The Angry Birds Movie

Sequel: “The Angry Birds Movie 2” (2019)

“The Angry Birds Movie,” based on the smartphone game “Angry Birds,” is about a community of birds that is troubled by a few with anger issues. The community’s leader requires several outburst-prone birds to attend anger management therapy. However, the therapy’s combination of meditation, art, and poetry seems to have little calming effect on the angry birds, and sessions often end in arguing and yelling.

Business as usual on the birds’ island is interrupted when a ship full of pigs arrives. The pigs act friendly at first and entertain the birds with music and dancing. However, Mr. Red, one of the birds in the anger management classes, notices that the pigs are showing little respect for island property, and that far more pigs are being brought onto the island than the pigs’ leaders claimed. However, most of the other birds reject his concerns, believing that the right thing to do is to make the pigs feel welcome, and that Mr. Red is just being his usual angry self. Mr. Red teams up with other birds in his anger management class to try to save the island, but are the pigs really a major threat? And what would have to happen for Mr. Red and his team to get support from the other birds?

The movie has a lot of humor, which comes largely from wacky situations involving angry birds. The outbursts of anger are comical, and I did not think they were “painful” to watch. However, there are many incidents which would not be funny if imitated in real life. Those issues, combined with some innuendo and comic violence, make the movie’s suitability for kids questionable.

The overarching message of the movie is about times when a type of anger is necessary to have the drive to respond when others are being harmed, as opposed to losing your temper out of needless frustration. The movie also alludes to how excessive tolerance can compromise safety. The Bible also references the proper application of anger in Ephesians 4:26-27 (NRSV),

“Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil.”

This movie has themes that could be applied in a lot of different contexts, and it is entertaining to watch. However, there are also some notable content concerns, so I advise caution for family viewing.

Content Concerns

Violence: Intense comic violence lasts about fifteen to twenty minutes near the end of the movie. Scenes include birds catapulting into buildings (they survive), bombings, aircraft chases, massive fires, and trappings. There are also some slapstick antics throughout, such as characters getting mad and throwing things at each other.

Sexuality: In several scenes, characters shake their posterior at the audience while dancing. Birds, who consider themselves “clothed” by their feathers, admire the “naked” pigs’ bodies on one occasion. An eagle uses binoculars to look at female birds bathing. There is a joke about female birds “getting busy” in order to lay eggs. A sculpture is shown that is not really clear, but may be showing several birds together in a sexually suggestive manner. A bird mentions getting his “giblets” hit. A female bird wears toilet plungers in a way suggestive of a bra.

Language: OMG (4), “holy moly” (1), son-of-a-…(incomplete) (1), fa*t (1, plus also appears textually a few more times), “heck” (1), “cr*p” (2), “sucks” (1) and one suggestive use of the word “nuts.” Also, there are a few phrases that seem to resemble obscene or profane phrases, such as “pluck my life,” “big flocking deal,” and “shell yes.” The word “butt” is also used a few times.

Substance Use: A bird buys a drink at a bar-like setting. There is also a reference to “hard partying” and a comment that sounds like “red rum.”

Other: There are repeated verbal insults, stealing on a couple occasions (portrayed negatively), and a bird paints a picture of a pig getting burned (not graphic though). There are a few occasions of lying. An angry bird sees a long line of baby birds and recommends “bird control,” which seems to be a reference to birth control. There are also a few flatulence instances and one urination scene. A character puts an object in his mouth that looks like a cigarette. An eagle claims to “see all and know all.” A bird makes a joke about “cardinal sin.” A bird makes a painting that seems to portray God as a bird. There is an apparent reference to the theory of Evolution, as a bird mentions evolving from dinosaurs. Zen is mentioned as part of the anger management course. A “co-exist” sign is shown once.

Violence: Moderate to Heavy / Profanity: Moderate / Sex/Nudity: Moderate

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

• Positive
• Neutral
• Negative