Chicken Little (2005)

Chicken Little is an antic update of a hoary old tale with lots of schmaltz lacquer for an edgy flavor. I did really like this one (for an animated film) but only so far. The artwork was fine (but forget emotional investment), sight gags plentiful, and the action often manic in its dynamic quality. (They make a point in the making-of feature to describe how they wanted to add squash and stretch traditional cartooning techniques into the 3D style, such as when Chicken Little gets stretched like a rubber band then snapped and flattened against a classroom window, before he alternately sticks, flips, and slips down the surface to crash on the floor.) My eight-year-old likes the movie and I would watch it again (once or twice). The space alien invasion storyline, while wacky and convoluted, is inventive through the plot device of chameleonic tiles. The voices are well-suited: I like Zach Braff, Patrick Stewart, and Adam West. Fish Out of Water mostly pantomimes but he is as full of energy as a team mascot. The music is fun, however, parents who cluelessly let kids younger than 8 watch this film without checking the Common Sense ratings should have their undies twaddled till they say Urk. I downloaded the soundtrack because I enjoy the Barenaked Ladies and the Cheetah Girls. 3.5 stars.