Chicken Little (NC)

Chicken Little
Aired	June 5, 2018
Running Time	18:05
Previous Review	Deadpool 2
Next Review	The Angry Birds Movie
Link	http://channelawesome.com/chicken-little-nostalgia-critic/

(The Channel Awesome logo is shown, followed by NC 2018 titles)

NC: (looking rather clean-shaven) Hello, I'm the Nostalgia Critic. I remember it so you don't have to. Let's be honest, if you took Pixar out of the equation, Disney would still be putting out some damn good CGI films.

(Cut to a montage of images from said films: Tangled, Moana, Zootopia, Big Hero 6, Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph)

NC (vo): From Tangled to Wreck-It Ralph to Frozen to Moana, Disney has been making smash after smash, winning over both audiences and critics. Some of them are even among the highest-grossing movies of all time. It's amazing the quality of films they're pushing out.

NC: (shaking head) God, did it not start that way!

(Cut to footage of Chicken Little)

NC (vo): Being Disney's second computer-animated film without Pixar, Chicken Little is among one of the most awkward, uncomfortable, mean-spirited movies they've ever made.

NC: And don't get me wrong, I love mean-spirited Disney!

(A shot of Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame is shown)

NC (vo): Whether it be their villains...

(A shot of the scary forest from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is shown)

NC (vo): ...creepy imagery...

(A clip of the short Pluto's Judgement Day is shown: Pluto being taken away by demonic cats to face his final judgment)

NC (vo): ...or...whatever the Christ this is.

(More footage of Chicken Little is shown)

NC (vo): But that's not what Chicken Little is. It's supposed to be bright, colorful and upbeat, but instead, it's eww-y, disturbing, and as upbeat as an animated series on (poster for...) The Good Son. (a poster for Wish Kid appears next to the Good Son poster, along with a question mark) How does such a thriving CG empire hatch from such an ugly, rotten egg? Well, we're here to take an unfortunate look.

NC: Let's see why our I.Q.s are falling with Chicken Little.

(The movie starts by showing the Disney logo, designed like a hen house, before showing a glowing, glittery light)

NC (vo): So the movie is so unclear with its tone, that it actually has three false starts.

Buck Cluck: (narrating) Once upon a time... (Suddenly, we cut to a pitch black background to the sound of a door slam) How many times have you heard that to begin a story? (We cut to the opening shot of The Lion King, showing the sun rising, before fading to black again) No, I don't think so. It sounds familiar, doesn't it? (We cut to a red book sitting under a tree opening) Oh, no, no. Not the book. How many have seen "opening the book" before? (The scene stops with a record scratch)

NC: You know, naming cliches surprisingly doesn't make you above them. You have to actually do something with them. It's like if I started off a movie with...

(We see an image of a supermarket, then an image of a house and a bar)

NC (vo; in a narrator voice): This movie starts in a store...no, a house! No, a bar!

NC: Sorry. Sometimes, I type my post-it notes into the script.

(In the town of Oakey Oaks, Chicken Little is shown ringing the school bell in a huge panic, sending the entire town's citizens into a huge panic also)

NC (vo): So they decide to go with...I guess no intro...as we just cut to Chicken Little telling everybody to run for cover, leading to some already confusing jokes.

(A mother rabbit hears about the potential danger, panics, and grabs millions of her crying baby rabbits out of their pram; the babies are all shown in a straight, connected line)

NC: (shrugs) I guess what's supposed to be funny is rabbits have a lot of kids. How they all fit into one stroller is at least an abstractly forced joke.

(A large sphere full of water, having fallen off a water tower, rolls through the town, crashing through the town's cinema, which shows the 1981 Steven Spielberg classic, Raiders of the Lost Ark)

NC (vo): How's this for world-building? A universe comprised entirely of animals is watching Indiana Jones. This universe is as coherent as a VRChat Room. (An image of what he described is briefly shown) Nothing is established! But, hey, a giant water tower knocks out cars honking "Old MacDonald"!*

(The water tower sphere rolls through five cars, all honking a tune. *Note: It's not "Old MacDonald" that was heard; it was the "M-O-U-S-E" notes of the Mickey Mouse Club theme)

NC: Get it? I don't.

NC (vo): As if all of this wasn't aggressively nonsensical enough, keep in mind, we're not even two minutes in. Nothing is properly established except Zootopia's direct-to-DVD sequel clearly needed ten more rewrites!

