Disney Plus released the first teaser trailer for its upcoming Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers movie and, right out of the gate, it was decidedly not what fans were expecting — but in the best way possible.
Because “nobody wants a reboot,” the film picks up 30 years after the commercial success of the duo’s syndicated Disney Channel series. The titular chipmunks are now living amongst cartoons and humans in modern-day Los Angeles, where the level-headed Chip works as an insurance salesman, while Dale still clings to his glory days by undergoing a CGI “surgery” to stay relevant in a computer-generated modern world.
However, when a former castmate mysteriously disappears (believed to be Gadget, based on her lack of appearance in the teaser), Chip and Dale “must repair their broken friendship and take on their Rescue Rangers detective personas once again to save their friend’s life.”
The film is already being compared to Who Framed Roger Rabbit — who likewise makes an appearance in the trailer — for blending live-action and animation, while also pulling in various animated characters from outside the Rescue Rangers universe, such as Scrooge McDuck, Aladdin, and even what appear to be some felines from 2019’s maligned musical Cats.
But what really clinches Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is the outstanding voice cast, which features the all-star comedic talents of Seth Rogen, Tim Robinson, Will Arnett, KiKi Layne, and, of course, John Mulaney and Andy Samberg as Chip and Dale. As soon as the trailer dropped, fans took to Twitter to express their excitement.
Anime News Network editor Mike Toole evoked Netflix’s musical comedy special John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch to celebrate.
“We’re entering the John Mulaney and Andy Samberg era, I’m so excited, I can’t wait for this,” tweeted one Mulaney fan.
Another fan spoke for all of us, tweeting that a “modern Roger Rabbit” is not what they expected the film to be.
One user unearthed a clip of Mulaney to explain the wild premise of the movie.
We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what Gadget is up to, and whether conservatives will have a meltdown if animators give the character a redesign, when Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers premieres on May 20, 2022, exclusively on Disney Plus.
