Chicken Little Discussion

[MadonnasManOne]

IGN.com has posted their review, which is mostly positive.

You can read it, here:
http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/664/664158p1.html

I do want to see this film. It could be very interesting. Here's hoping it is worth the money. Of course, I will see it in 3D, if it is available near me.

[TinTinV]

If IGN of all people, enjoyed it - than it's a must see. If I recall, IGN tends to be very critical when it comes to their reviews...I'm scared of them sometimes.

I've been seeing more negative reviews lately (www.rottentomatoes.com) but I think this is going to be one of those "Gotta see it for yourself" films. And besides. . .they're critics, they hate themselves. (Anyone gonna quote me on that one?

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

Rotten Tomatoes has 40 reviews so far!

And 28 of them hate it so far! Not looking too good so far! But then again, I can't tell you how many times critics have been wrong!

[isaac15]

cool ign gave it a good review. i have to watch it.

[Prince Eric]

I did something that I don't usually do, and I peaked at the EW review before actually seeing it. Lisa Schwartzbaum gave it a "C." She is an animation aficionado (there's always at least one animated film on her prestigious top 10 list), so her word is gold to me. Not to mention that I've never disagree with an animation review from EW this decade, except for Lilo & Sitch. She said pretty much everything I feared: all the gags have been done by Pixar and the Shrek franchise before, except better. She said there was no wit or originality to me. I guess I'll still see it, but there goes my hopes of Disney having a bonafide homegrown critical and commercial hit.

[Pasta67]

Rotten Tomatoes has 40 reviews so far!

And 28 of them hate it so far! Not looking too good so far! But then again, I can't tell you how many times critics have been wrong!

Gah, I was just about to post that! I should've known you would beat me to that website, T/P Fan!

Seriously, I had high hopes for this movie. High. High. Hopes. The trailers made it look very funny and entertaining, but after reading all 40 of those critics reviews (because I......don't have a lot goin' on right now ), my expectations have reached rock bottom. I know you shouldn't pay too much attention to what the critics say (they're people just like us), but when you read reviews that say.....

"The film is another sign of Disney's fall as an animation power. For most of the past decade, the studio has cranked out out-of-touch, uninspired hand-drawn fluff. Now they've moved on to out-of-touch, uninspired computer-drawn fluff."

"Disney eradicated their hand-drawn animation department for this?"

"CHICKEN LITTLE's visual style is as close to Pixar pictures as microwave pizza is to a freshly prepared restaurant version."

"Music that will be dated in less than a decade? Check.
Pop culture references that will be dated in less than two years? Check.
Ideas that can quaintly be called “less than original”? Check.
A story skeletal enough to require a back-to-back music montage to pad the already-lean 77-minute running time? Check."

, you're bound to have a pretty strong first impression.

I hope Disney at least learns something constructive from this, whatever it may be. I have one last thing to comment on.

This one will likely get the treatment of Disney mediocrity: only three direct-to-video sequels and no traveling ice show.

Was I the only one who said "Ouch" when I read that? I agree with the reviewer, but still: "Ouch".

[Luke]

Does anyone else ponder that our new members really excited for the movie and its positive reviews are coming from within Disney? It does seem a bit coincidental that not one but two members come in and highlight positive reviews. Hmm. Maybe they'll prove us wrong and contribute to numerous threads on a variety of topics.

[Isidour]

who knows, fortunatelly for me, this movie will be released to theaters tomorrow, and I`ll be able to know if it`s as good as tehy say, or it will be as bad as I think

[Zoltack]

Nah for me this is another movie where I would rent it... that is if I want to see it. And from what I saw from the trailer it actually looks like it would be good. I'm not to crazy about the animation seeing how I prefer the traditional method. Hey it's from Disney it's gotta be good... NOT!!!

[Kenai]

Wow. I've looked at the bad reviews and it's like geez. It too brings my hopes down for the film and I don't know if I'll see it now.

Man, what hurts is the Disney bashing. Saying it will never be as good as Pixar....that's kind of sickening and just a bummer. How sad. Damn these critics are brutal.

