Alvin & The Chipmunks:

What it heaven's name am I doing watching this kid's flick, you might well be asking. Simple - Jason Lee - that's why. Be he Brodie, or Earl or any of his well known characters (even his not so well known supporting roles), he's just a joy to watch...that's why.

As for the flick itself, obviously it's kids stuff all over, but it's sad to see even a kid's film sporting so many huge plot holes. Only Dave seems to struggle to accept singing chipmunks, but the entire world is on board immediately.

Then of course, to be 'hip', they all end up getting sucked into the record industry and basically become hip hoppers ... *sigh* ... although I do like the (albeit simplified) arc of success, fame, industry corruption and ultimate redemption ... except with CGI chipmunks. Perhaps some kids will take home a valuable lesson, instead of aspiring to be the next paris hilton (who's not deserving of capital letters) ... speaking of whom, great to see the return of My Name Is Earl after the whole Writer's Strike hooplah, but why-oh-why did they have to include that whore-bag-skank-bitch in the episode? Yes, you could say they were taking the piss by just having her say that pathetic 'slogan' or 'catch phrase' of hers (two words is not a catchphrase, it's two fucking words) ... but still, pick someone else, or do a parody of her without actually using her, or her whore-bag-ridden name.

Why she's still being entertained by the media industry is beyond me, what we need is far more anti-paris stuff. I mean seriously, what has she brought the world? Being a whore with no talent who's only famous for shagging some douchebag in night vision ... meanwhile there's a slew of industry deaths at the moment, including the famous demise of Heath Ledger - a man of integrity, intelligence and acting skill that is seen all too rarely these days. A genuine artist who left behind iconic portrayals - such as in the absolutely superb Brokeback Mountain - so he has to be taken, by an accidental overdose as well, and that waste of oxygen hilton is still strutting around like she's awesome...

How the crap did I get here? Well it just goes to show what state 'the industry' is in at the moment, to some extent at least, and I guess that ties in with this Chipmunks movie. It just feels cheap and tacky, but I don't blame Lee for taking the role - he's the lead, he basically carries the whole human side of it entirely, he gets out there to a wider audience...I get it.

But hh yes, I will go all "in my day" now, because the sort of flicks I grew up watching were the likes of Ghostbusters, *batteries Not Included, Short Circuit, The Money Pit, Big ... all sorts of classic 80s greats. All family classics in fact, with wit, humour, morals and true entertainment.

By comparison - and looking at it objectively, rather than personally (I'll never be six years old again) - Alvin just doesn't have the balls of past family classics...that said, there are family flicks of recent years which equal the greatness of those from my childhood ... silver lining, eh?

Bit of a rant, but there you go.