Chicken Little (U)

Family (2005)
81mins US

Starring: Zach Braff, Joan Cusack, Garry Marshall
Director: Mark Dindal
Listings: London | Rest of UK and Ireland

Chicken Little is notorious in his hometown of Oakey Oaks for his wild imagination. After causing uproar by decreeing that the sky is falling down, Chicken tries to abide by the wishes of his father and "lay low". Unfortunately, the fledgling hero uncovers an alien plot to invade Earth - but he can't tell the locals because they won't believe him. So Chicken and his misfit pals Abby Mallard, Runt Of The Litter and Fish Out Of Water single-handedly set out to save the day.

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LondonNet Film Review

This is Disney's first fully computer animated film produced in-house, but years of working with Pixar have clearly rubbed off to the good.

Chosen subject is the cautionary tale of Chicken Little, the over anxious bird that confused an acorn bouncing off its head for the sky falling in. After setting that familiar scene - in a well-observed pastiche of small-town America - we are bounced along at a frenetic pace through the shame-faced aftermath of Chicken Little's faux pas and on to his ultimate vindication.

The engaging atmosphere here is strengthened by excellent vocal performances led by Zach Braff (Chicken Little) and Joan Cusack (Abby Mallard). The animation is - as we've come to expect - top drawer and the imaginative script and witty story telling help raise this above the usual school holiday fare.

Peter D. Clee

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