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Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (TV series)

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This article is about the TV series. For the 2022 film, see Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (film).

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Genre
Created by
Based onChip 'n' Dale
by Bill Justice
Directed by
  • John Kimball
  • Bob Zamboni
  • Rick Leon
  • Jamie Mitchell
Voices of
Theme music composerMark Mueller
Opening theme"Rescue Rangers Theme" by Jeff Pescetto
Ending theme"Rescue Rangers Theme" (Instrumental)
ComposerGlen Daum (for Score Productions)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes65 (list of episodes)
Production
Producers
  • Tad Stones (S1-2)
  • Alan Zaslove
Running time22-23 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseMarch 4, 1989 (1989-03-04) –
November 19, 1990 (1990-11-19)
Related

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is an American animated adventure comedy television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation.[1] Created by Tad Stones and Alan Zaslove, it featured established Disney characters Chip 'n' Dale in a new setting. After the episode "Catteries Not Included" aired on August 27, 1988 as a preview,[2] the series premiered on The Disney Channel on March 4, 1989.[3] The series continued in syndication in September 1989 with a two-hour special, Rescue Rangers: To the Rescue, later divided into five parts to air as part of the weekday run.[4] On September 18, 1989, the series entered national syndication. It often aired on afternoons along with DuckTales, and beginning on September 10, 1990, as a part of the syndicated programming block The Disney Afternoon. The final episode aired on November 19, 1990.

Reruns aired on The Disney Afternoon until 1993.[3] Subsequently, reruns were shown on The Disney Channel starting in 1995, and on Toon Disney upon that channel's launch in 1998 but were removed a decade later. The entire run became available (as one season) as part of Disney+ as of its launch on November 12, 2019, fully remastered in high definition.[5] The series was initially released on Blu-ray on January 25, 2022, via Disney Movie Club, then everywhere else on February 15, 2022.[6]

A live-action/animated metafictional follow-up film of the same name was released on Disney+ on May 20, 2022. From May 20, 2022, Disney XD reran the show to promote the film.

Premise

[edit]

The series follows Chip and Dale, two chipmunks who operate a detective agency called Rescue Rangers. The protagonists are joined by their friends Gadget Hackwrench, Monterey Jack, and Zipper. The detectives deal with crimes that are often "too small" for the police to handle, usually with other animals as their clients.[7] The Rescue Rangers frequently find themselves going up against two arch-villains in particular: Mafia-style tabby cat Fat Cat and mad scientist Norton Nimnul.

Episodes

[edit]
Main article: List of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
113March 4, 1989 (1989-03-04)May 21, 1989 (1989-05-21)
247September 11, 1989 (1989-09-11)May 2, 1990 (1990-05-02)
35September 10, 1990 (1990-09-10)November 19, 1990 (1990-11-19)

Except for the five-part set of episodes made from the pilot movie, each 22-minute episode of the series was self-contained. Plot points introduced in each episode stayed in the episode and any character development didn't appear to continue through to future episodes. Most of the episodes followed a similar format, wherein the next case was presented at the start of the episode, then the bulk of the episode had the sleuths gathering clues and investigating the situation. In the last few minutes of the episode, the case was resolved, usually in dramatic fashion and the final moments would have a humorous wrap-up scene between the Rangers.

