Angry Birds
So where to begin here… Hollywood seems to be clawing at ideas or perhaps just
plain running out of them. They are remaking iconic films with disastrous affects
such as Point Break, or just becoming plain lazy. I mean you have some films being
made that leave you scratching your head, insert Angry Birds. It’s hard to not be
biased as you walk into this film. I mean is this really what is has come to. Comic
book films have characters that can be developed into an action live film, even video
games have some sort of story line that can be manipulated into a blockbuster; but a
strategy game, really? After seeing Sandler’s epic disaster that was Pixels I was
skeptical to say the least as I put on sat down and put on my 3D glasses, looked up at
the screen and prepared myself for the next 97 minutes.
Angry Birds is centered around the games iconic red bird Red (Jason Sudeikis), a
loner who is aggravated by the minor annoyances and inconveniences of life on Bird
Island. Red’s short temper lands him in hot water and in a anger management group
along side a group of volatile subjects Chuck(Josh Gad), Bomb(Danny McBride),and
Terence(Sean Penn…or at least his grunts.) The group therapist Matilda(Maya
Rudolph) had her work cut our for her as this group is must soon unlearn all in
order to protect their own, enter the pigs.
The pigs are a group of pirates for lack of better term. They arrive on Bird Island
seemingly friendly, but soon show their true color by colonizing the island and
stealing all of the un-hatched eggs of the island leaving the parents devastated and
with no one to look up to but Red whom had forewarned the rest of the pigs
intentions. With no one to help since their mythical hero Mighty Eagle(Peter
Dinklage) has been it is up to Red and the rest of the gang to find the Mighty Eagle
and rescue the future of Birds Island.
Angry Birds was a pleasant surprise! I was expecting a lazy slop of a film, but
encounter a rather entertaining one. If it’s not obvious, it is filled with A class talent
for voiceover, and the animation creative and well done, not losing its cartoon like
appeal. You find yourself cheering through out the film and lol’ing throughout but
the mere absurdity of the plot. Angry Birds appeals to your inner child, that unruly
wild side that we as adults keep bound inside because of the rules we as a society
have imposed. Although it does have some adult puns here it is designed to be a feel
good kid film It does an great job exploring the merits of anger and how perhaps we
all need to blow up a little. It is not as deep as perhaps Inside Out, but has heart and
does a great job and creating a life of its own-not to shabby for an app.
7/10
Colombia Pictures
Releasing May 20, 2016
Rated PG
Running Time:97 min
