Too often it feels as if key scenes have been cut in the interest of keeping the final product short and sweet because the characters in Chicken Little never come close to being fully developed. That being said, a few of them do come close (although I am being quite generous there) to experiencing a solid arc, but ultimately. these characters are simply pawns in a much grander scheme that never pulls it all together. I simply find myself feeling completely apathetic to these characters and their stories. If they succeed, great, and if they don't, well, too bad. Yet once again, the cast is definitely not to be blamed. Unfortunately, Disney totally wastes this cast with lackluster characters inhabiting a bizarrely disappointing story. An ensemble featuring Zach Braff, Garry Marshall, Joan Cusack, Don Knotts, Patrick Stewart, Steve Zahn, Amy Sedaris, and Wallace Swann simply deserve so much better.
As for the individual characters themselves, Chicken Little is a fine, but rather unremarkable character. We all know the story of Chicken Little before the film even starts, but unlike in times past, Disney is unable to break the narrative mold and breath new life into this legend. His characterization is strictly by the books, which is quite disheartening given the endless possibilities with how to handle such a character. However, I do applaud Disney for creating a character that is unwavering in the face of trials. so while I am ultimately unfilled by Little's characterization, there have certainly been worse characters in the Disney canon. Abby Mallard and Buck Chuck have the potential to be the film's highlights, but once again, the feeling of cut scenes rears its ugly head in regard to their characterization. Mallard is such a good character as Cusack is on her way to voicing another superb character, but then, Chicken Little kisses her, and apparently, she is rendered useless in the aftermath. You're better than that, Disney. Give her something to do instead of relegating her to the sidelines. Buck Chuck, Little's father, should have an emotional breakthrough at some point with his son, and while he does, it's too little too late. He has already publicly embarrassed and ostracized his son on his way to winning an award for worst father ever, so when they do finally find that elusive closure, the intended emotional payoff is minute if existent at all. The rest of the characters are simply passing by and rather useless. Yet again, you're better than that, Disney.
Chicken Little is one of Disney's first completely computer animated films (more on that below), and that is one of the few highlights from the film. The animation is quite gorgeous, especially when the science fiction element is brought into the equation. That being said, though, whenever a film is more of a technical marvel than anything else, that is problematic. Pixar chief John Lasseter once stated, "The art challenges the technology, and the technology inspires the art." The animation is suppose to be a part of the story, not overtake it. It is intended to be the means in which the story comes to life, but unfortunately in Chicken Little, the story is overpowered by Disney's apparent newfound fascination with computer technology. This film feels like two films in one. The first half is the story we all know: the sky is not falling and Chicken Little must deal with the consequences. The second half, for some disastrous reason, turns into a science fiction farce. The first half is solid, but the second half is laughably atrocious. The characters have nothing to do other than run around like, well, the world is ending, and the storyline with the aliens is just absurd. It's almost as if Disney was admitting the story was bad, so they decided to put all of their creative energy behind the animation, and that is a recipe for disaster.
When the animation is the only highlight in the entire film, you know the film is subpar, to put it nicely. In a period of time in which Pixar continued to foster excellent ideas for stories and phenomenal characters to inhabit those stories, Disney simply wasn't getting the job. Luckily, they are about to turn it around in the coming days of the Summer of Magic, but there is no denying that 2003 to 2005 was a dark time in Disney history as characters were an afterthought, stories were backdrops, and the sky was seemingly falling right before our very eyes.
Rating: 5/10
Historical Significance: While Dinosaur was the first Disney film to be computer animated, Chicken Little officially kicked off the new trend for the studio that is still going strong today. With the exceptions of The Princess and the Frog in 2009 and Winnie the Pooh in 2011, all of Disney's animated films have been computer animated since 2005. Chicken Little was also the first Disney film to be presented in Disney Digital 3D. The original plan for the film was to tell the story with a narrator (voiced by Don Knotts, who ended up voicing Mayor Turkey Lurky in the final cut as the film was released just a few months prior to his death) telling the story of Chicken Little. Additionally, the film was intended to be hand drawn, not computer animated, but after the critical and financial failures of Brother Bear and Home on the Range, Disney decided to embrace the future of animation with Chicken Little.