Characters

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Main

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  • Chip (voiced by Tress MacNeille)[8] is the leader of the Rescue Rangers.[8] Similar to Indiana Jones, he wears a fedora and a bomber jacket and frequently uses a rope to lasso or swing to other spots.[9] Chip is fearless, optimistic, and mature and has a strong sense of moral standards, to the point that he is sometimes teased for "not knowing how to have fun". He can be opinionated and often ends up in arguments with Dale over his best friend's more lackluster approach. However, deep down, Chip does care for Dale and, at times, he also lets himself go and joins Dale in some mischief. He and Dale have a crush on Gadget.
  • Dale (voiced by Corey Burton)[8] is the co-founder of the Rescue Rangers. He wears a red and yellow Hawaiian shirt reminiscent of Thomas Magnum in Magnum, P.I. Though passionate about the job, he is a happy-go-lucky, free-spirited, genial hotshot who is sometimes immature and forgets to think before he acts. He spends his free time reading comic books and playing video games. A known candy addict, Dale has "chocolate attacks" similar to Monterey Jack's cheese attacks (ironically, Monty finds it disgusting that Dale can't control himself over candy).[8][10] He frequently finds himself being knocked on the head and insulted by Chip when he says or does something foolish, but despite that, Dale still cares deeply for Chip and never holds a grudge against him. Dale is largely a friendly and easy-going character, though he is just as willing to get serious when the situation calls for it. Dale has also shown some remarkable creativity, as he is depicted constructing several gadgets of his own based on one of his favorite movie characters in the episode Double O Chipmunk, seemingly in only a few hours, despite seeming to have little to no technological background.
  • Monterey Jack (voiced by Peter Cullen and Jim Cummings), known as "Monty" to his friends and called "Cheeser" by his mother, is an adventure-loving, red-haired and luxuriantly mustachioed Australian mouse who spent years traveling the world before a chance meeting with Chip and Dale during their first case. After Fat Cat destroyed his home, Monty and his sidekick Zipper decided to join the group in their detective work.[11] Stronger and larger than the others—indeed, he has demonstrated feats of strength that some humans would be hardpressed to match—Monty can be quick to anger if he, or his friends, has been offended. This trait sometimes leaves him ready to do battle with a much larger opponent, and the others having to calm him down.[8] Monty has an overpowering addiction to cheese, and the sight or smell of cheese causes him to be almost hypnotically drawn to it in a mustache-twisting, spiraling-eyed "cheese attack". Monty loves to tell stories of his travels, even if the others often stop his reminiscing, and he often uses colorful "pseudo-Australianisms" while talking, such as "Strike me starkers."[8] Monterey Jack is the only Rescue Ranger known to have two living parents, Cheddarhead Charlie and Camembert Kate, who are also travelers.[clarification needed][12] Also, names of his entire family, including his own, have references to various types of cheese. Monty is most frequently found in the company of either Zipper or Dale, whose fun-loving nature matches his own. He also seems to consider Gadget to be something of a surrogate daughter, most likely due to his long friendship with her late father.[11] Due to his traveling experience, Monty often handles the traveling arrangements for the group. Cullen voiced Monterey Jack in season 1, along with 20 of the first episodes of season 2 excluding the five-episode pilot. Cummings voiced him in the pilot, along with 22 episodes of season 2, and season 3.[8][13]
  • Gadget Hackwrench (voiced by Tress MacNeille)[8] is a young blond-haired mouse who is the team's pilot, mechanic, circus performer, contortionist, acrobat, and inventor who wears purple coveralls with blue goggles on her head.[14] The daughter of inventor and aviator Mr. Geegaw Hackwrench, who was a good friend of Monterey Jack, she first met Chip and Dale when Monty brought them to Geegaw's in search of an airplane. At loose ends since her father's death and eager to help, she joins the team.[11] Known to say "Golly" whenever she's surprised by something, Gadget moves, thinks, and talks quickly, sometimes leaving the others looking dazed and confused.[8] In addition to building and maintaining the Ranger Plane, Gadget is the one responsible for the various technological items used by the team, and is regularly inventing new vehicles and tools for the team's use.[8] She has the uncanny ability to take discarded and unrelated items and invent nearly anything with them, which she attributes to the fact that she has a "mind-bashingly high IQ" and is easily bored. Unfortunately, her creations don't always work the way she intends, and have sometimes failed at just the wrong moment to cause the team trouble. Both Chip and Dale are attracted to Gadget, and often compete for her attention, but she doesn't seem to notice in many cases. Gadget's personality was based upon the inventive female character Jordan in the 1985 movie Real Genius.[15]
  • Zipper (voiced by Corey Burton)[8] is a tiny bluish-green housefly and a longtime friend and sidekick of Monterey Jack,[11] and he is unwaveringly loyal to his friends. With his tiny size and flying abilities, Zipper often handles little jobs that the rest of the Rescue Rangers can't. He speaks in unintelligible buzzes that only Monty and other insects are able to understand, although, in later episodes, he talks more clearly. Despite his tiny size, Zipper occasionally has impressive displays of strength.

Allies

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  • Officer Kirby and Officer Muldoon (both voiced by Peter Cullen) are the two police officers commonly seen in most episodes arriving to arrest the criminals the Rescue Rangers stop from escaping with their ill-gotten loot. Kirby is the strong, muscular African-American officer that normally drives their squad car while Muldoon is the skinny Caucasian officer that rides shotgun. Both serve as patrol officers under Sergeant Spinelli out of their precinct where they work with many other officers and detectives as seen in the pilot "To The Rescue", including retiring police detective Donald Drake and his K-9 Plato.
  • Detective Donald Drake and K-9 Plato (voiced by Rob Paulsen and Alan Oppenheimer) are soon-to-be retired members of the police force in the series pilot "To The Rescue" as Chip and Dale are good friends of Plato. After Drake and Plato, aided by Kirby and Muldoon, recover the Clutchcoin ruby necklace from Aldrin Klordane's henchman Percy, Klordane and his pet Fat Cat, who Drake and Plato presumed drowned a year earlier, frame Drake and Plato for the theft of the necklace, forcing the police captain to have Drake and Plato stripped of their badges and incarcerated. Thanks to Chip and Dale and the newly formed Rescue Rangers, Drake and Plato's innocence is proven, and they are permitted to retire as intended, with Plato giving his police badge to the Rescue Rangers as a reward for their heroism. Their names are references to fellow Disney characters Donald Duck and Pluto, whom the chipmunk duo has had histories within the shorts and later projects.
  • Sergeant Spinelli (voiced by Jim Cummings) is Kirby and Muldoon's superior officer at their precinct and oversees most cases that the station deals with that don't fall under the jurisdictions of the other branches of the department or are overseen by the captain. He is sometimes on scene with Kirby and Muldoon when they arrest the bad guys the Rescue Rangers stopped. The series pilot "To The Rescue" shows him as one of the commanding officers for the precinct's SWAT team.