(A fireman dog stops his fire truck to call to Chicken Little, who is still ringing the bell)

Fireman Dog: Chicken Little!

NC: Ah! Don't tell me the main character's name! I was happy in this anarchy of confusion!

NC (vo): This is 12-year-old Chicken Little...voiced by 30-year-old Zach Braff.

(Chicken Little is shown trying to show the town's citizens what he saw)

Chicken Little: I know it's here! T-t-t-there's a piece of the sky somewhere!

NC: That matches as well as Dr. Claw voicing Ariel.

(The "Part of Your World" scene from The Little Mermaid is shown, with NC dubbing Ariel's singing with his impression of Dr. Claw)

NC (vo; as Dr. Claw, imitating Ariel; singing): I'm ready to know what the people know.

(Back to the film, showing Chicken Little getting hit on the head by an acorn)

NC (vo): He says the sky is falling, but everyone thinks he confused it for an acorn. It doesn't help either that he starts saying gibberish.

NC: For...never any established reason.

(While being confronted by various reporters, Chicken Little becomes extremely nervous and is unable to speak clearly)

Chicken Little: A big acorn level fluh?

Reporter #1: What did he say?

Chicken Little: Big...a big acorn level fluh?

NC: Hmm, I wonder what that is backwards?

NC (vo; as Chicken Little): I still stand by Garden State!

NC: FOOL!

(One year later, Chicken Little and his father, Buck Cluck, are driving through the town, while passing by a billboard that advertises "Crazy Little Chicken: The Movie")

NC (vo): So the town makes a movie about him...

NC: As towns do.

NC (vo): ...as it's one year later, and Little's father, voiced by Garry Marshall, constantly reminds him of his failure.

Buck Cluck: It would be better for you just to lay low, don't call attention to yourself, right?

Chicken Little: Yeah, but I was...

Buck: See, it's...it's like a game. Yeah, a game of hide and seek, except the goal is never to be found...ever.

NC: (as Buck) The important thing is, you feel no love from me, like my audience's reaction to (poster of...) The Other Sister.

(While waiting at the bus stop, Chicken Little is met by a mother and son dog)

Kid Dog: There's the crazy chicken!

Mother Dog: Yes, it is. Crazy little chicken. (Pulls her son away from Chicken Little) You're so smart. We don't make eye contact. Bye-bye.

NC: (annoyed) Okay, he rung a bell, not decapitated a student! (A black and white image of children burning books is shown) Book burnings have more tolerance than this!

(We briefly see a shot of Chicken Little trying to get to school on foot, before cutting to his school, where we see the teacher, Mr. Woolensworth the sheep, taking the class's attendance; we see Chicken Little's best friends and bully for the first time here)

NC (vo): After discovering even traffic won't stop for him, he makes it to class where Patrick Stewart plays his greatest role since a pile of shit... (An image of Patrick Stewart's character, Poop from The Emoji Movie, is shown) ...as the teacher who reads off the students' names who just happen to be descriptive phrases.

Mr. Woolensworth: Foxy Loxy...

Foxy Loxy (Amy Sedaris): Present, pretty and punctual.

Mr. Woolensworth: Runt of the Litter...

Runt (Steve Zahn): Yeah.

Mr. Woolensworth: Fish out of Water... (Fish, a cheerful fish with a bowl full of water on his head, blubs right next to Mr. Woolensworth) Abby Mallard...

Foxy Loxy: (coughs) Ugly Duckling.

(Mr. Woolensworth shrieks at the sight of Abby, who is shown accompanied by an "ah-ooga" horn sound. NC's cell phone rings. NC picks it up and answers it)

NC: Hello?

Voice on phone (Doug): Hello, this is the 1950s. We'd like our cartoon sound effect at something ugly back.

NC: Well, I'm sorry. I have no control over that.

Voice: Oh. Well, who does?

NC: I suppose the people who made this movie.

Voice: But they made it in 2005, right?

NC: Yeah.

Voice: Wouldn't they have moved on to newer material by then?

NC: Well, one would think for Disney.

Voice: Oh, God! Disney used that joke? They must be in a rut.

NC: Well, they will be for a while, but believe me, they do pull out... (Suddenly stops speaking on the phone and speaks to the camera) Why am I still going with this joke?!

