Review of Free Birds (2013) by Panta O — 06 Feb 2014

This American 3D computer-animated buddy comedy directed by Jimmy Hayward is very poorly rated... and after watching it I wonder why? OK, there is not much science in it, but it is not as bad as the reviews and ratings show! It features the voices of Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler and they did a wonderful job!

The story of Reggie the Turkey (Owen Wilson) who has always been afraid of Thanksgiving because turkeys have always been on the menu is a logical one at the beginning. We have a turkey which attempts to warn his farm-based flock constantly but all this warnings fall on deaf ears and has made him an outcast. At this moment I realized that this turkey has more to do with the modern Americans than with the birds themselves! Especially when the other turkeys finally realize what's going on, and they throw Reggie to the wolves in an attempt to save themselves. Of course, in a surprise twist of fate, he winds up being named the "pardoned turkey" by the President of the United States (Jimmy Hayward) and is subsequently taken to Camp David. Now, as a modern American human would do, although initially hesitant, Reggie soon eases into a routine of doing nothing but enjoying pizza delivered to him by the Pizza Dude (Scott Mosier) and watching telenovelas. From here I really didn't see our "hero" as a turkey... I saw humans as turkeys! And, when you start looking that way, the movie starts showing so much more! Try it!

Yes, it is possible that you will see it just as another noxious-but-sanitized exercise in family-friendly cultural insensitivity... but I think it could be viewed as our inability to understand the world around us, acting like turkeys! Yours choice how are you going to watch this movie, but I actually liked it. Lots of action, believe in miracles, positive thinking and persistence... good messages if you ask me.

It's not a masterpiece, doesn't have anything outstanding, but it is good value for money, even if you take it as an ordinary family entertainment, not as much deeper, like I did.