Review: "The Angry Birds Movie," a Superficially Amiable Ball of Fluff

The Angry Birds Movie - Official Theatrical Trailer 3 (HD)
Photo Green pigs are a good reason to lose your temper: a scene from this film, adapted from the smartphone game. Credit Columbia Pictures

As motion pictures adapted from video games go, The Angry Birds Movie is leagues superior to, say, 1993s Super Mario Bros. This new movie, which uses the bright, color-rich palette of the smartphone phenom for which its named, as well as its hook of nonaeronautic feathered creatures getting around via catapult, is not much beyond a superficially amiable ball of fluff.

Video Trailer: "The Angry Birds Movie"

A preview of the film.

By SONY PICTURES on Publish Date April 16, 2016. Photo by Columbia Pictures. Watch in Times Video

At the top of a voluminous and talent-rich voice cast (which, alas, neglects to include the maestros of irate sarcasm Don Rickles and Nicky Katt), Jason Sudeikis portrays Red, the irascible odd bird out in a community of irrationally upbeat avian neighbors. From across the sea comes a ship, with a couple of friendly-seeming green pigs at its helm. They carry an initially secret stash of more green pigs, a diverting and entertaining lot that is eagerly embraced in bird land. Red, however, believes that his fellow nonfliers havent figured out whats going on, and he turns out to be right.

I shall not wax too indignant over the fact that this ostensible childrens entertainment, in this summer of all summers, could easily be taken as an anti-immigration fable. Instead, I shall note that once past its pleasant echoes of cartoon classics like Birds Anonymous and Cured Duck (a great showcase for the original angry bird, name of Donald), the movie, directed by Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis, settles into the current default mode of animation humor. That is, a DreamWorks-inflected, pop-culture savvy, far-side-of-smarm (not too) smart-aleckness, replete with bodily function jokes. The kids of today deserve better. So do I, come to think of it.

GLENN KENNY

The Angry Birds Movie is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested) for gas, urine, mucus and coy innuendo.

The Angry Birds Movie

• Directors Clay Kaytis, Fergal Reilly

• Writer Jon Vitti

• Stars Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph

• Rating PG

• Running Time 1h 37m

• Genres Animation, Action, Comedy, Family

• Movie data powered by IMDb.comLast updated: May 19, 2016

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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/20/movies/-the-angry-birds-movie-review.html