The Angry Birds Movie – Film Review

Directors: Clay Kaytis, Fergal Reilly
Writer: Jon Vitti
Stars: Peter Dinklage, Jason Sudeikis, Kate McKinnon

‘The Angry Birds Movie’ was directed by Clay Katis and Irishman Fergal Reilly. Spawning from the Angry Birds video game franchise, the film follows Red (Jason Sudeikis) who is, quite simply, an angry bird. The film’s plot loosely follows that of the game; Red and the rest of his flock of birds must rescue their eggs, which have been stolen by a group of green pigs.

The film takes a while before finally hitting its stride. The first half meanders rather aimlessly buts gets by with some slapstick humour for the kids, some brilliant music choices, and a host of bird puns for the eagle-eyed viewers to spot. To the film’s credit, it succeeds in striking the right balance of humour for adults and children alike, it isn’t a ‘kids film’, it is a family film.

Another great addition for the film is its all star-cast including Titus Burgess, Sean Penn, and a host of Sudeikis’ SNL cohorts; Kate McKinnon, Maya Rudolph and Bill Hader. Peter Dinklage plays Mighty Eagle, a character belonging to an entirely unnecessary and irrelevant subplot of the film. That being said, the scene in which Red finally encounters the Mighty Eagle is undoubtedly the funniest in the film, one which had everyone in the screen laughing.

The biggest fault with the film is that, for the most part, it relies so heavily on humour and not on narrative. In terms of the humour, it absolutely delivers but the plot really does leave you wanting. Even the filmmakers seem unclear about exactly what kind of story they’re trying to tell. The message jumps from ‘don’t be angry’ to ‘it’s important to get angry sometimes’ to ‘anger isn’t the answer’, before finally settling on the idea that family and friendships are what is important.

Ultimately, the lack of any one coherent message means that the film lacks the staying power of a great family film. However, its cast, music and humour do make for a thoroughly enjoyable watch. You probably won’t be rushing out to buy it on DVD, but for a day out in the cinema it is sure to entertain.