoyable ride. I laughed out loud so much and really had a great time watching it. While celebrating all forms of animation (and poking fun at it too), it was a good time. It’s definitely a surprise that I would have never expected.

And I only have Ugly Sonic to thank for it.