A "Little" Reality Check!

Disney Does it Again!
When Disney releases a new movie, it's like the world stands on end to see whether it will be a hit or a flop. Disney is not known for very many flops, and Chicken Little certainly is no flop. It is one of the better Disney movies I've seen in the last few years.

The Classics....
Of course, Chicken Little is about the little chicken who is bumped on the head and believes that it was a piece of the sky that hit him. He goes screaming to the world that the sky is falling. The entire community goes into a panic, including mayor Turkey Lurkey and eventually Chicken Little is made out to be a fool to those who know him, including his father. Chicken Little's Dad, (Buck Cluck) really wants to believe his son, but the story is just too far fetched.

The New Version
Chicken Little feels alone and abandoned. His mother has died and his dad is caring for him now. He feels that the episode with the falling sky has embarrassed his father and he has somehow let his dad down. Chicken Little vows to make things right and to make his dad proud. He decides to join the local baseball team to follow in his father's footsteps. Buck Cluck was the star baseball player in his day, and as such, he was named "Ace."

Chicken Little is an unlikely baseball star with his size and his "nerdy" look. The team makes it to the playoff game and with so many injuries, Chicken Little has to play. This is his big chance to prove himself to his father. Can Chicken Little make Buck Cluck a proud rooster?

Things Change Once Again...
All good things must come to an end... or so I'm told. Once again, Chicken Little is the recipient of what he believes is a piece of the sky. This time, his friends (Runt the pig and the Ugly Duckling) are able to witness it and examine the mystery piece for themselves. Chicken Little can't bring himself to talk to his dad about it.

Buck Cluck is a very busy father who struggles with raising a child and being a single parent. He feels that he cannot compare to Chicken Little's mother and is distant from his son. The two just aren't able to talk to each other, to bond, or to share with one another. This presents a major issue when Chicken Little tries to get his father to understand and believe him. As with any child, when a parent doesn't believe in them, feelings are crushed and hearts are broken.

The End of The World?
Chicken Little soon finds that the piece that has landed before him truly did come from the sky. Before long, there is much activity from the sky as the town is invaded by aliens and it's up to Chicken Little and his friends to save the town. Finally, Buck Cluck realizes that his son was telling the truth. The town realizes that the story was not made up. There is no time to apologize or make up, as the town is about to be destroyed.

Buck joins his son's side as they adventure high in the sky to return the lost alien child to its parents and save the town. Together, the task is accomplished and Chicken Little is the town hero once again. Chicken Little ends up having a movie produced about him, which of course, being Hollywood, is totally blown out of proportion, but is adorable.

The MORAL of this Chaos?
Believe it or not, there truly are morals here... one of the biggest things that I drew out from this movie is the importance of spending enough time with your child to know him/her. We often rush through life and children get tossed aside until we can find time for them. Work keeps us busy. Community and social activities keep us busy. Children often entertain themselves. Somewhere along the line, we wonder what happened to our relationship with one another.

Had Buck taken the time to bond with his son and realize what an intelligent little guy he truly was, he would have known to believe him from the start, regardless of how ridiculous the story sounded. Had the two bonded as parents-children should, Chicken Little wouldn't have had to have gone to such lengths to impress his father or make him proud.

Open communication with children is so very important. We expect them to talk to us, yet we don't really know how to talk to them and many times we're too busy to listen when they try to approach us. Children are precious and need the attention. When they are teenagers and smarty pants', ignore them all you want, but as they are developing little children, they need their parents. This is especially true if one parent is missing due to separation, divorce or even death.

Conclusion
Chicken Little is a heartwarming movie. I recommend it for all children who want a good laugh. I recommend it for all Disney lovers who like a good, action packed, fun-filled viewing experience. I highly recommend it for parents, not just for the entertainment, but for the lesson to be learned and the bonding time with their child(ren). If we can't listen to or talk to our children, are we truly good parents after all? If not, who will our children run to when they feel as if the sky is falling down on them?

In Theaters: 2005
Directed by: Mark Dindal
Genre: Animation/Action/Comedy/Family/Sci-Fi
Cast: Zach Braff, Garry Marshall, Don Knotts, Patrick Stewart, Amy Sedaris, Steve Zahn, Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, Harry Shearer, Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara, Patrick Warburton, Adam West, Mark Walton, and Mark Dindal.

Time: 81 minutes