Villains

[edit]
  • Fat Cat (voiced by Jim Cummings)[8] is a felonious, obese grey tabby cat and one of the Rescue Rangers' most frequent antagonists. Formerly owned by criminal Aldrin Klordane, in which capacity the Rangers first encountered him, Fat Cat became an independent agent and animal-world crime boss after Klordane's incarceration.[11] Inordinately proud of his appearance, he keeps his whiskers clean, wears a purple business suit, and has a taste for expensive things. Fat Cat is a ruthless criminal mastermind, and his plans, though sometimes bizarre, are nevertheless dangerous and sadistic.[8] He hates dogs and several of his schemes have been attacks against them. The only thing he hates more than dogs are the Rescue Rangers, which he always tries to get rid of using elaborate and slow methods, rather than killing them immediately. The complexity of his plans usually ends up being his downfall.[8] He has a cousin who lives in Paris, France. Voice actor Jim Cummings described Fat Cat as a combination of Zero Mostel and Dom DeLuise. Fat Cat is usually accompanied by four henchmen. In spite of their combined stupidity, Fat Cat almost always sends them out to do his dirty work for him, as he is too smart, or too lazy, to get his paws dirty, and they are too stupid and intimidated by him to do anything less than follow his exact orders.
    • Wart (voiced by Jim Cummings)[8] is a lizard henchman of Fat Cat who dresses in a gangster-style suit and hat similar to his boss.
    • Mole (voiced by Corey Burton) is an overweight mole henchman of Fat Cat who is slow-witted but cheerful, and wears an undersized red T-shirt and a yellow hat. When plans go wrong, Mole usually is the one who Fat Cat chooses to use as a punching bag.[8]
    • Mepps (voiced by Peter Cullen) is a thin orange alley cat henchman of Fat Cat who is dressed in a ratty blue vest and toboggan, and who speaks with a whiny voice.[8]
    • Snout (voiced by Corey Burton) is a rat henchman of Fat Cat who wears a short sleeved red turtle neck with a black vest and a dark blue hat that covers his eyes. He is seen the least out of all of Fat Cat's henchmen.[8]
  • Professor Norton Nimnul (voiced by Jim Cummings)[8] is the Rangers' other major enemy and a mad scientist who once worked for Aldrin Klordane, which, as with Fat Cat, is how the Rangers first encountered him.[11] Though Nimnul is an intelligent and creative scientist, his plans often lack any trace of logic and tend to be extremely convoluted. For example, he kidnapped all the cats in the city to make an immense amount of static electricity,[16] and in his appearance in the pilot he constructed a laser cannon designed to create a giant gelatin mold which would be used to cause an earthquake under the United States Gold Reserve.[11] Nimnul has receding red hair (and similarly colored, bushy moustache), wears very thick glasses, and a high-pitched laugh. Unlike other humans in the series, Nimnul is aware of the Rescue Rangers' activities, and even that they have human-level intelligence, due to their constant interference in his plans; this becomes even more explicit in "A Fly in the Ointment" when his malfunctioning teleporter causes him to swap heads with Zipper, allowing him to understand the Rangers until they're able to swap back. He is physically modeled on Disney animator Bruce Talkington.[8]
  • Rat Capone (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a rat crime lord, named after Al Capone.

