---
title: "Alvin and the Chipmunks: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/alvin-and-the-chipmunks/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/alvin-and-the-chipmunks"
critics_score: 42
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007): what the critics said

Critics' score 42 from 7 reviews: 0 positive, 4 mixed, 3 negative.

The reviews lean towards disappointment, with none offering a clearly positive verdict. Most critics find Alvin and the Chipmunks thin or bland, though several allow that its cuteness and physical comedy provide occasional amusement, particularly for children. Praise is scattered rather than concentrated on any performance: the effects earn some approval, as does the absence of knowing irony. The more forgiving assessments treat it as inoffensive entertainment whose small pleasures cannot sustain a feature.

Reservations centre on the slight, familiar story, with complaints about static compositions and an underwritten romantic subplot. The music divides opinion: Empire enjoys the musical numbers, while Eye for Film finds the songs forgettable. The squeaky voices are a sharper obstacle for some, especially The Guardian, which also condemns the dialogue. The spread runs from qualified tolerance to outright hostility, with little evidence of enthusiasm even among the less severe reviews.

## Screen Daily — Brent Simon

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2007. 

The visible excerpt emphasizes the chipmunks’ long-standing appeal but does not reveal the critic’s overall verdict. It singles out their high-pitched harmonies and mischievous antics as defining features.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/alvin-and-the-chipmunks/4036282.article)

## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez

Rating 2/4. 9 December 2007. 

Gonzalez finds the film humdrum but intermittently cute, and says it feels surprisingly sophisticated after The Golden Compass. He praises its occasional cuteness but criticizes the static compositions and the strain they place on the human actors.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/alvin-and-the-chipmunks/)

## The AV Club — Keith Phipps

Rating C-. 13 December 2007. 

Phipps finds the film inoffensive but too thin to sustain a feature. He praises its freedom from the post-Shrek irony common in children’s films, while faulting the manic Chipmunks for wearing out their welcome.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-1798203527)

## Time Out — Anna Smith

Rating 2/5. 17 December 2007. 

The two-star rating indicates a negative verdict. The page description singles out the familiar, irritating squeaky voices.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/alvin-and-the-chipmunks)

## Empire — Anna Smith

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 4 July 2007. 

Smith finds the film intermittently amusing for children but ultimately overlong and underplotted. She praises the chipmunks’ musical numbers and cute physical comedy, while criticizing the familiar story and its bland sermon about commercialism.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/alvin-chipmunks-review/)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2007. 

Bradshaw gives the film a scathing verdict, calling it thoroughly brain-dead. He especially condemns the chipmunks’ electronic voices and dismal lines.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/dec/21/comedy.family)

## Eye for Film — Tony Sullivan

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2008. 

Sullivan finds the film average, bland and inoffensive, with only occasional funny moments for adults. He praises the convincing CGI and physical effects, while criticizing the underwritten romantic subplot and forgettable songs.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-film-review-by-tony-sullivan)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/alvin-and-the-chipmunks.md