by Evan Ferstenfeld.

From a board meeting teeming with cynical cash-cow merchandising executives, to the pairing of actors whose only chemistry together is their projected worldwide grosses, some films are born into this world unloved or fraught with other outcomes in mind. Like an unwanted child from a mother paid by credit card for an evening of her "company," these movies are despised by those who desire more out of their movie-going experience than buying its super-caffeinated soft drink tie-in. Robots and Madagascar are two recent examples of films that wear platform sneakers to ensure they talk down to their audience of all ages, while encouraging them to check their intelligence and wallet at the door so that they may rummage through both.

While some features are made to be hated, sometimes a films swaggers along that, upon first glance, radiates the charm, brains and excitement of a movie that you'd like to spend more time digging through its layers, getting to know on a personal level. Chicken Little, the latest in a line of computer animated features not emanating from Pixar’s wondrous digital workshop (Toy Story, The Incredibles), is a film that adults will take their children to and attempt to muster up their enthusiasm for once the theater's exit lights spring forth and their children are screaming with glee. Shunning the current animated rage of front-loading its story with as many sexual innuendos and adult wisecracks as it can hold before the eight-years-olds get wise to the situation, Chicken Little delivers a simpler menu of softball cutesiness and Looney Toons-inspired zaniness aimed primarily at the lil' seat squirmers.

Offering an impressive easy-on-the-iris 3D version in selected theaters, Chicken Little is ably directed by Mark Dindal, otherwise known as the man that officially confirmed the end of Disney's hand-drawn empire with 2000's disposable The Emperor's New Groove. Multi-talented actor and director Zach Braff (Scrubs and Garden State, respectively) takes extra large gulps of helium to voice the title character, a plucky young clucker whose pre-pubescent troubles include glasses that could melt an iceberg, as well as a father (Garry Marshall) whose confidence and trust in his young offspring has been fouled up by public disdain of his boy's usefulness and sanity. Incinerating the usual A-List of big-name-but-not-always-best-choice-for-voice acting giants, Little casts an entire fleet of under-the-radar B+ talent (Braff, Steve Zahn, Fred Willard, Amy Sedaris) that delivers many unexpectedly buoyant performances.

While containing enough good will and exuberance to power the Northern Lights for another millennia, Chicken Little unfortunately shows some shades of its ugly duckling side by which parts it tosses its ball of energy around on. The voice actors strive to pick every last crumb out of their character's cookie jars, all in a valiant attempt to distract you from realizing Little's barnyard participants are the very definition of stock. The script that is being squeaked as heartily as possible feels held back and begging to be released from its leash, as a soundtrack of rejected Shrek themes, amusing-but-toothless humor and zany-but-tame sight gags neuter the experience for people older than their amount of fingers. Also, the well-intentioned but unconvincing theme of good communication and support between family members is hammered into the back of audience's heads with a force that could make faces cave in.

Like director Dindal's previous New Groove, Chicken Little is eager to please attitude and undeniable vigor to lightly tickle funny bones makes it a hard target to throw harsh stares at. However, even with alien spacecraft taking apart the sky like stage crew striking scenery after a Broadway show's final performance, Little learns very little from New Groove's mistakes of playing it safe and extending past child's play. But since you probably enjoyed more of what made A Bug's Life hilariously and stylistically unique than the little tykes did, isn't about time you took the kiddies to a cartoon that let them think they're smarter than you, because they're laughing for the first time at jokes you've seen used since you were eight years old?

Grade: For Kids: B
For Adults: C
Rating: G
Running Time: 77 Mins.