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Chicken Little

Starring: Zach Braff, Joan Cusack, Steve Zahn
Director: Mark Dindal
Genre: Comedy
Year: 2005
Rating: 4 / 5

Developing an animated film for today’s audiences is a tricky matter. In order to maximize revenue – and, let’s be frank, that is where nearly every production is headed – an animated film needs to be suitable for children while not completely alienating adults. Certain films, like Shrek, aim to please adults with sly references and clever jokes, both of which are likely to be missed by young minds. Appealing to children seems to be a secondary goal of these movies. Chicken Little seems to fall on the other side of the spectrum, with the entertainment of children as its primary objective. That being said, for a G-rated film that is devoid of the usual wink-wink jokes for adults, Chicken Little has surprisingly broad appeal. Having watched it with my wife, teenage daughter, and toddler, I can happily say that it kept our attention throughout, something that should be every movie’s goal!

Chicken Little is the story of the title character’s daunting uphill struggle to gain the respect of his peers and, most importantly, his father. After an initial episode in which he famously claims that “the sky is falling,” Chicken Little (voiced by Zach Braff of Scrubs fame) gets cast in the role similar to that of the young boy who cried wolf. No one is willing to believe him, as his far-fetched tale cannot be corroborated. Making matters worse, his father does not support him, as he merely wallows in the embarrassment that his son has caused him. Chicken Little’s best friends, Abby Mallard (Joan Cusack) and Runt of the Litter (Steve Zahn), stand by him, but the rest of the two socially ostracizes the poor little guy. It reaches a point where Chicken Little is utterly perplexed when a second incident befalls him, as he dares not risk the ire of the town once more.

Chicken Little is entertaining, humorous, and very lighthearted. It has a nice consistent message throughout that even the most dense filmgoers will grasp, but it does not talk down to the audience. The movie moves along at a rather brisk pace, zipping through the eighty-one minutes of runtime with relative ease. Chicken Little is not littered with shocking celebrity cameos, and it – unfortunately – does not have anything that would qualify as a signature scene. What it does have are cute, memorably characters – especially a pair of orange denizens that left an impression on this viewer. Chicken Little is thoroughly enjoyable, inoffensive, and will surely be purchased by many parents looking for a worthy addition to their DVD collections.

Cast:

Certification: Rated G.
Running Time: 81 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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