Chicken Little - Amici per le penne

Reviewing "Robots," "The New York Times" opined that when it comes to animation there's Pixar, there's Japan, and there's everyone else (it should be noted that not all Japanese cartoons are good - "Shin Chan," anyone? - but you see A.O. Scott's point). "Chicken Little" definitely falls into the "anywhere else" camp, but while it won't siphon away fans from John Lasseter or Nick Park - especially since Disney's delayed its UK release for a few months, the way they did with "Sky High" (but not "Herbie: Fully Loaded," I notice. Idiots) - it's not DreamWorks-mediocre either.

The House of Mouse's first attempt at computer animated movies without Pixar was the skilfully made but hollow "Dinosaur"; this one is under the auspices of the team behind the wonderful "The Emperor's New Groove," and while it doesn't have that cartoon's spirit it still has some virtues of its own. More deliberately cartoonish in its look and feel than many recent features, it's also probably a little too sentimental for some tastes - an awful lot of the movie involves our feathered hero wanting not only to redeem himself for the whole "the sky is falling" farrago but also to open up two-way communication with his single dad, with all the Family Issues that implies. Fortunately it never really swamps the movie, with the family message never overriding the main intent, i.e. to entertain.

Unlike the inexplicably hugely successful "Madagascar," it doesn't drag and the voice cast (Zach Braff, Garry Marshall, Joan Cusack, et al) doesn't get in the way of the movie's effect; it relies a little too much on popular culture references and songs for its effect (particularly in the opening - that works in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in live action - and in the case of Runt of the Litter, the show-tune-loving pig voiced by Steve Zahn), but it's a colourful, charming little movie that thankfully ends well before it has a chance to wear out its welcome, and it's nice to have a movie with a message that doesn't try to ram it down your throat. There are worse Disney movies that could have been dedicated to veteran animator Joe Grant.

And if nothing else, I defy anyone to find another movie that has the voices of Don Knotts and Patrick Stewart joining in on "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" over the credits...

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.

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.

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.

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.