Chicken Little : 3 of 5

Disney's first CGI animated feature is finally here, and my pal Melinda and I went on opening day, of course! I had read enough reviews that I was prepared for a less-than-perfect storyline, and the reviews are correct in that respect - Chicken Little feels just like a DreamWorks film, with quirky humor, fast editing, and cultural jokes popping up everywhere. I really wish that Disney could recapture the "heart" that makes a Disney film spectacular - it's like they didn't even try to get tears out of me this time! With all that said, though, it's also important to say that Chicken Little is a hilarious film, and I loved it. The story does get a little wacky - you can almost feel where they switched gears to the science fiction tale, and it's pretty jarring! The animation is definitely nice, though, and the characters are really funny - especially Runt of the Litter (with all his drama and disco tunes), but my favorite is Fish Out of Water, since he's so cute and always cheerful. I got to see the movie in the brand new Disney Digital 3D process, and the results are spectacular! This is the first time I've watched a long 3D movie and completely forgot I had glasses on - usually my eyes get tired from "forcing" the effect, but not this time! I have to mention the closing "movie inside the movie" sequence, because it's completely hysterical - once again, it doesn't really seem like Disney, but man, was I laughing! I think Disney desperately needs another Little Mermaid to give the art of the animated feature a real boost, but for now I can be happy laughing at the great gags in Chicken Little.