AnimationBro Okay, I watched this show a lot as a kid when it was on Toon Disney. At the time, it was a great show and a little kid wouldn't care about the flaws of this series. Now, it's 2012, and the majority of the fanbase are adults who could be MY parents (I'm almost 20).The show itself is not up to the standard of the typical Disney film, which is to be expected from TV animation, but it could have been at least up to standard to the Great Mouse Detective, released a few years prior. The character designs are highly inconsistent, for instance, Monterey Jack's body size constantly changes. Sometimes, he is just a little bigger than Chip and Dale, other times, he is big enough to actually fight Big Cat. Then there is the character writing in and of itself that is never consistent. Gadget is the worst offender. She is sometimes the socially awkward genius, to more normal female, all the way to a team mom depending on the writer. Chip is a very close second in this regard, as he can be the leader, a complete suck up to Gadget, and even actually thinks his novels are a guide to solving cases.But I think the worst parts of this series are the actual episodes. What could have been a decent show about animals fighting crime has numerous episodes that have ham-fisted morals about things like cults and violence. Add this to some recycled plots with writing done by anyone leads to this inconsistent show. The only reason most people enjoy this show in this day and age is due to nostalgia and an unwillingness to try newer animation. It's okay for the kids, but with great shows like Adventure Time (that's great for both kids and adults) who would care about it now? But if you want a show that does everything CDRR fails to do, try Swat Kats.I gave it a four star rating because even if it is flawed, it isn't too bad for the kids if you have old tapes or have downloaded the episodes already. But it deserves a low rating in my book due just being too inconsistent and poorly made considering the praise it's getting and today's standards.

ashleak6 The Disney TV cartoon business was definitely going good in the late 80s into the 90s. With successful Disney TV cartoons such as DuckTales, Gummi Bears and New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh already pleasing kids, adults and animation fans, Disney made another series to add on to that list and that series is called Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers or CDRR for short. This is the fourth series in the Golden Era of Disney TV cartoons. In this series, it's about the popular Disney chipmunks Chip n Dale and their friends Gadget Hackwrench, Monterey Jack and Zipper the fly as they solve little cases and meet new people. Chip n Dale have both developed personalities in CDRR unlike the shorts which all they did was pester Donald. This show is definitely funny and clever. I recommend that you check out this show if you haven't already. Buy the DVD box sets today, this show is way better than any of the cartoons on Nickelodeon and CN today. If you like this show, check out later Golden Era Disney TV cartoons like "Darkwing Duck", "Goof Troop" or "TaleSpin". Rescue Rangers away!

montagrappa Next to Gummi Bears, I would say that this is Disney's best cartoon series ever. Although the production values weren't as high as the other Disney shows. The animation wasn't as good, and the music was good but repetitive(although the theme song is only 2nd to Gummi Bears), but they were countered & matched by the interesting concept of noble minded rodents and a house fly engaged in a never-ending battle to right wrongs, no matter how big or small the case seems, completely disregarding the fact that they may not get thanks for helping people and, eventually, overshadowed by the fun, funny & genuinely cute (but not too cute) stories.Although stories are usually what make or break shows, the characters have a big part in making them work too. And, as some people have stated here, all 5 of the Rescue rangers were three-dimensional. They're easily likable & much easier to sympathize with than in some of the other Disney shows. And, more so than in any other Disney show (even Gummi Bears), they were a team. They would all contribute something in an episode that would help save the day. My favorite was Dale. His episodes are great (my #1 favorite focuses on him), and he's the one I relate to the most. I loved all the other Rangers too. The main villains were also entertaining. Fat Cat & his amusingly dim henchmen & especially Professer Nimnul were very funny and easy to root against. And the guest characters were great as well. My favorite heroe was Foxglove, a bat who is Dale's true love (I'm a romantic) & appears in my favorite episode. I also liked Sparky the absent-minded lab rat (from another favorite of mine, Does Pavlov Ring a Bell?), and many others. My favorite guest villain was Sewernose de Bergerac (from A Case of Stageblight). He was funny yet at the same time a little tragic, although I didn't feel too sorry for him (he IS a bad guy after all), plus I have a thing for thespian villains. Unlike in Ducktales where the guest characters don't do very much, helping to move the story along but not really standing on their own (there are some exceptions, Gladstone Gander & Dijon coming first to mind), the ones in RR practically scream "Bring me back!" at the end of the ep.Of course the stories were excellent too. My favorite episodes were Pound of the Baskervilles, Risky Beesness, A Case of Stage Blight, Last Train to Cahville, Prehysterical Pet, Does Pavlov Ring a Bell?, A Creep From The Deep, Chocolate Chips, Weather Or Not, Shell Shocked, Love Is a Many Splintered Thing, Double O' Chipmunk, The Pied Piper Power Play, A Fly in the Ointment, and my #1 favorite Good Times Bat Times. These & most of the other episodes were funny, clever, well-done, interesting & best of all moral.I honestly don't know how else to praise this series. Just buy the DVDs so that Disney will release volume 3 & finish up this great series.BOTTOM LINE: 10/10 7th best cartoon ever.

