Yesterday, after trying to find something to write about, I noticed that I could watch Rovio Studios' animation Angry Birds. Since the film was produced by Finns, I thought I should give it a chance and see if it was any good.
Even though I knew that the reviews for it hadn't been that enthusiastic, I decided to watch it. Film critics had given the animation a 43% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, so I knew that I might not like the film that much.
In any case, after seeing the movie last evening, I have to say that Angry Birds could have been a better film than it turned out to be. As a whole, there are too many problems and flaws with it that you simply can't overlook.
The biggest problem I had with the movie has to do with the story and how it wasn't interesting enough. There weren't enough captivating ideas in the film that could have kept us excited throughout the movie's length.
That the story wasn't interesting is mostly because the characters in it unfortunately weren't interesting enough. Especially during the first 30 or 40 minutes it was genuinely difficult to feel anything for the main characters.
By that I mean that during the first half of Angry Birds, our main character (the red one) is simply too unlikable. He's 'angry' for the sake of being angry, which makes it very hard to relate to him and to pay attention to what is going on in the film.
For example, in one of the very first scenes that we get to see, our protagonist is such a selfish, 'angry' jerk that he even manages to ruin a birthday party. It's hard to think of a worse way to start a children's movie than this.
Later on in the first act, our protagonist continues with his bad behavior and is even forced to attend an anger management class. This is where we meet the rest of the main characters - who all happen to be more likable than he is.
All this unlikable stuff happens because the writers were too strict and too obsessed with the original concept. Since these characters were called 'angry birds', our main protagonist had to be angry, even if it didn't make any sense.
Having said this all, once we got past these obviously awful moments in the movie, during the second half the film gets better. This is when the bad piggies reveal their true nature, which gives the movie its much needed momentum.
So when the piggies steal the bird eggs, it's the first time in the film when our birds have an organic reason to get mad. This is when they have a right to become 'angry birds' and the title of the movie starts to make sense.
Therefore, it shouldn't come as a surprise that during the film's final 30 minutes, it actually works. Its final act almost makes you forget that earlier in film there were huge problems with the story and that the film had been too episodic and convoluted.
Yet, as a whole, it has to be said that Angry Birds is still a clear disappointment as an animated film. There are too many problems with the characters and the story, even though the film does admittedly look pretty good.
In that sense, I just wish that the writers and the producers would have paid more attention to the film's screenplay. In that case, Angry Birds could have been a pretty solid film and not just a cheap attempt to cash in.
Even though I knew that the reviews for it hadn't been that enthusiastic, I decided to watch it. Film critics had given the animation a 43% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, so I knew that I might not like the film that much.
In any case, after seeing the movie last evening, I have to say that Angry Birds could have been a better film than it turned out to be. As a whole, there are too many problems and flaws with it that you simply can't overlook.
The biggest problem I had with the movie has to do with the story and how it wasn't interesting enough. There weren't enough captivating ideas in the film that could have kept us excited throughout the movie's length.
That the story wasn't interesting is mostly because the characters in it unfortunately weren't interesting enough. Especially during the first 30 or 40 minutes it was genuinely difficult to feel anything for the main characters.
By that I mean that during the first half of Angry Birds, our main character (the red one) is simply too unlikable. He's 'angry' for the sake of being angry, which makes it very hard to relate to him and to pay attention to what is going on in the film.
For example, in one of the very first scenes that we get to see, our protagonist is such a selfish, 'angry' jerk that he even manages to ruin a birthday party. It's hard to think of a worse way to start a children's movie than this.
Later on in the first act, our protagonist continues with his bad behavior and is even forced to attend an anger management class. This is where we meet the rest of the main characters - who all happen to be more likable than he is.
All this unlikable stuff happens because the writers were too strict and too obsessed with the original concept. Since these characters were called 'angry birds', our main protagonist had to be angry, even if it didn't make any sense.
Having said this all, once we got past these obviously awful moments in the movie, during the second half the film gets better. This is when the bad piggies reveal their true nature, which gives the movie its much needed momentum.
So when the piggies steal the bird eggs, it's the first time in the film when our birds have an organic reason to get mad. This is when they have a right to become 'angry birds' and the title of the movie starts to make sense.
Therefore, it shouldn't come as a surprise that during the film's final 30 minutes, it actually works. Its final act almost makes you forget that earlier in film there were huge problems with the story and that the film had been too episodic and convoluted.
Yet, as a whole, it has to be said that Angry Birds is still a clear disappointment as an animated film. There are too many problems with the characters and the story, even though the film does admittedly look pretty good.
In that sense, I just wish that the writers and the producers would have paid more attention to the film's screenplay. In that case, Angry Birds could have been a pretty solid film and not just a cheap attempt to cash in.
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