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Not too long ago, Disney Studios announced, in keeping with the times, all future animated features would be done in computer-generated imagery, commonly referred to as CGI. The only exceptions would be in the direct-to-DVD releases and some isolated foreign markets.
"Chicken Little" is the first computer-animated film to come from the House of the Mouse since that announcement. If this is an example of what audiences can expect from them, they may want to rethink that decision.
The plot of this film seems like it should be easy enough to animate. One day, the residents of the picturesque town Oakey Oaks awaken to hear the town warning bell being rung by Chicken Little (voiced by Zach Braff). He warns them, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" When it turns out to be just an acorn, Chicken Little not only becomes the town laughingstock, he loses credibility with his father, Buck Cluck (voiced by Garry Marshall), who had initially believed him. Ironically, when Chicken Little attains evidence of an alien invasion, nobody believes him. How could the producers go wrong with such promising formulaic stuff?
Although one could debate for hours the merits of CGI as opposed to old-fashioned cel animation, the biggest problem with "Chicken Little" is how the writing complements the new technology. For one thing, there are too many gratuitous pop-culture references. I, for one, love pop culture references and in-jokes — whenever they work. Although "Madagascar" was hardly a masterpiece, it used this type of humor in such a Looney Tunes, slapdash way it often was very funny. In "Chicken Little," the humor feels forced.
There is another problem: There are really two different films here. The first half is a fairly straightforward attempt to adapt the well-known tale to a more or less modern setting. That works pretty well, even if the humor seems contrived. In fact, I liked the relationship between Chicken Little and his father and wish Disney had done more along those lines.
In the second half, when the aliens attack, the production becomes a whole other film — somewhat of a cross between a spoof of "War of the Worlds" and an edgy Nickelodeon TV show. Even the style of animation seems different.
Not all CGI films can match "The Incredibles" or "Shrek." To expect such is unrealistic. But if Disney’s future animated features aren’t a whole lot better than "Chicken Little," they’re in a heap of trouble.
Chicken Little
G
In theatres Thursday
Two and a half out of four
Recommended Rental
Stealth
PG-13
Available Tuesday
Despite being a colossal bomb at the box office (its worldwide gross was slightly less than half its $130 million price tag), I enjoyed "Stealth."
With a decidedly tongue-in-cheek screenplay by W.D. Richter (1972’s "Slither" and 1986’s "Big Trouble in Little China") and pedal-to-the-metal direction by Rob Cohen, the film is about as fun as an action film could be. Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx and Josh Lucas play pilots in a top-secret military program who are challenged when their commander (Sam Shepard) orders them to fly with a new partner, an artificial intelligence program called E.D.I. When the latter develops a mind of its own its human partners must stop it or risk a worldwide catastrophe.