Production

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Rescue Rangers was originally conceived as the first of three new companion shows to Disney's popular DuckTales series, which had more than doubled the ratings among child audiences in its time slots after its debut in the fall of 1987.[17] Disney had originally invested $20 million in DuckTales and then invested $28 million in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers.[18]

It, along with TaleSpin and a third series, Double-O Duck (which ultimately became Darkwing Duck),[19] would round out a programming block later known as "The Disney Afternoon" along with the previously established Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears to capitalize on DuckTales's success.[17]

When Tad Stones first came up with the idea for the Rescue Rangers series, Chip and Dale were not part of the show. He initially pitched doing a TV series based on The Rescuers, but Disney rejected that idea as a sequel to that film was already in production. He created a new concept with the working title of Metro Mice. The original draft starred an Indiana Jones-type mouse named Kit Colby who sported a fedora and a fluffy collared leather jacket, and the rest of the team included a chameleon, an earlier version of Gadget and a character resembling Monterey Jack with a different name. When he proposed the show in a meeting with Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg, the idea was well received except for the character of Kit. At Eisner's suggestion, they replaced him with the chipmunk duo to give the show some established Disney characters to work with.[9] By late 1987, two years before its television debut, the show was announced under its original proposed title of "Chip 'n Dale and the Rescue Rangers".[20]

While Chip and Dale were established characters, in order to bring them into the series only their general appearance and basic personality traits were kept. Unlike their appearances in Disney shorts, the Rescue Rangers features the chipmunk duo as very verbal, with Chip voiced by Tress MacNeille and Dale voiced by Corey Burton.[4] Audio processing was used to speed up the voice recordings and give the voices a higher pitch, particularly Chip's.[8] The pair were given clothes—Chip the clothing of the original-concept Kit, while the goofier Dale was reminiscent of, but not specifically modeled after, Thomas Magnum from Magnum, P.I. with his Hawaiian shirt.[9][8]

The series premiered in March 1989 on The Disney Channel before moving into a regular slot in syndication in September of that year. A year later, in September 1990, the series became part of the newly-launched lineup The Disney Afternoon, where it ran new episodes until November of that year, and reruns until 1993.[4][8] On October 2, 1995, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers began reruns on The Disney Channel as part of a two-hour programming block called "Block Party", airing weekdays in the late afternoon/early evening and which also included Darkwing Duck, TaleSpin and DuckTales.[21]

The show's opening theme was written (listed in the end credits as "words & music") by Mark Mueller, an ASCAP Award-winning pop music songwriter who also wrote the popular DuckTales theme song, and produced by Alf Clausen. The song performed over the title credits is sung by Jeff Pescetto (who also performed the DuckTales theme song). A full-length theme song was recorded by The Jets, a Minnesota pop group, and released on The Disney Afternoon soundtrack.[citation needed]

Home media

[edit]

United Kingdom VHS releases

[edit]

On November 6, 1989, Walt Disney Home Video released episodes from the series on video, containing a pair of episodes each.

VHS Name Episode Titles Release Date
Crimebusters "Catteries Not Included" & "Piratsy Under the Seas" November 6, 1989

North American VHS releases

[edit]

In 1989 and 1990, Walt Disney Home Video released 10 episodes from the series on five VHS cassettes in North America, containing a pair of episodes each.

VHS Name Episode Titles Release Date
Double Trouble "Dale Beside Himself" & "Flash the Wonder Dog" September 28, 1989
Crimebusters "Catteries Not Included" & "Piratsy Under the Seas"
Undercover Critters "Adventures in Squirrelsitting" & "Three Men and a Booby"
Danger Rangers "Kiwi's Big Adventure" & "Bearing Up Baby" August 14, 1990
Super Sleuths "Pound of the Baskervilles" & "Out to Launch"

Additionally, on October 1, 1993, the episode "Ghost of a Chance" was released together with the Goof Troop episode "Hallow-Weenies" on one VHS cassette as a special release called Boo-Busters[22][23] and the episode "Good Times, Bat Times" was released together with the Darkwing Duck episode "Ghoul of My Dreams" on one VHS cassette as a special release called Witcheroo![24][25]

Several other episodes were available on international releases.

Australia and New Zealand releases

[edit]

Eleven VHS cassettes containing 23 episodes of the series were released in Australia and New Zealand.[26]

VHS Name Episode Titles Release Date
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (Volume 1): Crimebusters "Catteries Not Included" & "Piratsy Under the Seas" November 6, 1989 (UK) / September 11, 1992
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (Volume 2): The Pound of the Baskervilles "Pound of the Baskervilles" & "Adventures in Squirrelsitting" September 11, 1992
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (Volume 3): Risky Beesness "Bearing Up Baby" & "Risky Beesness" September 11, 1992
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (Volume 4): Romancing the Clone "Dale Beside Himself" & "Flash the Wonder Dog" September 11, 1992
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (Volume 5): Astro Nuts "The Carpetsnaggers" & "Out to Launch" September 11, 1992
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (Volume 6): 3 Men and a Birdie "Three Men and a Booby", "Parental Discretion Retired" & "Chocolate Chips" April 2, 1993
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (Volume 7): Ghouls and Jewels "Ghost of a Chance" & "A Wolf in Cheap Clothing" April 2, 1993
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (Volume 8): Half-Size Heroes "A Lad in a Lamp" & "Seer No Evil" April 2, 1993
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (Volume 9): Flies in Disguise "When You Wish Upon A Star" & "Chipwrecked Shipmunk" September 10, 1993
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (Volume 10): Danger Rangers "Out of Scale", "Kiwi's Big Adventure" & "Gorilla My Dreams" September 10, 1993
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (Volume 11): Duelling Dale "Mind Your Cheese and Q's", "The S.S. Drainpipe" & "A Creep in the Deep" September 10, 1993