Well, here's to hoping the next 3 CGI Disney features will be much better.

[Paka]

This one will likely get the treatment of Disney mediocrity: only three direct-to-video sequels and no traveling ice show.

Was I the only one who said "Ouch" when I read that? I agree with the reviewer, but still: "Ouch".

I died when I saw that quote. It's incredibly amusing - and yes, ironically it's quite close to the truth. It's become way too easy to satirize Disney these days... kinda pathetic.

Hmm. I'd agree that Isaac and TinTin seem a twinge shady. Shoulda just deleted Isaac's thread outright instead of merging it with this topic, but whatev.

However, I'm completely unsurprised at CL's reviews so far. I never had high hopes for this spoiled egg from its earliest promotional coverage up to today. Contrary to most here, I found the trailers, as well as the (supposed) opening 4 minutes and the dodgeball clip to be profoundly unfunny. If this were a Nickelodeon film... well, I'd still hate it. But it especially stings that this Shrek-miming film has the Disney label on it. But hey, I'm used to the pain after the piles of cheapquels turned out over the years. e_e Even Bambi II fails to incite me - I'm so numb by now.

Expect more of the same from Disney's subsequent CG offerings. It'll only be downhill from here for the Disney faithful.

[creid]

One way I judge a new movie to look at the best reviews with the advertisements. If the best reviews are 3 out of 4 stars that leads me to believe it will be at best a fair movie because nobody is calling it a classic. However, I will check imdb in a week and if the score is below 7 then I know it is not a great one. (If it is below a 6 then that is bad.)

However, I will still see it because our house is up for sale and the family with two 3 year olds has to disappear for a couple hours. Being in Minnesota, it will soon be too cold to run outside and what better way to kill a couple hours than at the movies with the new Disney release.

[TinTinV]

Yes. . .I am secretly working for Disney and have been monitering this website for quite some time now. . .bwah hahahah!

Just kidding :-p

Haha. . .no, I'm not an insider and I don't get what you mean by shady :-S But yes, I am excited about the film and I can't wait to see it.

I was just passing on some information I found at Rottentomatoes. That's all. It was funny that you guys thought I was shady though. . .heh . . .have a good one! GO SEE THE MOVIE!

[Joe Carioca]

Wow, only 33% positive reviews! That's even less than "Atlantis" and "Brother Bear" and much less than the 'bomb' "Treasure Planet". To tell you the truth, even though I've always looked forward to watching "Chicken Little", I've never been as excited as I used to be before the releases of the traditionally-animated films. I do like and admire CG, but it's far from the "passion" I have for traditional animation.

Since it's become fashionable to banish Disney, I won't be influenced by the critics, but I addimit it's disappointing to see it may not be as good as we had hoped. Maybe Disney has to learn the hard way that it's not CG that makes a film successful.

[Andy]

I would comment on all of this, but its not released here until February!
Some reviews are good, others arent. We will soon see how it did when the figures come rolling in....

[Isidour]

Well, I already got my tickets and I`ll watch it tonight.

What surprised me is that this will only last 77 minutes, 6 minutes more than Bambi, and too few for taking a nap if it result boring

[ichabod]

One thing I've learnt ( and learnt a long time ago) is that people who are paid to review movies wouldn't know a good/bad movie if it slapped them. Most of them judge a film on silly reasons, for example on the studio that produces it ( and being Disney CL will get a hell of a lot more stick than others). I would wait to hear public reaction before hearing the opinions of the movie.

Anyway, even if this is the most critically slammed movie ever, Disney will probably still make a decent profit on it. After all look at Shark Tale and Madagascar. Both were widley slammed by BOTH the critics and the public and both dragged in massive amounts of money for Dreamworks.

With Chicken Little it is blindingly obvious that even more money has been pumped in CL maerketting and merchandising that either of those two films, and the hype around CL by far outstrips that of those movies too. Also the budget for this film was around half of that of Home on the Range, so there's even more chance of the execs being happy.

So good film or bad film, CL will probably make Disney a happy sum.

