"The Angry Birds Movie" Review

Title: The Angry Birds Movie

Directed by: Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly

Written by: Jon Vitti

Year: 2016


I remember back when the Angry Birds app was at the top of the App Store, dominating sales. The brand was on everyone's mouths and became insanely popular. Yet I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that a film based on a mobile app has been made. And Angry Birds is not known for its detailed story. Nevertheless, I was willing to give this movie the benefit of the doubt. Is The Angry Birds Movie a pleasant surprise, or a waste of time?

On an island of flightless birds lives Red, a bird with some major anger issues. Not one to easily trust, Red is suspicious of the island's newest visitors, the pigs. It is up to Red and his friends to find out what the pigs are up to and foil their evil plans.

The cast list for this picture is actually pretty crazy. This film is filled with talented actors supplying the voices to these various characters. How so much talent was involved in The Angry Birds Movie is beyond me, but allow me to run through the voice cast. Jason Sudeikis voices the Red, the protagonist, and he does a very good job. Though Red is more of a cynical bird than an angry bird, Sudeikis provides great line delivery and fits the character well. Josh Gad plays the speedy woodpecker, Chuck. Gad is simultaneously good and bad in the role. There are moments where his fast delivery and distinct voice benefit the character. But there are also many times when he is utterly intolerable, which unfortunately translates to the character's likability.

Bomb is played by Danny McBride and is surprisingly really good in the role. His deep voice matches the character's features and his performance is in line with the personality. Bill Hader (Leonard), Keegan-Michael Key (Judge Peckinpah), and Peter Dinklage (Mighty Eagle) can all be categorized the same way. Each of these three gives a fine performance, but their characters are very vexing. These three characters have good voicing, but are mostly insufferable. However, one character I found myself liking very much was Matilda, voiced by Maya Rudolph. This was such a cooky and zany character that I actually enjoyed very much, and Rudolph's voice work was great.

So then, what amazing story has been cooked up for this animated film based on a smartphone game? The plot is very faithful to the extremely thin story from the game. The main difference is that the film gives plenty of set up and a lot more context as to why things are happening. We are shown what happens to the angry birds, why a slingshot is needed to propel them through the sky, and other such things. The first half of the film focuses on introducing the birds and their culture, as well as the pigs as villains. However, the film runs into the issue of giving too much backstory. I will be blunt here; the first half of this movie is awful.

Aside from Red, the characters are emphatically idiotic and irritating; that goes for both the birds and the pigs. Few things of interest occur, the humor fails for the most part, and the film will continuously have you pulling your hair out. The "Battle Cry" and "Mighty Eagle Song" scenes are furiously agitating, with the characters always finding new ways to annoy the viewer. Also, the 2D Mighty Eagle sequences feel out of place and distracting. There are very few redeeming qualities for the first half of this picture. The humor rarely lands, with many jokes being drawn out to ridiculous lengths or being unnecessarily explained to the audience. The first half is a chore to get through.

However, something magical happens during the second half. Once the pigs steal the eggs, the film suddenly hits its stride and becomes quite entertaining. The rest of the birds become more likable because they all get behind Red's plan to get the eggs back. The comedy improves significantly, with some great slapstick and witty jokes. Chuck has a great moment that pays direct homage to a certain scene from X-Men: Days of Future Past and it is well done. The stupidity of the pigs is turned into clever humor; the destruction of the city caused by the slingshotted birds is loads of fun; and seeing what each bird can do once fired is pretty cool.

Now about the humor. Most of the jokes in this picture are not funny. Some of the one-liners from Red are good but aside from some great slapstick scenes, I sat stone-faced throughout this film. There are also a lot of crude and inappropriate jokes. Lines like "pluck my life" and toilet humor are abundant and not appropriate for the target demographic. In addition, many of the jokes overstay their welcome to the point where it becomes grating. Having the joke explained or repeated over and over again does not make it any funnier, but the film is not aware of this.

When the film opens, the audience is treated to a remix of the theme from the game and it sounds wonderful. The opening tune makes me wish that the entire film relied on a score rather than a soundtrack. Unfortunately, that is not the case. After that one track, the movie goes on to play more modern music, which does not fit the tone or aesthetics of the film. I think the worst offense is when the pigs hold a concert for the birds and perform a horrible tune. The film almost pauses just to showcase this dance number, which is not appealing in the least.

Flipping over to a more positive tone, I think the visual effects are great. The animation is absolutely gorgeous, with eye-popping and striking visuals and colors. The Angry Birds Movie is gleefully colorful and matches the tone set forth by the script. The animation style is a good fit for the movie, with each feather being distinct and each expression conveying a specific emotion beyond the simple happy, sad, and mad.

All in all, The Angry Birds Movie is fine for passing the time, but good for little else. The picture offers a few enjoyable characters along with beautiful animation, but the story and crudeness bog it down significantly. The talented cast barely amounts to much, the humor is mostly a failure, and most of the characters are insufferably stupid. However, if you can get past that terrible first half, you will receive a bit of a treat. The slingshot scene is joyously fun, the comedy hits closer to its mark, and the story becomes a little more engaging. Is it enough to make up for how bad the first half is? No, not at all. But it does help make the movie more digestible. Certainly not a good film, but a film with a few good qualities.

Grade: C-