I Can’t Believe I’m Reviewing “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,” but Here We Are

This film is stupidly funny and uses cameos the right way

Yes, I’m about to review Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers for you. No, I can’t believe it either, but here we are.

Turns out, last Friday night, I had too much Chinese food, so I decided to go to bed a bit later than usual and, to pass the time, I clicked on the silliest movie I could find. I had heard this film was around and that it was funny, so I thought I would keep it in the background while I did other stuff.

But then I was utterly surprised when I realized this is actually a witty, fast-paced action comedy that takes you on a nostalgia trip while making you smile.

I did not see this coming.

Marvel wishes it could do cameos like this.

If you take a little tour on Twitter, you’ll notice plenty of people praising this as a Who Framed Roger Rabbit? spiritual sequel. Also, they have been sharing their favorite moments of the film, and, most of the time, they involve a particular cameo they enjoyed. Since the movie is filled with surprises such as characters from DC, Nickelodeon, and, of course, Disney itself, there’s plenty to talk about.

However, if you think the film is nothing but a parade of characters popping here and there just for the fun of it, you would be mistaken. In reality, this silly film accomplishes something so many, Marvel included, fail to do: it uses cameos and pop culture references to enhance the story.

In this film, the cameos flow organically, and they either enrich the background — people are having a blast rewatching the movie and finding all the easter eggs — or they are part of the plot and help it move forward. As a result, there’s barely a pause for you to gasp and admire how cool the characters are.

Add to that, all of the different animation styles blend effortlessly with the live-action characters, helping you imagine how fun this alternate reality would be. Oh, sigh…

Let time do its thing.

Of course, it is too soon to declare this film the Who Framed Roger Rabbit? heir. We have to let time do its thing.

However, I hope filmmakers learn some lessons from this movie about how cameos should be used. Lately, they have become mostly a distraction that does little for the story beyond giving the audience a chance to scream, “That’s so cool!”

On the other hand, I think it’s excellent that this film not only does not take itself seriously but also makes it a point to constantly mocks the current state of the entertainment business, as well as some old fads.

There are still people who automatically dismiss animated films as not-good movies. To make things worst, this is a Disney flick, crowded with pop culture references. And yet, in an era in which we are flooded with new “content,” it has managed to unite plenty of viewers. It is breezy and entertaining and, above all, clearly made with a single idea in mind: “How can we make this story delightful, even if that implies making fun of ourselves?”

I, for one, find that concept refreshing.