Free Birds

Category: Movies

 

You’ll never look at Thanksgiving dinner the same once you see Free Birds. This new animated movie might just turn some audience members into vegetarians.

 

Reggie (voiced by Owen Wilson) is an outcast on the farm. He is an intuitive little turkey who realizes they are all being fattened up so the humans can eat them. In a twist of fate, Reggie is chosen by the president’s daughter to be the “pardoned” turkey of the year. This adorable little girl will steal your heart even though she only has a few minutes on screen.

Reggie is taken to Camp David to live a full and fun life with the first family. He turns into a pizza-eating, television-watching bird without a care in the world. Then he’s kidnapped, or I should say turkey-napped, by another turkey named Jake (voiced by Woody Harrelson). Jake is from the Turkey Freedom Front and presents Reggie with the “sacred time knob” and the news that the two of them are destined to travel back in time to the first Thanksgiving to stop the slaughter of turkeys and change the annual menu for Thanksgiving dinner.

 

 

In a time machine named STEVE, the duo travels to the year 1621 where they meet a group of turkeys and together set out to stop the turkey killings and change the Thanksgiving dinner menu once and for all. While they are all working to evade the hunters and keep off the Thanksgiving plate, Reggie falls in love with a sweet turkey named Jenny (voiced by Amy Poehler), and Jake discovers he might not be the best man, or turkey for the job.

 

The theme of this movie is “never give up no matter what stands in your way,” and is a good lesson as well as a fun-filled show for kids. And yes, they will most likely ask for something other than turkey this Thanksgiving. Who can blame them once they get a look at the fluffy little turkey poults (baby turkeys)?

 

The story aside, Free Birds is filled with some cute scenes. Little Kaitlyn Maher voices the president’s daughter in her brief onscreen moments. Kaityn is the memorable voice of Tiny in the 2009 film Santa Buddies, the voice of Quinn in the 2019 film The Search for Santa Paws, the voice of Cammy in the 2012 film Treasure Buddies, and the voice of Sarah in the 2012 film Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups. Kids might recognize Owen Wilson’s voice from the Cars franchise where he is the voice of Lightning McQueen.

 

Free Birds is rated PG for some action/peril and rude humor. It opens November 1, 2013. It’s not the best film but young kids will probably enjoy it. Note: Be prepared to order pizza this Thanksgiving!

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet: The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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