Free Birds sees independent thinker turkey Reggie (Owen Wilson), who appears to be the only turkey who is aware of his impending fate, officially pardoned by the President of the USA and taken to live at Camp David. He quickly makes himself at home only to have his dream life interrupted by Jake (Woody Harrelson) who believes he had been sent by the great turkey to convince Reggie to go back in time to the first thanksgiving and "get turkeys off the menu".
This was an interesting one for me since one of the co-writers/producers is a regular on a podcast I listen to, as such I got to get a heap of info about the movie, well in advance, from Scott Mosier. In case you don't know, he is a long time collaborator with Kevin Smith and was producer on Clerks, Clerks 2, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and so on. Trust me, this diversion is relevant to the following review.
It's hard to say much about this film. The animation is solid, the performances enthusiastic, the plot is insane and it ticks all the boxes but there isn't that much new stuff. A lot of the laughs come from slapstick routines and there are a few good one liners but it seems to be one of those movies that you just want to be a little funnier. That is until you watch it with a bunch of kids.
The group I was with included two boys (9 and 6) and two girls (9 and 5) and they loved it. Their laughter made it funnier for the adults and there was no doubt that they loved it. I can see this being a party movie for a bunch of friends with a bunch of munchies. Why munchies in particular? Because I believe there will be another group Free Birds will appeal to...
To put it bluntly, this is a kid friendly stoner comedy and the influence of Scott Mosier's previous work is very obvious (see, I told you it was relevant). From dopey "woah" moments to insane "WOO-HOAH" sequences and a smattering of references to other stoner favourites (The Bill and Ted reference was a personal favourite) along with a great role for the legendary George Takei this is one movie that will... compliment certain states of mind.
Oh, and make sure you hang around for the now compulsory credits scene.
So, if you are in the mood for a quiet evening with an entertaining animated adventure I'd suggest giving this a miss. However if you want to entertain a bunch of kids and be able to laugh along with them then Free Birds can certainly be put onto your menu.
Alternative (Aussie) Title: Stone The Turkeys!
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