Clearly Jason Lee is comfortable subordinating to selfish, arrogant, bossy and manipulative pipsqueaks with trademark conspicuously central dental arrangements. Scientology will have taught him that. I guess those dianetics courses aren’t cheap, though, hence why Lee continues to subject himself to the indignity of these increasingly slapdash and lazy sequels.

When a series of misunderstandings convince Alvin, Simon and Theodore that Dave (Jason Lee) plans to propose to his new girlfriend Samantha (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), the three Chipmunks form a reluctant alliance with Samantha’s son Miles (Josh Green) and set out on a cross-country trip to prevent the proposal from taking place.

There’s a degree of stupid you accept when buying a ticket for a movie about three singing chipmunks but there’s a cynical laziness to “The Road Chip” which offends far more than the lacklustre shenanigans and desperately manic mugging of Tony Hale.

The cast do their best but there’s no effort here on the part of the filmmakers to produce anything even approaching a decent story. The story lacks any kind of energy, ambling from set piece to set piece with little energy or invention. Very little of it actually involves a road trip. Four movies in, the antics are tired and repetitive, insulting the intelligence of the audiences who’ve paid to see it. It trudges through its weary repertoire of poop and pee jokes, lifeless musical numbers and trite pop culture laden dialogue.

“Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip” is rubbish. A lazy, cynical cash grab, wringing the last, joyless dollars from the fading franchise.

2/10