NC (vo): Has anyone noticed, by the way, the animation moves like a choppy cutscene from a PlayStation 2 game? Everyone is either spastic or has more Molly in them than the movie (poster of...) Ghost.

(We cut to the entire class attending a dodgeball game)

Coach Dog: Dodgeball.

Foxy Loxy: Pump it, pump it, pump it!

Coach: Split into two teams: Popular vs. Unpopular.

NC: Whoo! Move over, George Orwell. Someone else has beaten you for Best Commentary.

Runt: Coach?

Coach: Yeah, Unpopular?

Runt: Shouldn't we review safety guidelines?

Coach: Sure. (To the other classmates) Hit the pig, kids!

(And Runt immediately tries to avoid many balls being thrown at him)

NC: Why do I feel like this world is one step away from (poster of...) Man in the High Castle?

(Runt continues running from the dodgeballs, going past Abby)

Abby Mallard: Calm down, Runt! Just...just do what Fish is doing!

(Fish is skillfully dodging the balls while dancing to "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" by C+C Music Factory)

NC: Waste copyright money on a song for a joke that blows?

(Chicken Little arrives, wearing origami pants after having lost his old ones, and speaks with Abby)

NC (vo): Chicken Little tells Ugly Duckling, played by Joan Cusack, that he wants to do something great to get everyone's mind off the goof-up that he made a year ago, and make his dad proud again. But she doesn't think it's a good idea.

Abby: The nut needs to be cracked open. Bam! Smash! Bits of emotion flying everywhere! Anger, frustration, denial, fear! You see what I'm saying?

(Chicken Little and Runt stare at Abby, blank-faced)

NC: (imitating one of the African porters from George of the Jungle) Character over-explains something that nobody understands. Classic outdated comedy. Now comes the part where we throw our heads back and laugh. Ready?

(Then we cut to that exact moment from George of the Jungle, showing the other two African porters approaching their lead porter)

Porters: Ready!

NC: Ha... (Suddenly stops and frowns) No.

Abby: There's a whole section about it in this month's Modern Mallard.

NC (vo): She says he needs closure with his father, but Fish out of Water uses the cards that fall out of her magazine to build a skyscraper.

(Fish, having built the Empire State Building out of various magazines and papers, starts imitating King Kong and fighting paper airplanes flying around him)

NC: I thank this movie for allowing me to...

(A scene from Loaded Weapon 1 is shown)

NC (vo): ...reference Loaded Weapon 1 by asking the question...

NC: You stole from Loaded Weapon 1?

(We are shown Chicken Little being picked on by Foxy Loxy and her friend, Goosey Loosey, by being thrown towards the window)

NC (vo): Little tells the bullies to stop picking on them, but he's flung against the window, adding to the good cheer this film has to offer. I guess this is done while the teacher's gone, but really, wouldn't it be encouraged while the teacher was there?

NC: This world is pretty sick.

(While falling out the window, Chicken Little lands on the fire alarm, activating it and setting off the sprinklers. He's sent to the principal's office, where he sits on a bench next to the office door while the principal talks with Buck from inside the office)

NC (vo): He sets off the fire alarm, though, of course getting blamed, leading to his father called to the principal's office.

Principal Fetchit (Wallace Shawn): Now look, Buck. (As Fetchit speaks, Chicken Little notices several photos on the wall showing Buck as a young baseball star) You were Buck "Ace" Cluck, our school baseball star. Your kid...he's nothing like you at all.

NC: That...in no way connects to anything, but it's good to know the principal's as big a dick in this world as anyone else.

(We cut to a montage of Chicken Little signing up for baseball, before cutting to the final baseball game)

NC (vo): Little decides to sign up for the baseball team to try and make his dad proud, but is constantly benched, until his big break.

Dog Announcer (Harry Shearer): Up next... (Shudders in disgust when he sees who's next on the team) Chicken Little.

(At the Mayor's seat, Mayor Turkey Lurkey sees a sign by his dog bodyguard that says "Weep Hopelessly", and he immediately starts crying his eyes out)

Cheetah: (sitting next to Buck) He's gonna lose the game for us!

(A smiling NC says his next line as a large caption shows it)

NC: Disney: You're gonna fail and we don't love you.

(Chicken Little manages to hit a home run and successfully wins the game, winning over the entire crowd)

NC (vo): Surprisingly, though, he makes a hit, immediately winning over the town's bottomless pit of shallow attention. (We cut to Chicken Little and Buck celebrating at home) Even his asshole dad congratulates his athletic achievement with passive-aggressive praise.

