Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is a Who’s Who cavalcade of cameos. It’s a cartoon and animation fan’s Wonderland.
If Bugs Bunny interacting with Mickey Mouse in Who Framed Roger Rabbit warped your fragile little mind as a kid, Rescue Rangers will detonate your brain faster than you can say “Ugly Sonic.” (Oh, he’s there…) From old school ’80s cartoons to modern characters, chances are the movie will have you pausing your television and screaming, “HIM!? IN A DISNEY FLICK!?”
Thankfully, the movie is streaming on Disney+, so you can pause to bask in every glorious cameo the film has to offer. Most of them are window dressing, so if you blink at the wrong moment, chances are you might miss some big faces.
To the best of my abilities, here’s a list of cameos you can find in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Happy hunting! (Warning: Spoilers lie ahead!)
Autobot Blaster - Transformers
In the film’s opening, Dale (voiced by Andy Samberg) narrates the origin of his friendship and creative partnership with Chip (voiced by John Mulaney). As they headline their school’s talent show, you can spot the Autobot Blaster from Transformers in the audience. Did he go to high school with Chip and Dale? Was he a parent supporting his Transformer son in the talent show? Can Autobots reproduce? God, I hope not...
Akiva Schaffer - Director
During the opening montage, the cast of Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers finish filming an episode of the show. Once the cameras stop rolling, the film’s director Akiva Schaffer makes an appearance…..as a director of the series. How meta?!
MC Skat Kat/Paula Abdul
Nothing screams ’90s nostalgia more than Paula Abdul and her cool animated collaborator MC Skat Kat. These opposites who attract, make a brief appearance as DJs during the cast wrap party. During that scene you also see…
Roger Rabbit - Who Framed Roger Rabbit
…Roger Rabbit doing the “Roger Rabbit” with Chip and Dale. “What a party!,” he exclaims to the two, who are dancing on top of Disney’s Three Little Pigs. The original voice actor Charles Fleischer reprises his voice for the first time since the 1993 short Trail Mix Up. Good to see the king of live-action/animation hybrids looking spry as ever.
Baloo - The Jungle Book and Talespin
In the present, Dale (now with a CG surgery done) is doing the LA convention circuit to make ends meet. Baloo from The Jungle Book, but more importantly to millennials, Talespin, is introduced. He’s joined by a band to sing a laid-back jazz version of “The Bare Necessities.” He retains his design from the 2016 CG remake of the film and is voiced by singer Steven Curtis Chapman. Chapman portrayed him once in The Jungle Book: Rhythm 'n Groove video game from 2000. It may not be John Goodman or Bill Murray, who have both voiced previous iterations of the character. But once a Baloo, always a Baloo.
Lumière - Beauty and the Beast and Tigra - Avengers (United They Stand)
Dale isn’t the only one down on his luck. He's booth mates with fellow ’90s stars Tigra (voiced by Shaffer’s wife Liz Cackowski) from the short-lived 90s series The Avengers: United They Stand and Lumière (voiced by Jeff Bennett) from Beauty and the Beast. You know times are rough when someone like Lumière is in a rough patch. Thank God he’s in his original design, because that humanoid live action design is still a vision of nightmares. Speaking of things of nightmares…
Ugly Sonic
The biggest cameo of the Rescue Rangers is the one and only Sonic the Hedgehog. No, not the one you see in the Paramount movies. It’s the original design that the internet crucified. The response was so vicious that Sonic was completely redesigned. Well, now the prodigal son returns as Ugly Sonic, working the convention circuit. Instead of Ben Schwartz, Tim Robinson voices the ugliest thing alive and makes pretty funny meta jokes about how the internet got him out of a job. Surprisingly, Ugly Sonic makes many appearances throughout the movie, as he’s a legitimate character who's integral to the plot.
Wynnchel and Duncan - Wreck-It Ralph
Once their best friend Monterey Jack (voiced by Eric Bana) is kidnapped from his home, Chip and Dale return to the scene of the crime. In a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it cameo, the Sugar Rush cops from the Wreck-It Ralph movies, Wynnchel and Duncan appear as….well, you guessed it, cops!
Linda Flynn-Fletcher - Phineas and Ferb
In their investigation, Chip and Dale explore a crime-ridden black market area called Main Street, where toons lead a double life. On this street full of criminals is Phineas and Ferb’s mom Linda Flynn-Fletcher. What kind of crimes is she up to? What kind of crimes would she be up to? Let’s hope she doesn’t get BUSTED anytime soon.
Mr. Natural
Out of all the Robert Crumb characters to integrate into the Chip 'n Dale world, we never expected a deep cut like Mr. Natural to appear. He also appears on Main Street in the Black Market world, coming out of a wig shop where Dale sells his fur from time to time. This is the first instance in the movie where an adult-based cartoon character appears in the film. If it wasn’t gonna be someone as prolific as Fritz the Cat, Mr. Natural will do. Also, this marks Mr. Natural’s first animated appearance in just about anything, as he’s specifically a comic book character. A very NSFW one, at that.