DVD releases

[edit]

North America (Region 1)

[edit]

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has released some of the series on DVD; two volumes have been released in Region 1 thus far, featuring the first 51 episodes of the series. The first was released on November 8, 2005 (containing episodes 1–27) and the second on November 14, 2006 (containing episodes 28–51).[27][28] The episodes on the first volume are arranged in production order, while the episodes on the second volume are arranged by original air date. The sets were originally packaged in a box containing 3 slipcases, one for each disc. Both volumes were reissued in standard-sized DVD cases in 2013. There has yet to be any word from Disney regarding the release of a third volume set for episodes 52–65. In 2022, the complete show was released on Blu-ray.

DVD Name Ep # Release date
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers: Volume 1 27 November 8, 2005
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers: Volume 2 24 November 14, 2006

International (Region 2)

[edit]

In the United Kingdom, Disney released one Region 2 volume in 2007, titled Chip 'n Dale - Rescue Rangers - First Collection.[29] Despite the set being similar to the US version, it contained only 20 episodes, while having 6 language tracks: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Dutch. Several other similar releases were then made to other countries, but only going up to episode #20. On December 5, 2012, a second DVD set of the series was released in the UK, but as a Region 2 version of Volume 2, titled Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers Season 2.[30] Unlike the first DVD set, this 3-disc set includes a Fastplay mode and only two language tracks: English and German, but subtitles have not been added. As of yet, there are no announced plans to release the rest of the series, or the seven episodes missing between the first two sets.

DVD Name Ep # Release date Language
Walt Disney's Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers – First Collection 20 February 12, 2007 English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Dutch
Walt Disney's Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers – Season 2 24 December 5, 2012 English and German

Video on demand

[edit]

The series was released on Amazon Video in 2013 and was free for Amazon Prime members.[31] However, it was unavailable for some time. The series was brought back to Amazon Instant Video in the United States in 2016, being currently available for purchase in SD and HD.

The complete series is also currently available for purchase in SD and HD on iTunes and Google Play (Volume 2 on Google Play is only available in SD), also released in 2016.

The complete series was released alongside the release of Disney's streaming service Disney+ on November 12, 2019.[5] There, it is cropped to 16:9 widescreen format, unlike the Blu-ray release (which retains its original aspect ratio).

Blu-ray releases

[edit]

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has released the entire series on Blu-ray Disc in a 2022 multi-region, high definition six-disc set, keeping its original image ratio (1.33:1). All episodes have been scanned from the original negatives, except episode 32 of season 2 "Prehysterical Pet" whose negatives could not be located. They are not sorted in the original airing order, nor the intended chronological order (e.g., the pilot episodes "Rescue Rangers to the Rescue - parts 1-5" are on disc 4).

Reception

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Critical reception

[edit]

Hal Erickson of Television Cartoon Shows, An Illustrated Encyclopedia compared the show to DuckTales, stating that it was "consummately produced and written," and its animation "succeeded in putting most other overseas output to shame."[32] Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media rated the series 4 out of 5 stars, complimented the depiction of positive messages, citing teamwork and saying the series succeeds to depict a female character as a role model, while finding the show family-friendly and entertaining.[33] IGN named Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers as the 60th-best in the Top 100 Animated TV Shows.[34] Jeremy Hayes of BuzzFeed ranked Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers 4th in their "Best Cartoons From The '80s" list.[35] Tyler B. Searle of Collider included in their "10 Best Animated Disney Channel Shows" list.[36]

Accolades

[edit]

The show was nominated at the 17th Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program.[37][38]

Other media

[edit]