Buck: I guess that puts this whole "sky is falling" incident behind us once and for all.

NC: (as Buck) My love for you is like a grocery store staff, constantly shifting depending on convenience.

(Suddenly, an actual piece of the sky falls and lands on Chicken Little's head. He soon discovers that the piece is actually a device that blends into its surroundings. He calls Abby, Runt and Fish on the phone, who are celebrating at Abby's house by singing karaoke to "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls)

NC (vo): But things change when apparently, a piece of the sky falls, but he keeps it a secret so people don't mock him again. So he calls Ugly Duckling and Runt of the Litter, who are singing beautifully dated karaoke.

Abby and Runt: (singing) If you wanna be my lover...

Runt: You gotta get with my friends.

Abby: Gotta get with my friends...

NC: Yeah, a foot size joke in Frozen gets a PG...

NC (vo): ...but singing about the qualifications of being someone's lover?

NC: Every toddler should see that!

(We cut to Abby, Runt and Fish at Chicken Little's house)

NC (vo): Or how about this nugget of family okay-ness?

Abby: Remember when that icy blue stuff fell from the sky? And it just turned out to be frozen pee from a jet airplane.

Runt: It's frozen pee!

NC: I love my kids' films to have towns getting pissed on. They really need more of that in Winnie the Pooh. (An image of Pooh in the sky with an umbrella while rain is falling is shown)

(When Fish pushes a button on the back of the device, it flies into the sky with Fish on it, eventually turning out to be part of the camouflage of an invisible alien UFO, which lands near the baseball stadium)

NC (vo): He shows them the device, but it accidentally sucks up Fish out of Water, and they go to save him.

(As the UFO lands, Abby becomes entranced by its bright lights as Chicken Little calls to her)

Chicken Little: Abby! Abby, wake up! (Pulls Abby away) Come on, let's get out of here!

NC: (befuddled) What was that about?

NC (vo): Ooh! It's amazing how none of this is like the original source material at all! (An image of the original book, "The Remarkable Story of Chicken Little", is shown)

NC: I hope this doesn't become a thing. (Posters of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Haunted Mansion, Alice in Wonderland (2010), and Beauty and the Beast (2017) are shown)

(And we go to a commercial. When we come back, we see Chicken Little, Abby and Runt explore the UFO to save Fish, eventually finding him and discovering a large map inside showing the entire system of planets)

NC (vo): The kids go into the alien ship, where they find Fish out of Water, as well as apparently an evil plan to destroy the Earth.

(All of the planets have been ticked off, except Earth, which is drawn with pointed arrows)

NC (vo): Either that or they're just marking off places they've already been.

NC: I cross off a day in my calendar. I didn't destroy the day!

(Suddenly, the ship's aliens, each controlling giant tentacled robots, appear and chase the kids out of the ship and into the cornfields)

NC (vo): The aliens find the kids, though, and try to attack. Gee, I wonder if a crop circle joke is coming up.

(Indeed; while chasing the kids through the cornfields, the aliens do make a crop circle shape)

NC: Great! Just throw a door at them and a glass of water, and they'll be beat for life!

(Chicken Little rings the bell, summoning all the town's citizens to the baseball stadium, but by the time they get there, the UFO has left)

NC (vo): Chicken Little rings the bell, alerting the town, but, of course, the aliens go away and nobody believes him again.

Cheetah: It's the acorn thing all over again!

Rabbit: Eh, there's no story here.

Cameraman Dog: Well, at least we can sell the video to Chickens Gone Wild.

(NC is stunned)

NC: I don't know what's more disturbing. The fact that there's a show called "Chickens Gone Wild", or the fact that a little boy qualifies to be in it?

Runt: Their eyes, they're glowing, and their tentacles...!

(Suddenly, Runt's mother appears and grabs him by his ear)

Runt's Mother: Runt, that's enough! Don't make Mommy take away your Streisand collection!

NC: (snickers) Okay, can the remainder of this review just be me speculating what kind of animal Streisand is in this world? I'm gonna say anteater. (Two images of Barbra Streisand and an anteater are shown)

NC (vo): Of course, he (Chicken Little) looks to his dad for support, who completely turns his back on him yet again.

Buck: (to the crowd) I'm, I'm really sorry about this, everyone. Looks like this is just a big, crazy misunderstanding.

