Free Birds

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1:57

Free Birds

PG

2013

1h 31m

Kids & Family

Holiday

Comedy

Adventure

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

20%

Tomatometer

89 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Pardoned by the president, a lucky turkey (Owen Wilson) named Reggie gets to live a carefree lifestyle, until fellow fowl Jake (Woody Harrelson) recruits him for a history-changing mission. Jake and Reggie travel back in time to the year 1621, just before the first Thanksgiving. The plan: Prevent all turkeys from ever becoming holiday dinners. Unfortunately, the two birds encounter colonist Myles Standish (Colm Meaney), out to capture feathered friends for all the hungry Pilgrims.

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Critics Consensus

Technically proficient yet creatively moribund, Free Birds begs unfortunate comparisons with the dim-witted fowl that inspired it.

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Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

12/01/2013

2/5

Anyone who's seen Chicken Run will wonder why they're not enjoying a well-constructed Aardman animation rather than attempting to make sense of this incoherent transatlantic trifle.

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Charlotte O'Sullivan

London Evening Standard

11/29/2013

2/5

Ultimately embarrassing and even offensive but has an offbeat premise, some neat characters and plenty of guffaw-worthy gags.

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Sophie Monks Kaufman

Little White Lies

11/29/2013

2/5

Surely Owen Wilson can do a lot better than a slipshod animation about time travelling turkeys?

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Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

01/31/2021

2.5/5

Feels average, like a flightless bird trying to soar with the Pixars of the genre.

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Brent McKnight

The Last Thing I See

07/08/2020

B-

It's nice to get a Thanksgiving movie that doesn't revolve around tedious family drama. Though you may wind up having in uncomfortable conversation with your kids about exactly where your holiday meal comes from.

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Kathi Maio

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

03/11/2020

Much can be overlooked if such a movie is rollicking good fun. But Free Birds isn't even that. That's right, I'm going to say it. It's a turkey-and not one of the time-traveling freedom-fighter species, either.

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Mateo S

@Moviestar243 Mar 20

Unfortunately, I once liked this movie, but the idea of having "turkeys going back in time just to save themselves from becoming a meal", doesn't as exactly give the right choice of this parabola and sounds kinda stupid anyway. Anyone who's seen Chicken Run will wonder why they're not enjoying a well-constructed Aardman animation rather than attempting to make sense of this incoherent transatlantic trifle.

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Bret M.

@BretM-3 Mar 20

This is the kind of hilarious, holiday themed movie that I'll still be watching for many years to come. It's perfect for all ages! And I'm so happy that someone didn't skip Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas! Firstly, the animation and voice acting is great. This is that perfect era of CGI animated movies that look more detailed than hand drawn stuff, but not hyper realistic like Disney movies are today. Owen Wilson is a good lead, and I really enjoyed Keith David's performance. But the standout voice actor and standout character is Woody Harrelson as Jake. Not only is Woody a great actor, but Jake is a very enjoyable character to watch. I also just like the comedy of this movie. Love that the Pilgrims are hardly phased when a savage, Native American Turkey tribe comes ready for war against them. Good stuff! Overall, in my mind, this is a Thanksgiving classic. Yearly viewing.

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Micah V.

@MicahSpielberg Mar 8

This is the movie where they go back in time to the first thanksgiving to get turkeys off the menu. THATS RIGHT! THIS IS THE MOVIE WHERE THEY GO BACK IN TIME TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING TO GET TURKEYS OOOOFFFFF THE MENU‼️

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Michael P

@Michael-jai Mar 3

Ridiculously absurd.

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M N

@Michael986 Feb 24

It’s ok thanksgiving movie but it’s not my favorite I don’t hate it but i don’t like that movie and I miss blue sky studios it got shutdown back in April 2021

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Ilyas Z

@Zellai Jan 27

If I'm Being Honest, The Movie Was Only Good Before They Went Back In Time To The First Thanksgiving. The Rest Of It is Mid, Bad, Or EVEN WORSE! 6/10 - 3/10

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Jimmy Hayward

Director

Owen Wilson

Reggie

Woody Harrelson

Jake

Amy Poehler

Jenny

George Takei

S.T.E.V.E.

Colm Meaney

Myles Standish

Free Birds: Official Clip - Gunpowder Explosion

2:10

Free Birds: Official Clip - Pizza Delivery From the Future

2:29

Free Birds: Official Clip - The Pizza Turkey

2:28

Free Birds: Official Clip - Saving Turkey Chicks

2:28

Free Birds: Official Clip - Bromantic Dancing

1:29

Free Birds: Official Clip - The Cranberry Sauce Joke

2:30

Free Birds: Official Clip - Laser Pointer Chase

1:36

Free Birds: Official Clip - The Turkey Hunt

2:30

Free Birds: Official Clip - We're All Idiots

2:29

Free Birds: Official Clip - Trapped by the Pilgrims

2:30

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Free Birds: Trailer 2

1:57

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Synopsis

Pardoned by the president, a lucky turkey (Owen Wilson) named Reggie gets to live a carefree lifestyle, until fellow fowl Jake (Woody Harrelson) recruits him for a history-changing mission. Jake and Reggie travel back in time to the year 1621, just before the first Thanksgiving. The plan: Prevent all turkeys from ever becoming holiday dinners. Unfortunately, the two birds encounter colonist Myles Standish (Colm Meaney), out to capture feathered friends for all the hungry Pilgrims.

Director: Jimmy Hayward
Producer: Scott Mosier
Screenwriter: Scott Mosier, Jimmy Hayward
Distributor: Relativity Media
Production Co: Relativity, Reel FX Animation Studios
Rating: PG (Some Action/Peril|Rude Humor)
Genre: Kids & Family, Holiday, Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 1, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 31, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $55.7M
Runtime: 1h 31m

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