Der Vogelschreck

I've watched this short a dozen times, and I still laugh out loud at the main gag. This film is comic perfection.

Remember how the Coyote in the Road Runner cartoons always looks plaintively at the camera whenever he makes a mistake, the pupils of his eyes narrowing just before he falls off the cliff, the boulder crushes him, or the dynamite explodes in his face?

That was the kind of touch that made those old cartoons great. And it is clear from this film that the spirits of Chuck Jones, Tex Avery and the other classic animators are alive and well at Pixar.

For the Birds is a short and cute animated Pixar film about small blue birds underestimating a bigger blue bird. It's for people who like funny short films and would be perfect for kids of all ages!

In this flappy little film we arrive at a telephone wire, where several little birds land and begin jostling and fighting for space. The camera zooms out and we see a big goofy bird (played by Ralph Eggleston, also the director) who tries to make friends with them. The little birds begin mocking the chunky bird, but the big bird flies over anyway and lands right in the middle. The little birds begin pecking, and try to get him off the wire, but karma finds them, with hilarious results!

I loved the animation in this film. It's amazing that we can tell so much about what the characters are thinking without any dialogue! The birds speak only in tweets, squeaks and honks which leads to some funny misunderstandings, especially between the big bird and the little ones.

I also loved the energetic, jazzy soundtrack which made the film feel upbeat and fun. It even matches the action, like when the wire bends and we hear a glissando slide on the guitar as the birds sink towards the ground.

There is also great visual comedy, like when the birds realize too late what is about to happen!

The animation wasn't amazing by today's standards, but for the time it came out this would have looked pretty impressive. It would have been nice to see a little more colour though. One fun fact is that For the Birds originally played before the release of Monsters Inc. In theatres, all the way back in 2001!

Overall, this is a fun film and it only takes up three minutes of your life! I would recommend it to anyone, especially younger children, who are looking for a short funny dose of movie magic.

I remember this short vaguely from my childhood but I didn't Remember it being this funny.

It's very charming. A simple idea executed extremely well with animation that absolutely enhances the story.

A kind of morality tale for children about ostracism but can also be simply enjoyed at face value as a silly "lark".

One of the best Pixar shorts for sure.

Okay an hour, if like me you watch it twenty times, and then watch it again. I recommend copying it from the DVD onto your hard drive, keep it handy.

"For The Birds" is another slick, colourful vignette from the wonderful Pixar animation studio, a delightful moral tale, and simply essential viewing for anyone following their remarkable output.

A masterwork of lightening fast character sketching and feathery CGI texture work, comic at every turn, and still laugh-out-loud funny after two dozen viewings or more. Watch out, most of the best action happens at the left hand side.

The sort of thing you could imagine some Pixar genius tossing off over lunch-break, just for fun, except it probably took months to create and weeks to render. But sure worth every single CPU cycle.

Will get a belly-laugh even from problem children.

-mu

This short little gem was screened before Monsters Inc. And it was the best part of the coming 2 hours or so. It's endearing, it's hilarious, and it's cute and adorable. It got more laughs in its 5 minutes than Monsters Inc got during its 90.

I'd highly recommend this short movie to anyone. Perfect entertainment.