NC: (as Buck) They designed him with two apple seeds for eyes. It's amazing he sees anything at all.

(The next morning, Chicken Little and his friends discover a little orange alien named Kirby, having been accidentally left behind on Earth)

NC (vo): One of the aliens is left behind, though, and I do have to give credit that they could have gone with just a generic alien design, but they do get creative by putting Rainbow Brite shoes and Troll hair. Let's be honest. (An image of the alien from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is shown, soon replaced by an image of Kirby) Kingdom of the Crystal Skull would have been a little better if this was the alien. Thus, he ends up befriending Little.

Chicken Little: His name is Kirby?

Abby: They left him behind?

Runt: Darth Vader is Luke's father?

NC: Well, come on. [George] Lucas films are the only human movies we get out here. (The earlier clip of the cinema playing Raiders of the Lost Ark is briefly shown) How aren't we talking about them more?

(Suddenly, the sky cracks apart, revealing a large army of alien UFOS that invade and attack Oakey Oaks)

NC (vo): But the sky breaks apart for all the town to see, and the aliens start invading, looking for their kid.

(Buck is trying to get Chicken Little to come with him)

Buck: We gotta go!

Chicken Little: No, wait, Dad, I gotta tell you something.

Buck: What? What? I know, I know! You were right. Alien invasion. I see that now. Look up!

NC: Okay, for all the amount of assholiness we've been putting up with, that's not enough. We need, like, the entire town to bow down to him like Return of the King. (A scene from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, showing the entire kingdom of Gondor bowing down to the Hobbits, is shown) You keep getting copyrights for other songs. How about Howard Shore's score for that moment?

(Chicken Little, finally annoyed with Buck, removes his hand from Buck's)

Chicken Little: Forget it. You wouldn't believe me anyway.

(He runs off, making Buck worried)

Buck: Son. Son, come back! Son!

NC: Forget it, Buck. It's Chickentown...where they play Chickens Gone Wild. Seriously, what was that?

(We are shown several scenes of the aliens attacking the town)

NC (vo): While obviously ripping off Spielberg's War of the Worlds...though, apparently, not obvious enough, as they literally have to tell you...

Abby: It's like War of the Worlds out there!

NC: Yeah. (Points to a poster of Spaceballs) And this isn't a parody of The Matrix?

(Buck meets with Chicken Little at the empty movie cinema)

NC (vo): ...Buck catches up to Chicken Little, and they try to work things out.

Chicken Little: You're never there for me. I mean, you were there when I won the big game, but not when I thought the sky fell.

Buck: Your mom, she was...you know, she was always good with stuff like this.

NC: (as Buck) I'll never forget the day she never came back from Panda Express.

Buck: But you need to know that I love you. And I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like that was something you had to earn.

(Buck and Chicken Little embrace each other)

NC (vo; as Buck): I mean, granted, any love I've shown for you has clearly been done through earning it, but that's not what I...

NC: No, that's what I intended.

(Before going off to save the day, Chicken Little suddenly confesses finding Abby attractive and kisses her, making her foot pop)

NC (vo): Oh, and he kisses Ugly Duckling because...their relationship was so special, they decided to spring it on you at this very moment.

Abby: (lovestruck) Now that's closure.

NC: Now if only you showed how it started.

(The film's climax is shown, with Chicken Little trying to return Kirby to his alien parents, while Buck defends him from the other attacking aliens)

NC (vo): By the way, for the amount of aliens looking for this kid, how can they not spot Conan O'Brien's pubic hair running through this grey, colorless city? Even when they do find him, they don't turn him over. I think it's a safe bet any of these ships will get him to his parents. But if they're anything like Chicken Little's dad, I'm just assuming they disowned him already. They make it to the roof and try to get the alien to the literal mothership, but they get beamed up and talk to the alien's dad.

(Chicken Little and Buck sit face-to-face with Kirby's father Melvin, who is shown with a big, deep voice and large eyes)

Melvin (Fred Willard): Release the child.

Chicken Little and Buck: Oh. Okay, okay.

(They release Kirby, but Melvin is still angry with the two)

Melvin: You have violated Intergalactic Law 90210!

