Director: Jimmy Hayward
Starring: Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Amy Poehler, George Takei
Running Time: 87 Minutes
Certificate: U
FREE BIRDS is an animal adventure story with a time travel twist, as two turkeys head back to the first Thanksgiving to save all the turkeys from being the meal. Reggie (Owen Wilson) has always been an outsider, brainier than his fellow turkeys and constantly trying to tell them not to eat the food that is designed to fatten them up so they can be eaten. So when the President chooses him to be the spared turkey one Thanksgiving he thinks he has it made – that is, until Jake (Woody Harrelson) shows up, kidnaps him and takes him on a time-travelling adventure.
Reggie and Jake make for an entertaining and highly unlikely pairing and the vocal talents of both Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson really add heart and humour to the film. Reggie is scrawny and running away from conflict while Jake charges head first into it. There is also support by Amy Poehler and the brilliant George Takei as S.T.E.V.E., the voice of the time-travel machine.
Much like the inclusion of Takei’s voice, there are lots of fun adult jokes thrown in and film references only viewers of a certain age are likely to get but overall it is a film more for children than adults.
Though the Thanksgiving theme may appeal more to US audiences, the adventure, the time-travel and the all-out silliness of FREE BIRDS makes for a fun ride for anyone to enjoy.
[usr=3] FREE BIRDS is released on DVD and Blu-ray on 24th March 2014.
