June 1, 2016

The Angry Birds Movie: It’s Birds vs. Pigs in Animated Movie of Popular Video Game

movie rev 6-1-16With over three billion downloads, Angry Birds is arguably the most popular app of all time. Nevertheless, you don’t need to be familiar with the video game in order to enjoy this delightful animated adventure.

The cartoon was co-directed by Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis who are making their debut with this silly comedy that features enough sophisticated asides to keep adults thoroughly entertained. The production is laced with witty one-liners (like “Something isn’t Kosher about these pigs.”) as well as lots of cute sight gags (such as a billboard for “Calvin Swine” underwear).

The story is set on idyllic Bird Island, a tropical paradise that is inhabited by a variety of very happy flightless birds. As the film unfolds, we’re introduced to four birdse who actually have trouble controlling their tempers. We find that Red (Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride), and Terence (Sean Penn), are attending an anger management class being taught by Matilda (Maya Rudolph), a former angry bird who has become a therapist.

The plot thickens with the arrival of a big boat containing two green pigs (Bill Hader and Tony Hale) who claim to be alone and are explorers coming in peace. Of course, the pair have a hidden agenda that is about to be executed by their army of pigs hidden in the boat.

After persuading the gentle gullible birds into letting down their guard, the invaders steal every egg on the island and then set sail for home. When the birds realize that they’ve been duped, the angry quartet, led by Red, springs into action.

Because they can’t fly, they realize their best chance of retrieving the eggs depends upon enlisting the assistance of Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage), the only bird on the island who can still fly. Unfortunately, he’s lazy and hasn’t flown in ages. Of course, Red and company coax him into joining forces with them to help save the day. The movie is a kooky comedy with lots of laughs for kids of all ages.

Very Good (***). Rated PG for action and rude humor. Running time: 95 minutes. Distributor: Sony Pictures.