Television

[edit]
  • Darkwing Duck (1991–1992): In the episode "Twitching Channels", the voices of Monterey Jack and Chip are briefly heard through an audio-reception helmet-device that can tune into sounds from other universes.[39]
  • Raw Toonage (1992–1993): In the episode hosted by Jitters A. Dog, Jitters serves as Dale's stunt double.
  • Aladdin (1994–1995): In the episode "Strike Up the Sand", the Genie transformed into Zipper.
  • Robot Chicken (2012): The Rescue Rangers appear in two segments of the episode "Disemboweled by an Orphan". In the first, Gadget goes without pants to challenge the double standard of the male characters going without pants, causing the other members to become sexually aroused. In the second, the Rangers pose for a group photo, with Monterey Jack perking up when the squirrel photographer tells them to say "cheese". Monterey Jack and Gadget additionally appear in a segment of the episode "Legion of Super-Gyros", where Monterey gets mad at Gadget for having vegan cheese.
  • DuckTales (2017): At the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, it was confirmed that Chip, Dale, Gadget, Monty and Zipper would appear in the show's third season.[40] In the episode, "Double-O-Duck in You Only Crash Twice!" (2020), the Rescue Rangers are first introduced as super-evolved lab animals created by F.O.W.L. agent Black Heron. After escaping from their captivity, they assist Launchpad McQuack in defeating F.O.W.L. agent Steelbeak.[41][42] The Rangers also make a cameo appearance in the series finale "The Last Adventure!" (2021).[43]

Merchandise

[edit]

In fall of 1989, McDonald's produced a series of Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers themed Happy Meal that included toy versions of the main characters riding small vehicles. Scenes from the series were incorporated into the TV commercials advertising the Happy Meals. Ice cream versions of Chip 'n Dale were made by Good Humor.

Theme parks

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  • In 1989, Disneyland presented a parade called Hooray For Disney Stars Parade.
  • From 1990 to 1993, Walt Disney World presented a show called Mickey's Magical TV World, featuring Chip and Dale in their Rescue Rangers outfits.
  • In 1990, Chip and Dale appeared in the Disney on Ice show Walt Disney's World on Ice: 10th Anniversary in their Rescue Rangers outfits.
  • In 1991, Disneyland presented a Disney Afternoon-themed stage show called Plane Crazy featuring Chip and Dale in their Rescue Rangers outfits, as part of the park's Disney Afternoon Avenue. In addition, cut-outs of Gadget, Chip and Dale were featured in the Rescue Rangers Raceway re-theme of the Fantasyland Autopia.
  • In January 1993, a junior roller coaster called Gadget's Go Coaster debuted as part of Mickey's Toontown in Disneyland. In April 1996, a similar attraction opened in Tokyo Disneyland. The Disneyland version closed in March 2022 for a refurbishment and reopened in early 2023 with the new name of Chip 'n' Dale's GADGETcoaster as well new character figures of Gadget, Chip, Dale, and Zipper.[44][45]
  • Gadget and Monterey made appearances in Disney's Party Express and a few New Year's Eve countdown parades at Tokyo Disneyland.
  • In December 2010, Gadget appeared in the stage show Disney's Twelve Days of Christmas.
  • In addition, Chip and Dale in their Rescue Rangers outfits were featured to meet fans at the Fall Back to Fun Event in September 2014, along with other Disney characters.
  • In 2018, Chip and Dale wore their Rescue Rangers outfits in FanDaze at Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris and other events as well.
  • In 2023, a newly orchestrated instrumental version of the Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers theme song was added as part of the new area music for the refurbished Mickey's Toontown in Disneyland.[46]

Comic books

[edit]
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Publication information
PublisherDisney Comics
Publication dateJune 1990 – December 1991
No. of issues19

A monthly comic book based on the show was published by Disney Comics in 1990, that ran for 19 issues. Subsequent comic stories were printed in Disney Adventures from 1990 to 1995, as well as in the Disney Afternoon comic book published by Marvel Comics. They also had a series from Boom Studios that was published for 8 issues from December 2010 to June 2011.

Cameo appearances

[edit]

In the first Darkwing Duck comic story from KaBoom!, Gadget makes a cameo gag.

BOOM! revival

[edit]
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Publication information
PublisherBoom! Studios
Publication dateSeptember 2010 – May 2011
No. of issues8

From September 2010, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers was revived by comics publisher Boom! Studios, as an ongoing monthly series slated to begin in December of the same year. This choice was based on the extreme and unexpected popularity of Darkwing Duck, another Disney Afternoon property which BOOM! revived earlier in 2010. The series featured comics writer Ian Brill, and artist Leonel Castellani.[47][48][49][50]

Eight issues were published, collecting the two 4-part stories into two trade paperback books. The comic series was cancelled May 2011, to be replaced by the launch of DuckTales.

