Chicken Little

There have been many, many movies that Disney has put out that I've had a high desire to see "succeed". All in all, most Disney animated movies that have made it to the big screen in the more modern cinema history of, say, from "Beauty and the Beast" all the way up to "Lilo & Stitch" and "Brother Bear", have done that. Perhaps some are only a financial success, like "Treasure Planet", but certainly they were popular enough with one group of moviegoers or another to have a good box office take.

Unfortunately, "Chicken Little" is not a success.

In pooling my thoughts to review this movie, I am so highly disappointed that good animation is its only high mark. In this pivotal point in the history of The Walt Disney Company, where its relationship with Pixar is still on the rocks while a new president is stepping up, I wanted this movie to be a smashing success. I wanted this to be the movie that starts another Golden Age revolution, where it is possible that Disney takes the top spot in producing awesome animated movies.

I fear that there aren't many good storytellers left at Disney Feature Animation, and there didn't seem to by any present for the making of "Chicken Little". The story itself, chronicling the tales of the title character proving to his community that he is not a failure, was a good enough premise. Though it wasn't executed well at all. Instead of solid, premise-building scenes where it's main characters interact well with others (and get the audience laughing along the way), we get a sappy, melodramatic mini-soap with voice actors who don't have a good script...followed immediately by, more times than I'd care to recall, potty humor gags. Judging by the audience of my screening, made up of at least 40% little kids, only they found that funny.

With so many 3D animated movies coming out recently, like "Madagascar", "Robots" and "Valiant", all released this year, many companies are trying to prove their movie-making chops to us movie-goers. They can make a very beautiful looking movie, with wonderfully rendered characters that can move so fluidly and realistic...but the very vital element of sharing a good story is missing in action. It's my belief that a great story without great animation will be a much better movie than one that looks great, but has a weak story. Though, both elements are what made Pixar's "The Incredibles" an Oscar-contending, $265 million hit. Computer animation is, indeed, not the shoe-in, cure-all solution to a great movie.

To boot, "Chicken Little" has a weak soundtrack, composed mainly of songs that were popular at one time or another...to the pre-teen-aged crowd. Instead of beautiful, original, fully-composed songs like "A Whole New World" in "Aladdin" (or anything close to it), we are treated to Spice Girls' "If You Wanna Be My Lover" (complete, by the way, with karaoke subtitles). Unoriginal and highly annoying.

Having sufficiently railed on the movie, it is my belief that the corporate suits in charge of financing Feature Animation have more blame for the steady decline in their movies than anybody working under them. It seems they think they know what makes a successful movie, over-riding many decisions of the animators and storytellers--those who are still at Feature Animation--who have proved they can make great movies. I believe said pencil pushers are what made last year's "Home on the Range" fail, critically and financially.

All in all, I believe "Chicken Little" is a failure that I define as hot having a good story to match its sweet computer animation. In Disney's quest to prove that they are still the Best of the Best, movies like this will prove to the world that they are merely the best of the rest. And we all know that it's not the Disney we grew up on and cherished.

"Chicken Little" gets 4 of 10 stars

This was a film with a somewhat interesting premise, a somewhat interesting main character, and a somewhat interesting conclusion. This was not a Pixar film: it wasn't designed to appeal to adults. Rather, the writers focus on giving the kiddies a few laughs without leaving the parents comatose with boredom.

And when everything is taken into consideration, the writers succeed. Somewhat.

It's just not a very memorable film. Whreas most kids can watch films like "Shrek" repeatedly because of the sight gags, talented voice-over performances, and hidden jokes that they might not catch the first time around, "Chicken Little" is likely to be forgotten the moment the credits roll. That's not to say that Disney doesn't provide it's standard politically correct message. Of course the best player on the baseball team is a girl (Foxy Loxy). Of course a girl (Goosey Loosey) beats up and humiliates the boy (Chicken Little). Of course the character with the most redeeming social value is physically unattractive (Abby Mallard). And on, and on, and on. Disney also manages to continue its bizarre tradition of creating single father families ("Little Mermaid", "Aladdin", "Beauty and the Beast", "The Goofy Movie"): Chicken Little's mother has, of course, departed for the great unknown.

The relationship between Chicken Little and his father comes across as more annoying than heartwarming. The premise: A father realizes that it's probably not such a great idea to be embarrassed by his son; by the end of the movie, what his own child thinks of him actually takes precedent over the opinions of neighbors and perfect strangers! This message would undoubtedly come across as highly inspirational...if not for the fact that it's so blatantly obvious, hackneyed, and overplayed.

The voice-over's for the film were largely uninspiring, save for amusing performances by Don Knotts and Adam West. "Fish out of Water" was easily the most likable of the bunch (yes, I was suckered by the standard Disney cutesy animated character in their never ending attempt to sell more toys), and he didn't even have a speaking roll. No, "Chicken Little" is not the worst animated film I've ever seen...but memorable, it is not.

I remember this movie as one of the earliest memories as a child. All the way back to the first house my parents lived in together, my first books, first games, and my first movies. This one stands out to me in a big way, I had never even thought a movie could be that wild and crazy while also having some themes I could understand as a one-year-old, a movie with a soundtrack that I could still hear as a kid while doing other stuff a kid my age would do. I think I wore my parents out on this movie, but they still let me watch it over and over again. It is truly a great movie for a kid, enough to keep the children content and to keep the parents mildly interested. Its obviously not a mind bending classic, but it is a movie that is very near to my heart.

Chicken Little causes widespread panic in Oakey Oaks when he claims a piece of the sky fell and hit him on the head. His father Buck "Ace" Cluck passes it off as a mistake over an acorn. One year later, he's a laughing stock and there's even a movie. He is highly inventive but gets ridiculed despite being bullied by some of the kids. He's friends with the other outcasts; ugly duckling Abby Mallard, Runt of the Litter, and Fish out of Water. He finally gains his father's respect after getting the winning hit. When another piece of the sky falls into his room, he has to save the world with his friends while keeping it a secret from everybody else. The sky is electronic and chameleon.

The story is a little thin. Chicken Little and his father have a compelling relationship but it does need more layers. As for his friends, ugly duckling is a little too ugly. Runt's proportions are too wrong. I understand the idea but the design feels off. The one I love the most is Fish out of Water. It's a great design and loads of mime fun. As for the animation, it looks a bit too primitive. I didn't know that this is Disney and one can see the attempted transition. It's not the best and inferior to the Pixar of the era.

My three kids (15,12 &10) laughed through the whole movie.My 15 year old son laughed so hard he couldn't stop coughing! My husband (who hates to spend money to see movies at the theater) felt it was worth the expense, though he said there were one or two spots where he lost interest. But overall, he felt it was a good all around Disney movie. I thought the message was excellent, and a very accurate portrayal of what kids go through today. I also love a movie that isn't under written with political agendas, crude adult innuendos, or excessive body function humor. Chicken Little is free of all my pet peeves. I would recommend this movie for a fun family outing.