Chip and Dale are brothers in the new Rescue Rangers movie, and fans are freaking out

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If you’re wondering if Chip and Dale are brothers, congratulations. You’ve found one of Disney’s most enduring puzzles. And the new movie Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, which airs on Disney+ on Friday, May 20, doesn’t do much to explain the chipmunk’s confusion.

Fans have wondered about Chip and Dale’s relationship for years. One fan wrote on Reddit in 2016: “Are Chip and Dale brothers?” “It’s been bothering me for decades.”

The original animator Chip and Dale considered two brothers. Credit: Disney Enterprises, Inc.

In the Reddit thread referenced above, a commenter noted that the nature of Chip and Dale’s relationship “was never made clear.”

Reddit user added: “A lot of people think they are brothers, including the guy who drew them.” “But it seems that Walt [Disney] They knew if they were brothers or not, so he’s kind of an outsider.

This commenter appears to be referring to Bill Justice, the animator who first drew Chip and Dale. Justice wrote in his autobiography that the two characters were “just little brothers,” but Disney never acknowledged this family relationship, according to the 2012 Disney book Trivia from the Vault written by Dave Smith.

But the new movie portrays them as childhood friends.

In Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, written by How I Met Your Mother authors Dan Gregor and Doug Mand and directed by Akiva Schaffer from The Lonely Island, the squirrels are introduced as friends from elementary school, as the AV Club review notes.

The film then jumps forward as Chip (voiced by John Mulaney) and Dale (voiced by Andy Samberg) are adults who “live among the cartoons and people of present-day Los Angeles,” as Disney puts that into synopsis.

“It’s been decades since her hit TV series was canceled, and Chip succumbed to life as an insurance salesman in her suburban home. Meanwhile, Dale has surgery by CGI as he works on the nostalgic conference circuit, desperately trying to reclaim his glory days.” “When a former co-worker mysteriously disappears, Chip and Dale must mend their broken friendship and embrace their detective characters once more in Rescue Rangers to save their friend’s life.”

Fans – and even critics – are confused.

If the movie Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers established Chip and Dale as friends rather than relatives, at least one movie critic has missed the note. The Hollywood Reporter’s review of the film refers to the duo as brothers. (Meanwhile, the Austin Chronicle notes that the movie “[throws] The first 45 years of cartoon history in which they were straight brothers. “)

The fans are confused, too. Someone recently tweeted, “Well, isn’t it Chip and Dale brothers?” “Why did they first meet in third grade?”

Another Twitter user wrote: “Sorry aren’t Chip and Dale brothers?! I’ve lived my whole life.”

A third Twitter user found the silver side, writing, “I used to think Chip and Dale were brothers but I’m glad I found out they aren’t. Now I can think of kissing them and it wouldn’t be weird.”

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