Chicken Little is a 2005 American 3D computer-animated science fiction comedy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and the 46th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, it was directed by Mark Dindal with screenplay by Steve Bencich, Ron J. Friedman, and Ron Anderson and story by Mark Kennedy and Dindal. The film stars Zach Braff, Joan Cusack, Dan Molina, Amy Sedaris, Steve Zahn, Garry Marshall, Evan Dunn, Don Knotts, Mark Walton, and Patrick Stewart. Based on the 1943 short film of the same name, and the American folk tale story "Henny Penny." This was a last animated film by Walt Disney Pictures under the name Walt Disney Feature Animation before the company was renamed as Walt Disney Animation Studios. The film was released on November 4, 2005 by Walt Disney Pictures in the United States, to received mixed-to-negative reviews but was successfully at the box office sales, which grossing $314.4 million worldwide against its $150 million budget, making it a second highest grossing animated film of 2005.
Plot[]
In the small town of Oakey Oaks, Chicken Little rings the school bell and warns everyone to run for their lives, allowing the whole town into a frenzied panic with much damage ensuing. Eventually, the Head of the Fire Department calms down enough to ask him what's going on and Little explains that a piece of the sky shaped like a stop sign had fallen on his head when he was sitting under the big oak tree in the town square; however, he is unable to find it. His father, Buck Cluck, assumes that this "piece of sky" was just an acorn that had fallen off the tree and had hit him on the head, making Little the laughing stock of the town.
A year later, Little has become infamous in the town for being crazy. His only friends are outcasts and underdogs like himself: His literal "Ugly Duckling" friend — the dorky and supportive Abby Mallard (who has a not-so-secret crush on him), Runt of the Litter (who ironically is extremely large), and a literal Fish Out of Water (who wears a helmet full of tap water).
Trying to help, Abby encourages Little to talk to his father, but he really only wants to make his dad proud of him. As a result, he joins his school's baseball team in an attempt to recover his reputation and his father's pride but is made last until the ninth inning of the last game. Little is reluctantly called to bat by the coach (even though the coach is certain that he will lose the game for them). Little is able to hit the ball and make it past first, second, and third bases, but is met at home plate by the outfielders. He tries sliding onto home plate, only to be touched by the ball shot. While it's presumed he lost the game, the umpire brushes away the dust to reveal Little's foot barely touching home plate, thus declaring Little safe and the game won; Little is hailed as a hero for winning the pennant.
Later that night at home, Little is hit on the head by the same "piece of the sky" that he had mentioned earlier at the beginning — only to find out that it is not a piece of the sky but a device designed to blend into the background (which would thereby explain why Little was unable to find it last time). He calls his friends over to help figure out what it is.
When Fish pushes a button on the back of the piece, it becomes a hovercraft in which Fish rides on. It turns out to be part of the camouflage of an invisible UFO. They went inside the spacecraft, find Fish and discover that the aliens who had emerged from the ship is planning to invade Earth. Abby tells Little that he has to tell his dad about the incoming invasion and were chased away by the aliens. Little manages to ring the school bell to warn everyone, but aliens see everyone coming and manage to escape, leaving an orange alien child behind. No one believes the story of the alien invasion, and Little is ridiculed yet again...until the next day.
He and his friends discover the little alien (whose named turns out be Kirby) and a few minutes later, a whole fleet of spaceships descends on the town and start what turns out to be an invasion, which is actually a misunderstanding, as the two aliens are looking for their lost child and only attack out of concern. As the aliens rampage throughout Oakey Oaks vaporizing everything in their path, Little realizes that he must return the alien to his parents to save their planet. Despite this, he first has to confront his father and regain his trust.
As he begins to tell his father the truth inside an abandoned cinema, Abby bursts in and says they should address the problem, as in the invasion, but because it is a phrase that she used to Little about his issues with his dad, then he begins to explain them. As Little talks about what his father was doing and that he had emotionally let Little down by not being there for him and not listening to him enough. After he and his father reconcile and begin to leave to return Kirby to his parents, Little runs back down the row of seats to Abby and tells her that he always found her extremely attractive and he kisses her, only for her to act silly. Their first attempt to return the child to his mom and dad is aborted when they witness town mayor Turkey Lurkey get apparently vaporized after offering the key to the city, the key to his car and finally Tic-Tacs as surrender terms.
In the invasion, Buck, now regaining his confidence and trust in his son, protects him from the aliens until they get vaporized. It is then discovered that the aliens weren't vaporizing people, but the ray guns had teleported them aboard the UFO. Afterwards, the aliens return everything to normal (except Foxy Loxy, whose brain got scrambled, turning her into a Southern belle, and as a result, Runt falls for her), and everyone is useful for Chicken Little's efforts to save the town. One year later, the townsfolk have made a film about the story, exaggerating it incredibly. In the film, Little is more masculine and Abby is far more beautiful in reality, and Fish can speak properly. After the film finishes, everyone begins to celebrate, Buck lifts Little onto his shoulders as he is applauded, and Abby (now his girlfriend), kisses him on the cheek.
Cast[]
- Zach Braff as Chicken Little, a young and diminutive rooster who suffers under a reputation for being crazy since he caused a panic saying the sky was falling.
- Joan Cusack as Abigail "Abby" Mallard (also known as the Ugly Duckling), a female duck (implied swan) with buckteeth. She takes a generally optimistic approach to life. Unfortunately, she is often teased by Loxy for her appearance. She is Chicken Little's best friend and, by the end, his girlfriend.
- Dan Molina as Fish Out of Water, a goldfish who wears a scuba helmet filled with water and lives on the surface. He is unable to speak properly, instead making gurgling sounds and acting out what he feels. He isn't very shy around others and he will perform brave stunts without fear.
- Steve Zahn as Runt of the Litter, a large pig with a huge heart who is much larger than the other children, but is far smaller than the other massive members of his family. Runt is easily frightened and prone to panic.
- Amy Sedaris as Foxy Loxy, a mean, young fox who is a baseball star and the "hometown hero." She's also a tomboy and one of the "popular kids" at school. In the original fable as well as the 1943 short film, Foxy Loxy is a male fox.
- Mark Walton as Goosey Loosey, a goose, and Foxy Loxy's best friend.
- Garry Marshall as Buck "Ace" Cluck, Chicken Little's widowed father, a former high school baseball star.
- Don Knotts as Turkey Lurkey, a turkey who is the mayor of Oakey Oaks. He is sensible, but not very bright.
- Sean Elmore, Matthew Michael Joston, and Evan Dunn as Kirby, an energetic and hyper alien child.
- Fred Willard as Melvin, Kirby's father and Tina's husband.
- Catherine O'Hara as Tina, Kirby's mother and Melvin's wife.
- Mark Dindal as Morkubine Porcupine, one of the cool kids. Dindal also provides the voice of Coach in the film.
- Patrick Stewart as Mr. Woolensworth, the class' sheep language teacher.
- Wallace Shawn as Principal Fetchit, the school's main principal.
- Patrick Warburton as Alien Cop
- Adam West as Ace - Hollywood Chicken Little
- Harry Shearer as Dog Announcer, the baseball announcer at Chicken Little's school and a news reporter for Oakey Oaks.
- Anne Lockhart as Female Bunny
- Nathan Kress as Male Bunny
- Paul Pape as Fireman Dalmatian and Firefighters
- Pat Fraley as Dog
- Jason Harris as Cheetah
- Brad Abrell as Driver
- Greg Berg as Students
- Julianne Buescher as Abby Mallard (Voice Match)
- David Cowgill as Various Reporters
- Chris Edgerly as Screaming Raccoon
- Amanda Fein as Female Dog