ajolipa In brief, this is a cartoon show about a gang of animals--two chipmunks, two mice, and a common housefly--who live together in a tree and solve crimes and have various adventures together. But it's so much better than it sounds from that simple description. The writing is witty with sharp, consistent characterizations, both of the Rescue Rangers themselves and of all the various villains and minor characters. The background music is catchy and the plots are inventive, random, silly and at the same time serious, without being preachy or heavy-handed in giving "morals" at all.As for the basics of the show, the Rescue Rangers are composed of Chip--intelligent and determined with a streak of mischief that only occasionally surfaces; Dale--goofy and often trying to prove himself, and also to bring out Chip's goofy side; Monterey Jack--worldly and generally in control of the situation, except of course when it comes to cheese; Gadget--brilliant and absent-minded and sometimes startlingly wise; and Zipper--plucky and enthusiastic and loyal. But all of that can be found in any summary of the show; it doesn't capture what is so great about the show. None of the characters are even close to one-dimensional, and their interactions are complex, witty and fascinating, and can't even be summarized briefly.Just as interesting are the "bad guys"--the main recurring ones are Fat Cat and his gang, and Professor Nimnul, a self-proclaimed unappreciated genius. The villains are witty, entertaining, ironic, outrageous, and just plain funny. And in general the show avoids the issue of "good vs. evil" directly; the plots typically revolve around the Rescue Rangers thwarting some scheme of a villain to gain power or wealth in unlawful ways (although some episodes don't even have an identifiable villain), but you're not made to hate the villains at all, only to disapprove of their selfishness or greed. In terms of subtle moral messages, I would say that this show shows (not preaches) the value of teamwork, the idea that everyone deserves help, and that selfishness and greed will get you nowhere in the end.But the moral messages are not the main reason to watch this show, although they're important to the charm of the show. I started watching it when I was about four, and it's stuck with me throughout my life, becoming a central part of our family culture even when we go years without actually watching an episode. If a show can be judged by how often it gets quoted or referenced in everyday life, then Rescue Rangers has been the best and most important show in my life. So many of the lines and references have worked their way into my regular vocabulary, lines that are witty or clever or insightful or just plain funny. So often my dad and I find ourselves making analogies to RR episodes while having serious discussions. On the surface the plots may seem entertaining but not "deep" in a traditional dramatic sense, but believe me, the wit of the plots and characters and dialogue seeps into your thoughts in ways that will surprise you. It's fun and entertaining, and in a subtle way, very meaningful.Overall, I wouldn't be who I am now without this show. I find that it's written with a depth of cleverness, references, wit, and character development that isn't quite matched in any of the other Disney Afternoon shows (with Gummi Bears coming closest). It's funny, entertaining, and deep, and I'd recommend it to anyone of any age who's willing not to be cynical about watching a show about crime-solving rodents. It's more than worth it.