Chicken Little

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.

I can see the hate, but to me this movie is a fun, feel good story about underdogs learning about life. The start is great and I love the friend group. The animation is outdated but that adds to the charm in my opinion. This movie is a classic I like to watch at the start of the holidays to remind me about fun movies. A lot of people say this movie is a mess but I believe the whole point of a movie is to enjoy it or get something out of it. It isn't the deepest story ever but I have alot of fun whenever I watch this movie. The Sou track is also iconic and work well with it. I recommend you watch this if you are into fun movies where you don't have to analyse. Iwill never get tired of this movie.

This movie was so mediocre that even disney ignores it's existence. This movie is barely remembered and for good reason. The storyline and characters are unoriginal and the animation is sub par, not to mention the constant bullying and harrassment of chicken little over a misunderstanding made me dislike the townsfolk and made this movie feel mean spirited. Even Chicken Little's dad was terrible and didn't redeem himself. However, this movie isn't terrible. It wasn't exactly boring, with quite a few action packed scenes and character growth from Chicken Little and his friends. Not anywhere near one of disney's best movies, but it definitely isn't the worst.

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

I remember watching "Chicken Little" in theaters as a kid, right when it premiered. It's hard to believe that almost 20 years have passed since then. That experience, seen through the eyes of a child, was immensely entertaining, filled with adventures that captured the imagination and kept kids like me glued to the screen.

However, looking back on it now as an adult, I realize it's not a movie I'd choose to watch a second time. While the premise, based on the classic "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" tale, where no one believes the protagonist until the truth is revealed, worked well and even became part of the cultural zeitgeist of the time -to the point where "Chicken Little" became a nickname for those considered alarmists without cause- my adult perspective tells me that, though entertaining, it wasn't a film that marked a before and after in the world of animation.

Despite this, I can't deny that "Chicken Little" had its impact, inspiring or, at the very least, entertaining many. To this day, I consider it a perfect choice for young children looking for something fun to watch. This movie, with its humor and lessons about bravery and the importance of truth, will surely capture the attention of kids, offering them a fun-filled and adventurous experience, just as it did for me back then.