The Chipmunk Adventure is a 1987 American animated musical-adventure comedy film based on the Saturday-morning cartoon series Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Alvin and the Chipmunks virtual brand and media franchise created by Ross Bagdasarian Sr.. Directed by Janice Karman and written by Karman and Ross Bagdasarian Jr., it follows the Chipmunks and the Chipettes as they go on a hot air balloon race around the world that is the cover for a diamond smuggling ring while their owner David is out on a trip and being hunted down by Claudia and Klaus Furschtein.

After the success of the Alvin and the Chipmunk TV series on NBC, many companies had been interested in financing an Alvin and the Chipmunks film. Bagdasarian Jr. and Karman decided to finance the movie themselves. Animators from The Black Cauldron (1985) worked on the film after its box-office flop caused many animators to get laid off from Walt Disney Pictures. The animation was provided overseas to several countries such as Utah and Canada. Randy Edelman composed the music after he was visited by Bagdasarian Jr. in London. Production lasted for a year.The Chipmunk Adventure was released on May 22, 1987, and grossed $6.8 million at the box office, making it a moderate box-office success. The film initially received mixed reviews from critics. Most critics praised the animation, visuals, and soundtrack, but the plot and voices of the Chipmunks and Chipettes were polarized. Stereotypes of foreign characters were also criticized. Retrospective reviews of the film became more positive. It was the only theatrical Chipmunks movie until Alvin and the Chipmunks in 2007.