Review: 'Angry Birds' film lays a big ol' eggReliance on crude humor, violence doom app-adaptation This image released by Sony Pictures shows the characters Chuck, voiced by Josh Gad, from left, Bomb, voiced by Danny McBride, Matilda, voiced by Maya Rudolph and Red, voiced by Jason Sudeikis, in a scene from "The Angry Birds Movie." (Sony Pictures via AP) ORG XMIT: NYET935 less This image released by Sony Pictures shows the characters Chuck, voiced by Josh Gad, from left, Bomb, voiced by Danny McBride, Matilda, voiced by Maya Rudolph and Red, voiced by Jason Sudeikis, in a scene from ... more This image released by Sony Pictures shows the characters Red, voiced by Jason Sudeikis, from left, Chuck, voiced by Josh Gad and Bomb, voiced by Danny McBride in a scene from "The Angry Birds Movie." ORG XMIT: NYET934 less Here's an exercise after watching "The Angry Birds Movie": Try to think of something in the world that might be worse source material for a film than this popular video game.
A movie based on a bag of doughnuts, if there were a lot of variety, would be better. "Jenga: The Movie" would at least have some built-in suspense. The laminated safety card in the front seat pouch of your most recent plane trip? All have at least as much narrative potential as Angry Birds. The makers of "The Angry Birds Movie" can't overcome the fact that their film is based on an app, where the lead characters are expendable ammunition. Other than some very recognizable production design, a basic birds-versus-pigs premise and a few bars of musical score, any Angry Birds feature must be built from the ground up. And this one is built on a foundation of poop jokes and repetitive cartoon violence. If nothing else, the filmmakers did have a great Rolodex. The voice cast is absolutely first rate, with a who's who of people you'd want to hear providing the dialogue for avian projectiles, including Maya Rudolph, Peter Dinklage and (we'll get back to this one later) two-time Oscar winner Sean Penn.
Early years "The Simpsons" writer Jon Vitti sets a cynical tone that occasionally yields a legitimate comic moment. ★ Review"The Angry Birds Movie"Rated: PGLength: 90 minutes★★★★ Excellent ★★★ Good ★★ Fair ★ Poor But the joy in this movie is almost always fleeting. Even in the most banal Alvin and the Chipmunks or Smurfs movie, there is usually some kind of central moral: "Believe in yourself" or "family is first" or "never stop dreaming." The apparent take-away for "The Angry Birds Movie"? Good things will happen if you're pessimistic and capable of uncontrollable anger. Jason Sudeikis is the voice of Red, a perpetually incensed bird who doesn't fit in with the less enraged fowl in his town. His warnings about a ship full of seemingly fun-loving green pigs aren't heeded. When the pigs execute a betrayal, Red teams up with members of his anger management group to save a group of hatchlings. Narrative comedy with the Angry Birds isn't new; the "Angry Birds Toons" television show will enter its fourth season in 2016.
And "The Lego Movie" proved that you can take the flimsiest of concepts, and make an enduring piece of animated cinema. But "The Angry Birds Movie" clearly didn't have the assets, or the motivation, for that accomplishment. Instead, the filmmakers followed the animated family comedy checklist from lesser movies, including a groin injury and repetitive battles for the short-attention-spanned kids in the audience, and a handful of classic rock songs on the soundtrack as an offering to any bored chaperones. No one will remember this movie in two weeks, but it leaves just enough of a warm feeling that the masses might mindlessly come back for a sequel. All of the above may describe a good app, but it's not a good movie. The game Angry Birds, at its core, is a destination for switching off your brain. And movies, even throw-away summer animated kid films, should aim for something more. Now back to Sean Penn for a moment. Although we're resolute to never watch "The Angry Birds Movie" again, we will purchase the DVD/Blu-ray, at full price, if the "bonus materials" disk answers the following questions:
Did Penn, because of his five Academy Award nominations and two wins, get to choose which bird he voiced? Did Penn and Mexican drug lord El Chapo talk about Angry Birds during their interview/profile for Rolling Stone? What kind of bonus does a casting director get for acquiring one of the greatest actors of a generation to voice a bird in an animated movie based on an app? (Not a shot against Penn either way. Orson Welles voiced a robot in a 1980s "Transformers" animated movie, and if anything it added to his legend.) You (or someone you know) can pay & pick up online orders at a Kmart store - and even use an international credit card. U.S. shipping & delivery Get your order shipped or delivered to any address in the United States - including hotels. Via Sears, we ship to over 100 countries, so you can have your order shipped back home. Kmart International Online Shopping If you are planning to visit the United States, or have friends and family here, shop at Kmart to get everything you want - including gifts for yourself or others.
Shopping online in the USA at Kmart couldn't be easier. Once you place an order, you (or someone you know) can pick it up at a Kmart store, have it shipped or delivered to a U.S. address, and even have it shipped to over 100 countries - whatever is most convenient for you. Here’s an exercise after watching “The Angry Birds Movie”: Try to think of something in the world that might be worse source material for a film than this popular video game.“Jenga: The Movie” would at least have some built-in suspense. All have at least as much narrative potential as “Angry Birds.” The makers of “The Angry Birds Movie” can’t overcome the fact that their film is based on an app, where the lead characters are expendable ammunition. Other than some very recognizable production design, a basic birds-versus-pigs premise and a few bars of musical score, any “Angry Birds” feature must be built from the ground up. The voice cast is absolutely first rate, with a who’s who of people you’d want to hear providing the dialogue for avian projectiles, including Maya Rudolph, Peter Dinklage and (we’ll get back to this one later) two-time Oscar winner Sean Penn as the grunting bird Terence.
Early-years “The Simpsons” writer Jon Vitti sets a cynical tone that occasionally yields a legitimate comic moment.Even in the most banal Alvin and the Chipmunks or Smurfs movie, there is usually some kind of central moral: “Believe in yourself” or “Family is first” or “Never stop dreaming.” The apparent takeaway for “The Angry Birds Movie”? Good things will happen if you’re pessimistic and capable of uncontrollable anger. Jason Sudeikis is the voice of Red, a perpetually incensed bird who doesn’t fit in with the less-enraged fowl in his town. His warnings about a ship full of seemingly fun-loving green pigs aren’t heeded. When the pigs execute a betrayal, Red teams up with members of his anger-management group to save a group of hatchlings. Narrative comedy with the Angry Birds isn’t new; the “Angry Birds Toons” television show will enter its fourth season in 2016. And “The Lego Movie” proved that you can take the flimsiest of concepts and make an enduring piece of animated cinema.
But “The Angry Birds Movie” clearly didn’t have the assets, or the motivation, for that accomplishment. Instead, the filmmakers followed the animated-family-comedy checklist from lesser movies, including a groin injury and repetitive battles for the short-attention-spanned kids in the audience, and a handful of classic rock songs on the soundtrack as an offering to any bored chaperones. All of the above may describe a good app, but it’s not a good movie. The game “Angry Birds,” at its core, is a destination for switching off your brain. Although we’re strongly resolved never to watch “The Angry Birds Movie” again, we will purchase the DVD/ Blu-ray, at full price, if the “bonus materials” disc answers the following questions: Did Sean Penn, because of his five Academy Award nominations and two wins, get to choose which bird he voiced? Did Penn and Mexican drug lord El Chapo talk about “Angry Birds” during their interview/profile for Rolling Stone?