What Is It?
A new computer animated "spectacular" from Disney (without the aid of Pixar). A little boy tries to be great even though he is just a small chicken (as a movie studio tries to be great even though they are not Pixar or Dreamworks).
Parts of the sky are, in fact, falling on Chicken Little's head. He realizes that he must warn the town of the impending alien invasion.
How Was It?
The animation was good, but nothing revolutionary. The acting was good but nothing much to act. We see a lot of cute concepts that, if not stolen directly from other films, were at least done better by CL's predecessors: the overblown animal fable (A Bug's Life), random cultural references (Shrek, Veggie Tales), a single dad (every Disney movie), Dodge Ball (Dodge Ball), computer animated kids who need to save their town from alien invasion (Jimmy Neutron), fish living on land with a breathing helmet, a blowfish that inflates at car accidents (Sponge Bob Square Pants), return the lost alien to the mother ship (E.T.) and all tied together with Hollywood making the movie of the little town's events. though it is completely "beefed up" all the viewers act like it's 100% accurate. (Pee Wee's Big Adventure).
Chicken Little will probably be a distant memory before December when a new generation is given enough info to understand the meaningless King Kong reference.
I never heard anyone laugh in the theater. After awhile, the kids in front of me were more interested in running back and forth to the bathroom, snack bar, and whatever else the small theater provided for superior entertainment.
The best part of the film: When they watch their story turned into a 3.2.1. Penguins-esque sci-fi extravaganza, the "muscular Hollywood" version of Chicken Little is voiced by Adam West.
Is It Good For Children?
Some moments may be too scary for very young kids. Still, everything is peacefully resolved.
You can check Screenit.com for a breakdown of everything on the screen.
What About Spiritual Issues?
The main thrust of the film is Chicken Little feeling that he has to perform to gain his father's love. After Abby Mallard (Joan Cusack as the Ugly Duckling), with the aid of many teen girl mags, convinces CL to talk it over with his dad, they gain closure. Dad assures him that he never has to earn his love. This is a nice family lesson and can easily be applied spiritually to boot (a bit too much Glamour Magazine pop psychology, but still…).
Unfortunately, right after his empowering talk with his dad, CL tells Abby, "I have always found you very attractive" and lays a big, sweeping, early Hollywood-style kiss on her (complete with the Princess Diaries foot pop). I know this was just done for laughs. Still, it's kind of disheartening to see "little kids" portrayed deep kissing. I am also just leery of anything that is going to push us toward objectifying women. (Later there is another "Wow, she's hot" moment with the pig and Foxy Loxy.)
Though it's never brought up here, and this is totally in the realm of fantasy, it should be mentioned that alien life is "real" in this film. The "fact" of aliens' existence is often connected to the theory of evolution (one proves the other). It is always best when dealing with younger children to define fantasy elements as such.
What Is Your Recommendation?
Most children have been told by their TV that they want to see this movie. If you give in, there is not a whole lot here to be afraid of, but not much to be entertained by either. In reality, this too shall pass. You would be better off digging back into the Pixar catalog and pulling out an old favorite.
