Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Year: 2022
Rating: PG
Length: 97 minutes / 1.61 hours
Nostalgia can be tricky to balance. There’s nostalgia that feels pandering, even to the demographic it’s aimed at. Then there’s nostalgia that’s so meta that only those deep scholars of the source material would get the inside jokes. As a Millennial, I found Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) scratched an itch for balanced nostalgia I didn’t even know I had. It’s a shame that Disney tossed it onto Disney+ instead of getting a wider theatrical release because the comedy in this movie was top-notch.
This movie was so smartly written that I laughed out loud more often than not. All the brief references it hid in plain view, but without drawing a cringey, eye-winking nod to it, was a welcome change to how most movies handle nostalgia reboots. Even modern references like Ugly Sonic were hilarious, mostly because they “went there.” Of course, the movie still brought attention to it via the meta examination of nostalgia references, which somehow made it OK. I think they could have perhaps done a little better at the roto-scoped/cel-shaded style of some characters, but perhaps it was the easiest way to get this movie out into the world.
I grew up watching the Chip ‘n Dale show on TV, so I was already familiar with the dynamic of the characters. What this film didn’t prepare me for was the meta-analysis of a world similar to Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) where animated B-list television stars try to remain relevant through the changing times. This film really hits the nail on the head by critiquing the child star meat grinder—as well as Hollywood’s incessant desire to use endless nostalgia to reboot properties—all while still being appropriate for children.
A hilarious meta-analysis of nostalgia and reboots, I give Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers 4.5 stars out of 5.
1/2
