Zach Braff as Chicken Little (voice)
Garry Marshall as Buck Cluck (voice)
Don Knotts as Mayor Turkey Lurkey (voice)
Patrick Stewart as Mr. Woolensworth (voice)
Amy Sedaris as Foxy Loxy (voice)
Steve Zahn as Runt of the Litter (voice)
Joan Cusack as Abby Mallard (voice)
Wallace Shawn as Principal Fetchit (voice)
Harry Shearer as Dog Announcer (voice)
Fred Willard as Melvin – Alien Dad (voice)
Catherine O’Hara as Tina – Alien Mom (voice)
Patrick Warburton as Alien Cop (voice)
Adam West as Ace – Hollywood Chicken Little (voice)
Mark Walton as Goosey Loosey (voice)
Mark Dindal as Morkubine Porcupine/Coach (voice)
Dan Molina as Fish Out of Water (voice)
Joe Whyte as Rodriguez/Acorn Mascot/Umpire (voice)
Matthew Michael Josten as Kirby – Alien Kid (voice)
Summary:
“Chicken Little” is funny, fast paced, well-voiced, and beautifully animated. It’s enjoyable for both kids and adults. And if you can see it in 3-D, go out of your way to do so.
Story:
The following is the official description of the film:
“This time the sky really is falling in Walt Disney Pictures’ new computer animated film “Chicken Little”. This epic tale presents a new twist to the classic fable of a young chicken who causes widespread panic when he mistakes a falling acorn for a piece of the sky. In this hilarious adventure, Chicken Little is determined to restore his reputation. But just as things are starting to go his way, a real piece of the sky lands on his head! Suspense, chaos, and plenty of laughs ensue as Chicken Little and his band of misfit friends, Abby Mallard (aka Ugly Duckling), Runt of the Litter and Fish Out of Water, attempt to save the world without sending the town into a whole new panic. This time, when it comes to saving the world, it helps to be a little chicken.
Chicken Little is rated G.
What Worked:
“Chicken Little” is Disney’s first major venture into computer animation without Pixar. How did they fare? Not bad at all. As computer animated movies start losing their uniqueness, the story becomes more and more important. Fortunately “Chicken Little” delivers. There are plenty of laughs, an amusing story, and a lot of great characters. There are also a lot of in-jokes relating to Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Aliens, and more. The animal theme is also well played as all sorts of amusing things go on in the background relating to the nature of the animals (fish drive fish bowl cars, birds smack into storefront windows, dog kids play fetch). The final result is a movie that offers laughs for both kids and adults.
But the screening of “Chicken Little” that I saw had a little bit of an edge. I saw it presented in 3-D at a digital screen. The result was phenomenal. It turned a pretty good computer animated film into something amazing to watch. The 3-D effect (on a non-IMAX screen for once) was beautiful. You could see incredible detail in the characters and as the aliens invaded, they literally popped out at you. You could hear ooh’s and aah’s from the crowd just in the opening credits. If you’re going to see “Chicken Little,” go out of your way to see it in 3-D. It’s a tremendous difference and it really convinced me that this is the logical next step for films (as James Cameron, George Lucas, and others have been saying).
The voice cast for this film was perfect. Zach Braff is amusing as Chicken Little while Garry Marshall, with his unique voice, plays Buck Cluck, his father. Steve Zahn is also great as Runt of the Litter. He brings the same sense of humor and ad-libs that he does to all of his movies. They are backed up by a fantastic supporting cast including Don Knotts as Mayor Turkey Lurkey, Patrick Stewart as Mr. Woolensworth, Wallace Shawn as Principal Fetchit, Harry Shearer as Dog Announcer, and more.
The movie also has a fun soundtrack that includes “Shake a Tail Feather,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” “We Are the Champions,” “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” and more.
What Didn’t Work:
“Chicken Little” is a bit slow in parts, usually when the characters are having “touchy feely” moments. Otherwise it’s pretty fast paced.
I also have to add that I think the trailers for this film haven’t done it justice. The movie is a lot funnier than you might expect.
The Bottom Line:
My kids and I all enjoyed this film quite a bit. It was funny, had some great voice work, and featured some good animation. Seeing it in 3-D also made it even more enjoyable for other audience members and I.