NC: I recognize that number! That means it's funny! (Beat) It'd be...nice if there was some connection to that zipcode that gave it some relevance, but just be recognizing it is enough. Writing: Words are hard. (The caption saying that exact line is shown)

(After Kirby reveals it's all been a total misunderstanding, the aliens reveal their true friendly selves and return the whole town to normal)

NC (vo): But the son comes in to save them and returns the town to...how did Willy Wonka put it?

(A clip from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is shown)

Willy Wonka: ...their normal, terrible old selves.

(However, Foxy Loxy is shown to have been transformed into a nicer, singing Southern lady)

NC (vo): That is, except for Foxy Loxy, who seems to have lost her bully, tomboy ways.

Foxy Loxy: (singing) Oh, lolli, lolli, lolli...

Alien Cop (Patrick Warburton): We can put her back the way she was.

Runt: No! (Smiles) She's perfect. (Starts singing with Foxy) Lollipop!

Foxy Loxy and Runt: (singing) Lollipop!

NC: Ha! The little girl her parents raised is dead! But showtunes!

Runt: (singing) Lollipop!

Foxy Loxy and Runt: (singing) Lollipop!

Melvin: Darling, look at the time. (Looks at his watch, which has Mickey Mouse on it, with three eyes) We'd better get a move on.

NC: I guess I shouldn't be shocked that Disney merchandising has made it to planets off the map, but having Mickey with a third eye, isn't that kind of like alien blackface?

(After the aliens leave the restored town, Buck speaks with Chicken Little)

Buck: I'd like to see the movie they make about you now.

Chicken Little: I just hope they stay true to what really happened.

Buck: Oh, son, these people are from Hollywood.

NC: This irony is so thick, Tony Stark is making a suit out of it.

(We are shown all the citizens watching a new movie at the cinema called "Chicken Little: The True Story", presented as a science fiction adventure film featuring adult, tough heroic versions of the main characters)

NC (vo): The movie is, of course, overblown, ridiculous, and has no connection to the original tale, and the film version they watch isn't that good either.

NC: (imitates the African porter from George of the Jungle) Now you can throw your head back and laugh! (Throws his head back and laughs as we see the three African porters from George of the Jungle also laughing)

NC (vo): I gotta give credit to casting Adam West as Macho Chicken Little, though. It may be the only funny scene in the movie.

Hollywood Chicken Little: The sky...is falling.

Hollywood Abby: Commander Little, no!

Hollywood Chicken Little: Please...call me...Ace.

NC: And yet, it's still more accurate than (poster of...) The Blind Side.

(After the movie ends, everyone in the cinema applauds and cheers for Chicken Little, grateful for his efforts in saving Oakey Oaks)

NC (vo): Chicken Little, the dad, and the audience are happy with the movie, though, proving this film's moral that facts and deeper meaning don't mean shit as long as you're satisfied for the moment.

(As the credits roll, several characters are shown singing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John and Kiki Dee)

Runt: (singing) Don't go breaking my heart.

Foxy Loxy: (singing) I couldn't if I tried.

NC (vo): The credits roll with Runt and Foxy singing a duet, because...that's really funny. You know, because of all their interactions that they had with each other, and now they're complete opposites. (The scene of Foxy Loxy throwing dodgeballs at Runt is shown) Oh, you know, the interactions like this couple seconds and...nowhere goddamn else.

NC: Chicken Little. It's about relationships. (Beat) Question mark, five exclamation points?

(Footage of the movie plays once more as NC gives his closing thought)

NC (vo): Sheesh, this is not only an unfunny film, it’s just kind of a…rotten film. Everyone is so needlessly cruel, and not in a fun way. Had the world, characters or environments been better realized or defined, maybe the meaner jokes could’ve worked. But it just tosses you in awkward cruelty after awkward cruelty. I guess there’s a good lesson about parents and kids listening to each other, but it's done with such bland and/or unlikeable characters that it’s hard to take reasonably. And on top of that, it’s just not the story. It’s like if The Tortoise and the Hare had aliens and the moral is "Never trust a wolf in sheep’s clothing." It just doesn’t add up! I hear a lot of people grew up liking this, and if that’s the case, I can’t fault the message it’s trying to get across. But as Disney films go, this is a spoiled egg worth passing on.

NC: I'm the Nostalgia Critic, and next week, I better get a better bird movie. (Gets up and leaves, but suddenly comes back in horror, having realized too late what has been chosen for the next review) That's not based on a phone app game...!

(The credits roll)

Channel Awesome Tagline: Chicken Little: A big acorn level fluh?