Chicken Little
The problem with this approach is that they were using the wrong inspiration. While the Dreamworks approach works in “Shrek,” it really didn’t work in “Shark Tale” or “Madagascar.” Given they had the master storytellers of Pixar in their backyard, one wonders why Disney didn’t watch a few commentary tracks to learn from the…
Left to right: RUNT OF THE LITTER, ABBY MALLARD, CHICKEN LITTLE.
©2005 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
I make no secret of my disdain for the business decision Disney made when they abandoned their hand drawn animation roots to focus on computer animation. True enough, Pixar and Dreamworks have been out-earning the latest hand drawn films produced by Disney but I contend the issue is not the medium but the storytelling. Is Disney right or am I?
If ever there were a litmus test, it is “Chicken Little.” Clearly inspired by such Dreamworks outings as “Shrek,” this film marks Disney’s debut in the computer animated market.
To get a true idea of how this film will play to it’s target audience, I brought my son Alex. At six years old, he is a big fan of movies and animation. While his tastes have not yet refined to the point he can see why “Beauty and the Beast” is a better film than “Treasure Planet,” he still provides a good litmus test.
The real measure of how successful an animated film will be, however, is how it plays to the adults in the audience. If the kids love it, the adults will endure just about everything but they are likely to resist seeing the film again unless it speaks to them. Films like “The Lion King” and “The Incredibles” made money because the parents took their kids mutiple times and in most cases, made time to see it on their own as well.
“Chicken Little” played quite well to the kids in the audience. I even noticed Alex seemed to be crying at one of the sad parts. He spent a long time talking to me about the parts that he enjoyed once the film was over and this was despite the fact it was well past his bed time.
So, the movie plays to kids. Good. I would have expected no less from Disney animation. On the whole, I admit, I expect considerably more.
As I mentioned earlier, it was obvious that Disney was using films like “Shrek” as the template for this movie. Just about every scene was brimming with pop culture references that the kids probably missed. The soundtrack was primarily comprised of rock songs from the 70’s and 80’s, invoking nostalgia that would hopefully get the parents in the audience to tap their toes.
The problem with this approach is that they were using the wrong inspiration. While the Dreamworks approach works in “Shrek,” it really didn’t work in “Shark Tale” or “Madagascar.” Given they had the master storytellers of Pixar in their backyard, one wonders why Disney didn’t watch a few commentary tracks to learn from the masters.
The pop culture references aren’t forced so much as they are layered on with a trowel, as if to say, “Hey, look at how hip we are!”
The excuse for this approach is, of course, money. “Shrek 2” isn’t nearly as good as “The Incredibles” but it made more money. The business of film is first and foremost a business.
I think it is going to backfire here. “Chicken Little” did play well to the kids in the audience but I didn’t hear a lot of laughter from the adults. I have a feeling that most of the adults in that theatre won’t be watching the movie again until it winds up on video. I know I don’t expect to.
In addition, there are portions of the film that are quite scary for children. Alex is a pretty gutsy child and at least once he leaned over and said “I’m scared!” Of course the frightening parts turned out to be far less scary than he thought but it was the first time I’ve seen him react that way in the theatre.
Everyone’s parenting style is different and I feel that it is OK to let a kid get a kid get a little spooked as long as he knows you are there for him. Other parents wouldn’t agree. Be warned that I expect most kids will find parts of this film pretty scary.
Overall, I can’t recommend this film for people without children. There isn’t a really exciting plot, the humor is forced and the characters are painted with a pretty broad brush. Disney still seems to have difficulty recognizing that their problem is not the animation format but rather the stories they choose to tell.
Tim Wick is a guest columnist whose reviews appear regularly at Cinemaphilia.com.
Chicken Little • Dolby® Digital surround sound in select theatres • Running Time: 77 minutes • MPAA Rating: G. • Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures