Free Birds

Movie Title--  Free Birds

Release Year--  2013

Running Time--  1 Hour and 31 Minutes

Director--  Jimmy Hayward

Cast--  Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Amy Poehler, George Takei, Colm Meaney, Keith David, Dan Folger, Jimmy Hayward

Two turkeys with different ideas about life team up to travel back in time to change the history of Thanksgiving by taking turkey off the menu.

Reggie (Owen Wilson) has always been afraid of Thanksgiving.  While the other turkeys are fattening up, he warns that the farmer is only going to eat them one day.  The other turkeys have become dumb and naive, believing that the farmer is their friend but it all comes to a head when a bright light appears outside the turkey coop one day.  Reggie tells them that this is what he has been warning them about and when he suggests that they stand together against the farmer, they turn on him and offer him up as a sacrifice.  They shove him out of the coop and a girl scoops him up and takes him to where the President of the United States is waiting.  He announces that he is going to pardon one turkey from becoming a victim of Thanksgiving when the little girl, who is actually his daughter, says that Reggie is the turkey that she wants.  When he insists that they are going to pick a bigger turkey, she starts to beg him in front of the crowd and finally he gives in, pardoning Reggie.

Reggie is then taken back to Camp David where he becomes accustomed to eating pizza and watching Mexican soap operas.  Three days before Thanksgiving Reggie is kidnapped by Jake (Woody Harrelson), a member of the Turkey Freedom Front and tells him that he has been sent by the "Great Turkey" to take Reggie back to the first Thanksgiving and take turkey off the menu permanently.  Jake takes him to where he is told the time machine would be and Reggie laughs at him when he sees that it is only a shed but is then shocked to see that this shed is just a cover for a military base.  They read a map that clearly has time machine marked on it, having some missteps while trying to find it but finally arriving as the time machine is getting ready to take off.

Once inside the egg-shaped time machine, the A.I. software announces that his name is S.T.E.V.E. (George Takei) and asks where the turkeys want to go.  Reggie replies with this same day in the year 1621 and S.T.E.V.E obliges, transporting them back in time.  When they land, they are met by colonial men with rifles led by Myles Standish (Colm Meaney) but the native turkeys, led by Ranger (Jimmy Hayward) and Jenny (Amy Poehler), who Reggie instantly falls in love with, rescues them and takes them to the leader of their tribe and father, Chief Broadbeak (Keith David). 

Broadbeak explains that because they have been persecuted, the turkeys have moved to a nest underground and they can not risk fighting back because when they do, they get carried back to the settlement.  The next day, Jake is sent with Ranger to spy on the settlers and Reggie is sent with Jenny to trigger the traps that the hunters place.  While out, Jake and Ranger learn that the settlers have already begun preparing their upcoming feast.

So, although this film did not get very good reviews with critics, I thought it wasn't that bad.  I mean, it is a story about how turkeys are trying to get the primary dish off the map for Thanksgiving, what can be bad about that?  It was funny although there were a few times that were slightly annoying but overall, it was a good film.

Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson are great together.  There are a few completely cheesy parts to this film but these two guys pull it together in the end, making it worth the watch. 

Watch this film with the little people in your life and then maybe serve pizza for Thanksgiving dinner but whatever you do, Don't Forget the Popcorn!