Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers Director Isn't Ready To Reveal How That Hilarious Cameo Happened
Every so often, the movie gods give us a gift so wonderful, it forces us to rethink our entire existence and ponder whether or not we are worthy of such a generous blessing. Never do I ever want to go to bat for a multi-billion dollar corporation, but damn it, Disney did something truly remarkable with "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers." The hilariously adorable reimagining shows our chipmunk heroes tasked with solving an animated mystery, not unlike the cases they cracked on the TV show of the same name in the late 80s and early 90s. You see, Chip and Dale weren't actually detectives, they just played them on TV.
Now, 30 years later, Chip (John Mulaney) and Dale (Andy Samberg) must reunite to figure out what happened to their ol' pal Monterey Jack (Eric Bana) and put an end to the villainy plaguing the world of animation. After their eponymous series ended, Chip and Dale left to pursue incredibly different lives. Chip grew up to become an insurance salesman with no friends other than a real-life dog that's the size of his house, and Dale makes ends meet by doing convention appearances and failing to nab new acting jobs. He's become a regular at the convention circuit, which includes other so-called has-beens ... like Ugly Sonic. Yes, that Ugly Sonic.
Ugly Sonic lives!
Ugly Sonic (voiced by Tim Robinson) popping up as a cameo is one of those moments so ridiculously unimaginable, I'm starting to think that a soul was sold or at the very least, someone's first born, in order to convince Paramount to allow what is quite possibly their biggest PR blunder in decades, an on-screen chance for further ridicule. We asked director Akiva Schaffer how they pulled it off, and just like the lick count to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, the world may never know the true answer. Schaffer said:
"We don't talk about that here. Let me answer that with, the legal team at Disney really just embraced what this movie was going for. And they had to probably work harder on this movie than all their other movies put together, is my guess, in terms of billable hours or however they do it. The amount of hours this movie must have set them back compared to every other movie must have been — I can't even imagine. They really are the heroes of this movie, that department. I direct all questions like that to them, but I could say that, well, yeah, I think I really have to leave it at that."
So sorry to be the bearer of, well, no news, but trying to find out how Disney got their hands on the permissions for Ugly Sonic is one dream that will stay a wish our hearts make, at least for now.
"Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers" is streaming on Disney+ now.