Chicken Little

Plot

After ruining his reputation with the town, a courageous chicken must come to the rescue of his fellow citizens when aliens start an invasion.

Release Year: 2005

Rating: 5.8/10 (26,006 voted)

Critic's Score: 48/100

Director:
Mark Dindal

Stars: Zach Braff, Joan Cusack, Garry Marshall

Storyline
After Chicken Little causes widespread panic–when he mistakes a falling acorn for a piece of the sky–the young chicken is determined to restore his reputation. But just as things are starting to go his way, a real piece of the sky lands on his head. Chicken Little and his band of misfit friends, Abby Mallard (aka Ugly Duckling), Runt of the Litter and Fish Out of Water, attempt to save the world without sending the town into a whole new panic.

Writers: Mark Dindal, Mark Kennedy

Cast:

Zach Braff
–

Chicken Little

(voice)

Garry Marshall
–

Buck Cluck

(voice)

Don Knotts
–

Mayor Turkey Lurkey

(voice)

Patrick Stewart
–

Mr. Woolensworth

(voice)

Amy Sedaris
–

Foxy Loxy

(voice)

Steve Zahn
–

Runt of the Litter

(voice)

Joan Cusack
–

Abby Mallard

(voice)

Wallace Shawn
–

Principal Fetchit

(voice)

Harry Shearer
–

Dog Announcer

(voice)

Fred Willard
–

Melvin – Alien Dad

(voice)

Catherine O'Hara
–

Tina – Alien Mom

(voice)

Patrick Warburton
–

Alien Cop

(voice)

Adam West
–

Ace – Hollywood Chicken Little

(voice)

Mark Walton
–

Goosey Loosey

(voice)

Mark Dindal
–

Morkubine Porcupine
/
Coach

(voice)

Taglines:
The end is near.

Details

Official Website:
Disney [Denmark] |
Disney [United States] |

Release Date: 4 November 2005

Box Office Details

Budget: $150,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $40,049,778
(USA)
(6 November 2005)
(3654 Screens)

Gross: $135,381,507
(USA)
(9 April 2006)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

In the scene where Buck Cluck is driving Chicken Little to school, they stop at a red light. In the background, you see a bird walking into a storefront window twice. The store owner comes out to investigate. He's a bull. The store is full of China. The proverbial "Bull in a China Shop".

Goofs:

Plot holes:
When Chicken Little gets his big hit in the baseball game, by the time he heads for home, the game is tied. If he is called out, it wouldn't be the big tragedy it's played out to be, they would still have a chance to win in later innings.

Quotes:

[first lines]

Buck Cluck:
[voice over]
Now, where to begin?
[shaft of light and pixie dust]

Buck Cluck:
How about "Once upon a time"?
[screen suddenly goes black]

Buck Cluck:
How many times have you heard that to begin a story? Let's do something else.
[gasps]

Buck Cluck:
I got it. I got it. Here we go. Here's how to open a movie.
[opening to The Lion King]

Buck Cluck:
No, I don't think so. It sounds familiar, doesn't it to you?
[…]

User Review

Average in every way

Rating: 6/10


This was a film with a somewhat interesting premise, a somewhat
interesting main character, and a somewhat interesting conclusion. This
was not a Pixar film: it wasn't designed to appeal to adults. Rather,
the writers focus on giving the kiddies a few laughs without leaving
the parents comatose with boredom.

And when everything is taken into consideration, the writers succeed.
Somewhat.

It's just not a very memorable film. Whreas most kids can watch films
like "Shrek" repeatedly because of the sight gags, talented voice-over
performances, and hidden jokes that they might not catch the first time
around, "Chicken Little" is likely to be forgotten the moment the
credits roll. That's not to say that Disney doesn't provide it's
standard politically correct message. Of course the best player on the
baseball team is a girl (Foxy Loxy). Of course a girl (Goosey Loosey)
beats up and humiliates the boy (Chicken Little). Of course the
character with the most redeeming social value is physically
unattractive (Abby Mallard). And on, and on, and on. Disney also
manages to continue its bizarre tradition of creating single father
families ("Little Mermaid", "Aladdin", "Beauty and the Beast", "The
Goofy Movie"): Chicken Little's mother has, of course, departed for the
great unknown.

The relationship between Chicken Little and his father comes across as
more annoying than heartwarming. The premise: A father realizes that
it's probably not such a great idea to be embarrassed by his son; by
the end of the movie, what his own child thinks of him actually takes
precedent over the opinions of neighbors and perfect strangers! This
message would undoubtedly come across as highly inspirational…if not
for the fact that it's so blatantly obvious, hackneyed, and overplayed.

The voice-over's for the film were largely uninspiring, save for
amusing performances by Don Knotts and Adam West. "Fish out of Water"
was easily the most likable of the bunch (yes, I was suckered by the
standard Disney cutesy animated character in their never ending attempt
to sell more toys), and he didn't even have a speaking roll. No,
"Chicken Little" is not the worst animated film I've ever seen…but
memorable, it is not.