[dvdjunkie]

Before I share a review with all of you....those who think Rotten Tomatoes know what they are talking about, are very mislead. I have not ever met a critic, and I have met a bunch of them who think that these people even see a movie completely all the way through. They get snippets and base their reviews on that. I take all I read on Rotten Tomatoes with a grain of salt, a very LARGE grain of salt. 'Nuff said on that subject.

We should all write Roger Moore at the Orlando Sentinel a little note about his negative review of Chicken Little. I quote from today's newpaper:

"Chicken Little"Short On Heart.

"The Sky is falling! The sky is falling!" From Wall Street to Main Street USA, you could hear Disney stockholders crying.

"Eisner ruined the partnership with Pixar!"

But not to worry, Disney is perfectly capable of doing its own 3-D cartoons. Or so the Mouse House would have you believe.

"Chicken Little", the first Disney-post-Pixar 3-D cartoon to hit theaters, is perfectly competent animation. It just lacks Pixar's wit and heart. If this is what Disney studio's animation future looks like, the best we can hope for is on par with "Ice Age", "Shark Tale", "Shrek II" - pretty, and pretty mediocre.

(Snip)

Lots of pop-tune montages stretch this thinner-than-thin comedy into its kid-friendly 76-minutes. With its yak-yak-yak chatter about "closure" and jokes like the voice of AOL sputtering, "Your hate mail box is full", it's a comedy that will zip striaght over the heads of the 10-and-unders. "Chicken" is almost all filler, no heart.

(Snip)

When Disney can't hit a tried-and-true fairy-tale adaptation out of the park, maybe it's time to give up the ghost and get Pixar back on the phone. Or put up the computers and go back to what animators used to use - the drawing board!

End Quote.

I think that this reviewer was very harsh. I went to see "Chicken Little" today and I can tell you that it has a lot of heart. It made me laugh and it made my cry, and I think that there is room for improvement for sure, but I think that Disney has a hit on their hands. I loved it.

[2099net]

When Disney can't hit a tried-and-true fairy-tale adaptation out of the park, maybe it's time to give up the ghost and get Pixar back on the phone. Or put up the computers and go back to what animators used to use - the drawing board!

And thats the problem. Disney cannot do right no matter what they do these days. Most people like Shrek, but moan if they think Disney is copying the formula (like some Chicken Little reviews do).

They complain when Disney doesn't do a "traditional" Disney style film, but then complain when they do (remember the moans about Brother Bear). They're not happy with traditional animation either.

Disney does the same old thing and they get bashed. Disney does something new and they get bashed. I really don't worry about the reviews for Chicken Little. Just worry about the opening weekend. That's all that's important. Estimates are it needs about $25m to break even over its run. I've seen on-line estimates of a $40 opening weekend (good, but still down on Pixar's and Dreamworks' films).

However, if this film does moderately well, I expect critics to be kinder on Disney's next non-Disney film.

[Pluto Region1]

This is a question I to have been trying to find out I would love to have the oppurtunity to see this in 3D. Does anyone know where we can find out which theaters are presenting this in 3D? I saw Polar Express last year in a local Imax theater that was presented in 3D and that was an awesome movie experience. So if anyone knows where this info might be available please pass it along!!!Thanks,
T.J.

Did a quick search on Google. I typed in "Chicken Little in 3D" and for whatever reason I ONLY got theater listings that would be local to me (not sure how or why that is or why I only got actual theater listings as opposed to perhaps articles about the movie? Must be a Google settings or something?) Give it a try... maybe you will have the same luck? If this is any help to anyone locally in Los Angeles, these were the listings:

Theaters Showing it in 3-D:

Mann Exchange 10 (Glendale, CA), also showing it in a non-3D version.

El Capitan Theater (Hollywood)

Edwards (Long Beach)

The Cinerama Dome (Hollywood)

Loews Universal Studios (Hollywood)

Mann Plant 6 (Van Nuys)

FYI for those of you out-of the Los Angeles area, El Capitan, Cinerama Dome are big showy tourist type theaters that show alot of premieres. The other theaters are more like the run-of-the-mill average theaters in suburban locations, although I think Universal Studios theaters are actually part of the Universal Studios shopping/entertainment park?