To the surprise of absolutely no one, Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers arrived on Disney+ in May 2022 and became an instant hit with those who grew up watching the show on which the hilarious animation/live-action hybrid was based, as well as young audiences (even if they didn’t pick up on all the jokes). I know this because this was the case in my household: my wife and I loved all the jokes, pop culture references, and abundance of amazing Easter Eggs, and my kids loved the visuals, story, and of course, Ugly Sonic (who was admittedly loved by everyone in my family).
And, after the credits rolled, I immediately started to think about movies like Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers that I would like to watch again or introduce to my kids. So, I started to put together a list of titles and began figuring out how I could watch them, and ended up coming up with a fairly remarkable list of movies that feature certain elements of the new Disney+ movie that I enjoyed so much. Here are a few of those now…
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (Disney+)
Private eye Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), who’s no fan of cartoons or their zany characters, reluctantly takes on a job to trail Jessica Rabbit (Kathleen Turner), who is rumored to be sleeping around on her husband, Roger Rabbit (Charles Fleischer). But when Jessica’s alleged lover winds up murdered, the grumpy detective is stuck trying to protect the cartoon star from being brought up on false charges.
Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 groundbreaking live-action/animation hybrid movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was the first movie that came to mind when I heard about Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers, and it’s not because the titular character is in the new movie’s trailer. It more has to do with the presence of all those third-party cartoon characters featured throughout the movie, as well as its incredible sense of humor.
Stream Who Framed Roger Rabbit on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Who Framed Roger Rabbit on Amazon.
The Lego Movie (Amazon Rental)
Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) is just a normal, everyday Lego figure who is the opposite of what you would call special. But that all changes when the nondescript construction worker becomes attached to the Piece of Resistance, a powerful Lego brick that could save the world from Lord Business (Will Ferrell) and his destructive “Kragile” super weapon.
Written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, The Lego Movie was one of the biggest surprises of the 2014 box office, but after watching the animated film it’s easy to see why it resonated with audiences of all ages. It has that same blend of self-referential humor and dazzling animation as Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, and also features an incredibly catchy song (“Everything is Awesome) written by The Lonely Island, whose members include Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone.
Rent/Buy The Lego Movie on Amazon.
Wreck-It Ralph (Disney+)
After years of always being the bad guy in the Fix-It Felix video game, Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) goes on a one-villain mission to become the hero of his own story and change the digital world’s perception of what it means to be a good guy. But, in doing so, he opens the door for an even bigger and badder nemesis to take over.
Wreck-It Ralph has a lot of similarities with Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, including an abundance of characters from multiple franchises (video games instead of cartoons, in this case), a fun and upbeat story adults and kids will both enjoy, and an incredible message about second chances and rising to the occasion.
Stream Wreck-It Ralph on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Wreck-It Ralph on Amazon.
Last Action Hero (Netflix)
There is no bigger fan of hero cop Jack Slater (Arnold Schwarzenegger) than Danny Madigan (Austin O’Brien), a young boy who obsessively watches all his new movies. After being presented with a magical ticket, Danny finds himself in the middle of the action in Jack Slater IV, right next to his longtime hero. However, just as Danny entered the fictional world, its characters, including the villainous Benedict (Charles Dance) can enter his world as well.
Is Last Action Hero a great movie? That depends on your taste. Is it a fun movie? You bet! John McTiernan’s hilarious and action-packed 1993 meta comedy about big-budget blockbusters is fully aware of itself, which only adds to its charm. Like the story told in Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, it’s heavy-handed, outrageously silly, and never takes itself too seriously.
Stream Last Action Hero on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Last Action Hero on Amazon.
Space Jam (1996)
A greedy alien theme park owner makes a plan to kidnap Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes gang to use as his new attraction, but will back off if the iconic cartoon characters can defeat his all-star team known as The Monstars (who have the stolen talent of the NBA’s brightest stars). Just when it looks like all hope is lost, though, Bugs comes up with a plan that involves getting Michael Jordan to come out of retirement.
Although not the best movie to feature live-action and animated characters together, Joe Pytka’s 1996 smash hit, Space Jam, is still a lot of fun, and not just for kids of the ‘90s. It’s not as wild or expansive as Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, but is loaded with pop culture references and heart, unlike its 2021 sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy.
Stream Space Jam on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Space Jam on Amazon.
Sonic The Hedgehog (Paramount+)
Years after being magically transported to Earth from a distant planet, Sonic the Hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) finds himself on the run from the diabolical mad scientist Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), who wants to use his power to take over the world.
If you are like me and can’t get enough of “Ugly Sonic” in Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, why not give Sonic the Hedgehog a spin (no pun intended). The version in the new Disney+ movie is a spoof of the original model revealed in the Sonic trailer back in 2019. You know, the one that was met by fan backlash and resulted in the movie being delayed.
Stream Sonic the Hedgehog on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Sonic the Hedgehog on Amazon.
Also try Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on Paramount+.
Shrek (Prime Video)
In an attempt to get rid of all the fairy tale characters that have been forced to live in his swamp, Shrek (Mike Myers) strikes a deal with Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) to find and rescue the villain’s bride-to-be, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). Accompanied by a tenacious (and annoying) donkey (Eddie Murphy), this ogre becomes the most unlikely of heroes.
Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson’s fairy-tale inspired 2001 animated comedy broke new ground upon release and proved to be a hit with audiences of all ages. The humor, which pokes fun at everything from classic folk tales to modern film franchises helped usher in a new era of meta humor in animated movies.
Stream Shrek on Prime Video.
Rent/buy Shrek on Amazon.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu (Amazon Rental)
After his police detective father goes missing, Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) teams up with his dad’s old partner, Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) to get to the bottom of his disappearance in the chaotic Ryme City, a place where humans and Pokémon live in harmony.
Like Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Rob Letterman’s Pokémon Detective Pikachu has an incredibly heartfelt story tucked behind all the pop culture references, comedic banter, and dazzling visuals. The 2019 action-comedy also happens to be one of the best video game movies in recent memory.
Rent/Buy Pokémon Detective Pikachu on Amazon.
The Mask (Amazon Rental)
Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) is a down-on-his-luck bank clerk with not much going on in his life, but his fortunes are changed when he comes into possession of a mysterious mask that turns him into a living, breathing cartoon character.
Chuck Russell’s The Mask, which was released in the middle of Carrey’s ridiculously successful 1994 box office run (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber also came out that year) perfectly blends the chaos of old cartoons and crime serials with live-action drama, creating a unique cinematic experience that is fun from top to bottom. And, it still remains one of Carrey’s best movies.
Chip ’N Dale: Rescue Rangers (The Original Series) (Disney+)
And then there is the original Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers animated series that followed the titular chipmunks as they start their very own detective agency alongside their friends Gadget Hackwrench, Monterey Jack, and Zipper. Over the course of three seasons, the fearless group went up against iconic villains like Fat Cat, Professor Norton Nimnul, and Rat Capone.
If you were interested in all the references for the show throughout the new Disney+ movie, then you should jump on in and give Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers a shot.
Stream Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers on Disney+.
Buy Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers on Amazon.
Hopefully, all of this helps you put together a nice marathon of titles to watch after watching Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, the newest film that will be added to the list of the best Disney+ movies so far before long.
