Familiar faces with a digital makeover

Hollywood continues its tired milking of old television properties with Alvin and the Chipmunks, a slick updating of the musical-cartoon franchise created by Ross Bagdasarian Sr. in 1958. Remodeled over the years on television and recordings, the ’munks have been given a digital coat of paint this time out, but the movie doesn’t skimp — lasso those nostalgic parents! — on the memories of old.

Jason Lee (doing a perfect “Alvin. Alvin! Alvin!”) plays David Seville, a rejected songwriter who meets the mischievous Alvin, brainy Simon and pudgy Theodore, transplanted tree dwellers who have raided his kitchen. When he discovers their unique vocal harmonies, he’s off to a record executive (a delightfully despicable, movie-stealing David Cross), who whisks the trio away to exploit their talent for all it’s worth.

As fans of the television series know, Dave is the critters’ surrogate dad, and the film concerns his need to embrace that responsibility and save the boys from a showbiz life they’re too young for. The movie gets mileage out of the chestnuts The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) and Witch Doctor (you remember: “Oo-ee, oo-ah-ah, ting-tang, walla-walla, bing-bang”), its digs at the music industry and the cheap laughs of the big-beseeching-eye effect of Puss in Boots in the Shrek movies.

But, alas, its animated protagonists are egregiously eclipsed by the live-action characters. Despite its shout-outs to the holiday season, this is essentially airplane fodder, not a perennial. Don’t hold your breath waiting for the sequel.