The Boom! Studios series was reprinted in IDW Publishing's Disney's Afternoon Giant in October 2018.[51]

Video games

[edit]
  • In 1990, Capcom released a video game based on the show called Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers for Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a platform game distinguishable by the player needing to grab boxes, carry them on top and throwing to attack enemies and sometimes clear or form the path. It features a 2-player cooperative mode, and allows some non-linearity in choosing levels on a map. Each level is a various location of the city. In the story the Rangers must stop another of Fat Cat's schemes. The ongoing is described by dialogues between levels.
  • A second NES game, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 2, was released by Capcom in 1993. The sequel is the same in the principle of picking and throwing boxes, features additional incentives for cooperative play such as mini-games, that can only be played by two players, and the ability to throw the partner as a weapon.
  • An unofficial Mega Drive sequel to these games, titled Squirrel King, was produced by the Taiwanese developer Gamtec. This game was later the basis of the unofficial Mega Drive Super Mario World game.
  • Also released in 1990, Hi Tech Expressions' PC game Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers: The Adventures in Nimnul's Castle saw the Rangers having to rescue Monterey Jack, who is caught in a mousetrap in Professor Norton Nimnul's castle. To rescue him, the chipmunks must infiltrate the castle to collect various parts so Gadget can build a flying machine to reach Monterey Jack.
  • A Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers hand-held LCD game was released by Tiger Electronics in 1990.[52]
  • In May 2010, Dynamic Pixels Ltd. released a mobile game Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, where Fat Cat kidnapped Zipper and imprisoned him on a distant island. The team have to repair their legendary plane to get it but, unfortunately, they have no spare parts so the Rescue Rangers have to use their investigating skills together with enterprising skills as only their plane will help them to get to Fat Cat's den. The story is divided into 27 non-linear missions that can be reached via a city map. Every mission is one of 3 different mini-games. The game can be downloaded free of charge and players use micro transactions to purchase in game money to spend it on different in game content like upgrades, additional equipment, power-ups, bonuses etc. if needed.

Other games

[edit]
  • Chip, Dale, Gadget and Zipper appeared on cards which were in the 1993's puzzle game Mickey's Memory Challenge.
  • Chip and Dale (in their Rescue Rangers outfits) are playable characters in the 2000s racing game Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour.
  • The Rescue Rangers are playable characters in the mobile games Disney Emoji Blitz and Disney Sorcerer's Arena.
  • Gadget Hackwrench makes an only-playable character in the game Disney Tsum Tsum and Disney Heroes: Battle Mode.

Film

[edit]
Main article: Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (film)

A live-action CGI feature-length film[53] directed by Akiva Schaffer; written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand; produced by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman;[54] and starring John Mulaney and Andy Samberg as the voices of Chip and Dale was released on May 20, 2022, on Disney+.[55] The film also stars Eric Bana and Dennis Haysbert as the voices of Monterey Jack and Zipper while both Tress MacNeille and Corey Burton reprise their roles of Gadget and Zipper as well as Chip and Dale for a brief scene.[56][57][58]