Behind the Scenes: After many failed attempts at voicing a Disney animated character in the past, Star Trek and X-Men legend Patrick Stewart was finally cast in one of the studio's films as he voiced Mr. Woolensworth in Chicken Little. He had recently auditioned for or at least was considered for the following roles: Francis (Oliver & Company), King Triton (The Little Mermaid), Cogsworth (Beauty and the Beast), Jafar (Aladdin), Zazu (The Lion King), Governor Ratcliffe (Pocahontas), Judge Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Zeus (Hercules), and Clayton (Tarzan). Furthermore, Chicken Little was initially planned to be a female character, and the studio even went as far as to bring in Holly Hunter (The Incredibles) to record the dialogue. Hunter essentially recorded all of the lines before Disney decided to switch the genders and bring in Zach Braff to provide the new voice. No one is quite sure why Disney decided to make such a change. Hunter was later considered for the voice of Abby Mallard, but another Pixar alumnus, Joan Cusack (Toy Story), was cast instead.
Favorite Character: Almost by default, I have to go with Chicken Little as my favorite character here due to the simple lack of other more viable options. This entire film is filled with good characters that never even come close to making the jump to greatness. We see glimpses of greatness from Buck Chuck and Abby Mallard, but their characterization eventually falls quite short. Our main protagonist, though, is given an opportunity to drive the film emotionally in a solid, albeit unmemorable manner. Too often in Chicken Little is character and story sacrificed in favor of technological advancement, but you must hand it to Chicken Little for his amazing persistence in the face of adversity. He stands firm in his belief that the sky is in fact falling even when he is the laughing stock of the entire world. There's a lesson to be learned in that. Unfortunately, that lesson is lost in that insanely weird alien invasion.
Favorite Scene: The ending scene in which Chicken Little's story is finally brought to the silver screen features some excellent tongue-in-cheek humor. Chicken Little is assured that the one thing Hollywood will not do is mess with a good story (my, how that line proved to be prophetic for this film). However, when the packed theater witnesses how Hollywood has interpreted the events in Oakey Oats, we are greeted with a barrage of exaggerations. Chicken Little is the coolest guy around as Adam West (yes, that Adam West!) hilariously provides the voice for the newly nicknamed Ace. Then, Abby becomes a James Bond girl essentially while Runt is portrayed as a Han Solo-type. Fish (yup, still pains me to call a character by the name of Fish) is given a clear voice, and when he talks, it is quite hilarious. This scene captures the tone I wish the entire film would be defined by, and that is why it is my favorite.Updated Ranking: When you recieve the same rating as Home on the Range, you find yourself in the cellar.
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Lion King
- Aladdin
- The Little Mermaid
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Peter Pan
- Cinderella
- The Jungle Book
- Sleeping Beauty
- Lilo & Stitch
- Hercules
- Mulan
- The Emperor's New Groove
- Tarzan
- Pinocchio
- Lady and the Tramp
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Alice in Wonderland
- Dumbo
- Bambi
- 101 Dalmatians
- Pocahontas
- Treasure Planet
- The Great Mouse Detective
- Fantasia
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
- The AristoCats
- Fantasia 2000
- The Rescuers Down Under
- Fun and Fancy Free
- The Fox and the Hound
- Robin Hood
- Dinosaur
- Melody Time
- The Three Caballeros
- Saludos Amigos
- Brother Bear
- Oliver & Company
- The Rescuers
- Atlantis: The Lost Empire
- The Sword in the Stone
- Make Mine Music
- The Black Cauldron
- Chicken Little
- Home on the Range
Life is a highway, and tomorrow, I'll drive it all night long with my review of Pixar's Cars!
-Cody Fleenor
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