Randy Marsh - South Park
To continue NSFW properties, RANDY FRIGGIN’ MARSH from South Park. SOUTH PARK, the biggest NSFW animated series there is on television, appears in this movie. Isn’t this a Disney film?! In a scene where the chipmunks are doing detective work in a Russian spa, they come across Randy Marsh sitting by two Pigs (who are discussing child custody?!??!) in a sauna. Randy is just straight chilling while getting his steam on. He’s simply window dressing, but it begs the question of how in the hell the Mouse House allowed the Tegridy Farms weed business owner to appear in their movie, especially with all the endless shit they talk about the company in the show?
Scrooge McDuck - Ducktales
Also in the Russian spa is none other than the richest duck in the world, Scrooge McDuck, taking his iconic golden bath. And when I mean golden bath, I mean just swimming in a sea of gold coins. What kind of golden bath did you think I was talking about?
He-Man & Skeletor - Masters of the Universe
Later in the film, the chipmunks return to the convention center where they’re chased by the film’s main antagonist Sweet Pete (aka older Peter Pan, voiced by Will Arnett), and his goons Bob (voiced by Seth Rogen) and Jimmy (voiced by Da'Vone McDonald). During this sequence is where cameos go into overdrive, with animated icons appearing faster than you can say Ugly Son… wait, I already made that joke.
They run through the legs of He-Man and Skeletor, who are at a booth together. The duo is having a spat spat, with He-Man exclaiming that he felt something through his legs and Skeletor ridiculing his lack of clothing.
Cubby - Peter Pan
During the chase, Sweet Pete accidentally nabs the Lost Boy Cubby (voiced by Rachel Bloom, doing a British accent) from the Peter Pan movies. At first, Cubby’s excited to see his old friend, but then is immediately in shock at how old he’s become. Peter retorts, “Yeah, death is coming for us all, Kid.”
Paul Rudd as himself
Now, why would the living Paul Rudd be on an animated convention circuit? Who knows. But his brief cameo is pretty wholesome. He informs a few attendants that Ant-Man was originally going to be called Aunt-Man where he would be a hero to a bunch of aunts. The chipmunks dash by his table, startling him. Dale screams offscreen “Sorry, Love your work!” Now I want to see this said Aunt-Man movie. It’s not too late to make it, Disney!
The Mane Six - My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
During the chase, Chip and Dale fall onto some ponies from the Friendship is Magic series. Characters such as Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie appear. They ride 'em for a bit as they’re being pursued.
Doc McStuffins
As they’re scurrying across a metal barrier, you can briefly see the Disney Junior kid vet, Doc McStuffins, from a top-down angle with her booth.
Pumbaa (The Lion King), Mantis (Kung Fu Panda 3), and B.O.B (Monsters Vs. Aliens)
The Seth Rogen cinematic universe finally collides in one brief moment. Once the Chipmunks get the best of Bob, he falls onto the booth for live-action Pumbaa from The Lion King (2019). Pumbaa makes fun of his “weird dead eyes” and instantly two other Seth Rogen-voiced characters, Mantis from the Kung Fu Panda movies and Benzoate Ostylezene Bicarbonate from Monsters Vs. Aliens, appear to do the Seth Rogen laugh at…Seth Rogen. Dreamworks Animation and Disney, former enemies, burying the hatchet for the sake of the joke. It’s not exactly every animation fan’s dream Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny moment, but seeing these two studios coexisting together is a huge feat. If Mantis, Pumbaa, and B.O.B can appear all at once, maybe the dream of The Big Four (aka Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons) can come to fruition. Hey, a 2012 tumblr boi like me can dream, okay?!
McGruff the Crime Dog
In a scene set at the LA police station, you can find everyone’s favorite animated crime dog McGruff in the background on the phone. It’s been over 40 years (280 in dog years) since his first appearance, and he doesn’t look a day over 30.
Detective Florez - Big Mouth
In another scene set at the LA police station, Detective Florez from Big Mouth appears in the background. It’s pretty insane how many adult animated characters appear in a Disney flick.
Pete - Goof Troop
During the film’s climax, Chip and Dale must outrun a mutilated Sweet Pete. In the chase, they find his bootleg movie studio. As they’re running through various sets, the iconic Disney antagonist Pete appears, starring in an Aladdin knockoff, riding on the magic carpet. Unlike the rest of the other toons in the studio, he’s not mutilated and shouts at the chipmunks to get out of the way.
Chris Parnell - Saturday Night Live
Nothing like a cameo from a friend of the Lonely Island. Throughout the film, Dale thinks every call is from his agent Dave Bollinari, hoping it’s for a new role for him to take. When he finally does call, Bollinari is played by none other than Parns himself, Chris Parnell. If only the trailer didn’t give away his appearance in the movie, because it does play like a great build-up to a satisfying cameo for Lonely Island fans.
Darkwing Duck - Darkwing Duck
In a brief post-credits scene, Darkwing Duck (voiced by Jim Cummings) appears in his booth at a convention center watching the Rescue Rangers take centerstage. He boos them and breaks the fourth wall, badgering the viewer to chant, “We want Darkwing!” It’s OK, Darkwing, your time will come. Seth Rogen already has plans for you soon.