Notes

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  1. ^ Animation outsourced to Luk Film, Sunwoo Animation, TMS Entertainment, Walt Disney Animation Japan and Wang Film Productions.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 123. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  2. ^ "For Children". The New York Times. New York, N.Y. August 21, 1988. pp. TV15.
  3. ^ a b Disney A to Z: The updated official Encyclopedia, Dave Smith p 101
  4. ^ a b c ""Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers". Big Cartoon Database. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Every Disney movie, TV show available day one on Disney+". October 14, 2019. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  6. ^ "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers - The Complete Series Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. December 17, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  7. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 201–202. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Grant, John (April 29, 1998) [1987]. "Part II: The Television Series". Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters: From Mickey Mouse to Hercules (3rd ed.). New York City: Hyperion. ISBN 978-0-7868-6336-5. OCLC 37432909.
  9. ^ a b c Strike, Joe (July 12, 2004). "The Tad Stones Interview — Part 2". Animation World Magazine. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  10. ^ "Chocolate Chips". Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Season 2. Episode 38. October 25, 1989.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g "To the Rescue". Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Season 2. Episode 14–18. September 9, 1989.
  12. ^ "Parental Discretion Retired". Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Season 2. Episode 13. May 21, 1989.
  13. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Full Disney Afternoon anniversary panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2013". Inside the Magic. July 26, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  14. ^ "The Original "Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers" |". cartoonresearch.com.
  15. ^ 1989 Tad Stones Interview published in "Furtherance", Issue 3, Winter 1991
  16. ^ "Catteries Not Included". Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Season 1. Episode 2. March 5, 1989.
  17. ^ a b Carter, Bill (November 6, 1989). "Disney's High Hopes for Afternoons". The New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  18. ^ Erickson, 2005. p.201
  19. ^ Stones, Tad (January 23, 1999). "Origins". The Darkwing Duck Blog. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  20. ^ Culhane, John (December 27, 1987). "TELEVISION; AN ANIMATED '88 AWAITS ON THE DRAWING BOARD". The New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  21. ^ "Block Party: Four Disney Animated Series". The Disney Channel Magazine. 13 (5): 36. October–November 1995.
  22. ^ Disney / Boo-Busters [VHS]: Boo-Busters: Movies & TV. ASIN 6302794226.
  23. ^ "Boo-busters / [Walt Disney Company] | Miami University Libraries". Lib.muohio.edu. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  24. ^ Witcheroo [VHS]: Witcheroo: Movies & TV. ASIN 6302794242.
  25. ^ "Witcheroo! / Walt Disney Company | Miami University Libraries". Lib.muohio.edu. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  26. ^ "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers PAL VHS covers", Imgur.com. Retrieved on 2 September 2016.
  27. ^ "Amazon.com: Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers – Volume 1". Amazon. November 8, 2005. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  28. ^ "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers – Volume 2". Amazon. November 14, 2006. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  29. ^ "Chip N Dale – Rescue Rangers – First Collection – 3 Disc Set DVD: Amazon.co.uk: Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. February 12, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  30. ^ "Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers Season 2 [DVD]". Amazon UK. November 5, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  31. ^ "BREAKING NEWS: Ducktales, Rescue Rangers on Amazon Prime". Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  32. ^ Erickson, 2005. p.202
  33. ^ "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers TV Review | Common Sense Media". www.commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  34. ^ "Top 100 Animated TV Series: 60. Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers". IGN. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  35. ^ Hayes, Jeremy (February 25, 2022). "Best Cartoons From The '80s Ranked By A '90s Kid". BuzzFeed. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  36. ^ Searle, Tyler B. (September 13, 2022). "10 Best Animated Disney Channel Shows". Collider. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  37. ^ Lipton, Lauren (May 11, 1990). "CBS Dominates Daytime Emmy Field With 74 Nominations : Television: The networks' order in nominations mirrored their daytime ratings. ABC got 39; NBC took 30". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  38. ^ "Daytime Emmy Awards (1990)". IMDb. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  39. ^ "Twitching Channels". Darkwing Duck. Season 1 (Disney Afternoon). Episode 42. February 5, 1992.
  40. ^ "DuckTales surprises Comic-Con with Rescue Rangers, Daisy Duck, and Lin-Manuel Miranda". Entertainment Weekly. July 19, 2019.
  41. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Plans to Destroy Duckburg! | Sneak Peek | DuckTales | Disney XD". YouTube. April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  42. ^ "Double-O-Duck in You Only Crash Twice!". DuckTales. Season 3. Episode 50. April 11, 2020.
  43. ^ "The Last Adventure!". DuckTales. Season 3. Episode 69. March 15, 2021.
  44. ^ "Mickey's Toontown to Close for Overhaul on March 9th, Reimagining of Gadget's Go Coaster and Others Confirmed". laughingplace.com. February 17, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  45. ^ Lloyd, Spencer (March 18, 2023). "PHOTOS, VIDEO: Rethemed Chip 'n' Dale's Gadget Coaster Opens at Disneyland". wdwnt.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  46. ^ Trepany, Charles (March 20, 2023). "Disneyland revamps Mickey's Toontown to improve accessibility, relaxation: An inside look". usatoday.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  47. ^ "Boom! Studios announces new Disney title at panel". Comic Book Daily. August 28, 2010. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
  48. ^ Brigante, Ricky (September 3, 2010). "Disney and BOOM! Studios announce Chip 'n' Dale ongoing comic book series coming December". Inside the Magic. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
  49. ^ Manning, Shaun (September 3, 2010). "Brill on "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  50. ^ Stones, Tad (December 6, 2010). "Creator Tad Stones Grills Writer Ian Brill". Newsarama. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  51. ^ "From Disney's Afternoon Giant to Darth Vader's Castle - IDW October Solicits 2018". Bleeding Cool. July 25, 2018.
  52. ^ Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers at Handheld Empire
  53. ^ Kit, Borys (January 31, 2014). "Disney Reviving 'Chip 'n Dale' for a Live-Action Feature (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  54. ^ Kit, Borys (May 17, 2019). "Disney's Meta Take on 'Rescue Rangers' Finds Its Director With Lonely Island's Akiva Schaffer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  55. ^ Aquilina, Tyler (December 10, 2020). "John Mulaney 'n Andy Samberg to voice Chip 'n Dale in Rescue Rangers movie for Disney+". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  56. ^ Plant, Logan (April 27, 2022). "Chip 'N Dale's Latest Trailer Is a Goldmine Of '90s Disney Nostalgia". IGN.com.
  57. ^ Burlingame, Russ (November 19, 2020). "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers Movie Lands Batman v Superman Cinematographer". Comicbook.com. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  58. ^ Anderson, Jenna (March 16, 2021). "Disney's Chip 'N' Dale: Rescue Rangers Reboot Begins Filming". Comicbook.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.

Further reading

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[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers.
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