Alvin and the Chipmunks is a 2007 American live-action/computer-animated jukebox musical comedy film directed by Tim Hill. Based on the characters of the same name created by Ross Bagdasarian Sr., the film stars Jason Lee, David Cross and Cameron Richardson, while Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney voice the titular Chipmunks. The film follows the Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon, and Theodore) who move in with struggling songwriter Dave Seville after they lose their home. When Dave discovers they have rare singing talent, he has them perform in front of JETT Records executive Ian Hawke, who then plans to trick them into living with him to profit off their success with a world tour. It was released worldwide on December 14, and it was produced by Fox 2000 Pictures, Regency Enterprises and Bagdasarian Productions. It received generally negative reviews from critics. The Rotten Tomatoes consensus criticizes the film's humor and "rehashed kids' movie formula". Alvin and the Chipmunks grossed $361 million worldwide on a budget of $60 million and was the seventh-best-selling DVD of 2008. Alvin and the Chipmunks is the first live-action/animated film starring Alvin and the Chipmunks since Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks was released in 2003, as that film features puppetry used for the Chipmunks and this film features GCI used for them. The film was followed by three sequels: Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009), Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011), and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015). Plot A fir tree housing talking chipmunk brothers Alvin, Simon, and Theodore is cut down and driven to Los Angeles after JETT Records purchases it as a Christmas tree. Struggling songwriter and composer David Seville has his latest demo rejected by their chief executive, Ian Hawke, his college roommate, who suggests that Dave give up writing songs. The Chipmunks hop into a basket of muffins that Dave stole from one of Ian's coworkers and follow Dave home. Once there, Dave discovers the Chipmunks and kicks them out of the house, only to hear them sing "Only You (And You Alone)" and "Funkytown." Dave then makes a deal with the Chipmunks to sing songs he writes in exchange for shelter. Later, when Dave tries to present the Chipmunks to Ian, they fail to sing because of stage fright. The day worsens as Dave is dismissed from his advertising job due to the Chipmunks having unknowingly ruined