Parents Television Council Reviews

PTC reviews aim to provide you with advance information about an entertainment offering so that you can be the final arbiter of what you and your family see.

Chicken Little
By Kimberly Sielen

Release Date: November 4th, 2005
MPAA Rating: G
Genre: Animated Comedic Adventure

Everyone is familiar with the story of Chicken Little. Disney's Chicken Little has taken this beloved classic and turned it on its head. Young Chicken Little (Zach Braff) has been cast as an outcast ever since he unnecessarily created mass panic by yelling "the sky is falling." He is labeled as 'unpopular' at school and everyone except Abby Mallard (the Ugly Duckling, voiced by Joan Cusack), Fish Out of Water, and Runt of the Litter (a huge piglet--Steve Zahn) shy away from him. What's worse, Chicken Little doesn't think his father approves of him. So, one day Chicken Little joins the baseball team to attempt to follow his fathers' footsteps. He is not allowed to play until the last game of the playoffs where he miraculously saves the day by winning the game and finally gains the respect of the town.

Naturally, the instant that Chicken Little is accepted there is another incident. A piece of the sky falls through his window and in a panic he calls Abby, Fish, and Runt. They discover that it is not a piece of sky, but instead a tile which blends into whatever it touches. Fish then accidentally flips a switch and begins to levitate while standing on it. Suddenly, he rockets up to the sky and they try to follow him. It seems that Fish has been caught aboard a spaceship that has landed on the baseball diamond. Chicken Little, Abby, and Runt board the spaceship to save Fish, but in the process start a chain of events which may lead to the destruction of Earth. And only Chicken Little can save the day.

Several positive messages and themes are portrayed in Chicken Little, the most prominent being the importance of love and communications in families. Chicken Little thinks his father is ashamed of him, and has a hard time talking to him about the simplest things. His father does not realize this, but there is nothing like an alien invasion to bring a family together.

Chicken Little is appropriate for children seven and up. There is no major material which could be considered objectionable; however there are a few pop culture references which may upset some. The most offensive is a play on the sex tapes Girls Gone Wild--after Chicken Little creates a mass panic a reporter says the footage can be used on "Chickens Gone Wild." Also, the alien attack may scare younger viewers. Several characters and cars are vaporized (we later find out they are unharmed), and the appearance of the aliens is disturbing; they look like a cross between a robot and an octopus. Finally, Chicken Little, Abby Mallard, and Runt of the Litter are surrounded by various weapons while aboard the spaceship; this may frighten children as well. Overall, it is a film that can be enjoyed by almost the entire family.

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