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ANGRY BIRDS: SUMMER MADNESS Is Heavy on Shenanigans, Light on Morals

Netflix

ANGRY BIRDS: SUMMER MADNESS Is Heavy on Shenanigans, Light on Morals

By Movieguide® Contributor

ANGRY BIRDS: SUMMER MADNESS is an animated children’s show on Netflix written by Scott Sonneborn and Paul McKeown, starring Ty Olsson, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Deven Christian Mack, Ian Hanlin, tabitha St. Germain, Ana Sani, Adam Kirshnr, and Peter Kelamis. The show is produced by Sonneborn, Rob Doherty, John Cohen, and others, and centers around the adventures of a group of four angry bird children who go to a summer camp, and use their over-the-top personalities and special abilities to get into and out of all sorts of zany trouble.

Each episode of season one is roughly 14 minutes with some sort of dilemma that the main characters Red, Bomb, Stella, and Chuck usually get themselves into and must use teamwork, cartoon violence and general misbehavior to overcome. Every episode wraps up in a tight bow by the end, though some of them tease at consequences which never manifest in future episodes. The show is very episodic with little to no character development transferring from one episode to the next. 

Most of the conflict comes from silly, low-stakes occurrences that take place around the camp, usually as a result of the main characters misbehaving or being bullied.

For example, in one episode, Red and the gang realize that the only way to get candy (seeing as the camp outlaws candy) is to get injured so that the nurse gives you a lollipop. Chuck, a yellow angry bird with super speed, is the accident-prone member of the group and takes it upon himself to get hurt in more and more zany ways so that he can get his friends candy.

Chuck becomes a hero to the entire camp as he begins getting himself injured to secure candy for all of the kids at camp. When the bully convinces Chuck to do a stunt that would likely kill him in order to become “legendary,” secure candy for everyone, and get is name on the bathroom stall of fame, Chuck’s friends finally step in to stop Chuck only to themselves fall into the contraption Chuck planned to use to injure himself–the friends survive, though they all end up in the nurse’s office where they are given colored rocks since the nurse is all out of candy. Sometimes the birds must confront the pig kids, who attend a camp only a slingshot away. 

The show has a moderate moral worldview with the children repeating talking points about friendship and teamwork. This is overshadowed, however, by the constant misbehaving that the children engage in that goes unpunished during the film. While getting into and out of trouble, the children will lie, sneak, trick, betray, act selfish, and get angry while having such actions usually turn out for the best. There is a light politically incorrect worldview as a husband and wife face off in dodgeball even though the kids tell the husband to let his wife win after she implies that she will divorce him if she loses. In spite of this, and quite unexpectedly, the husband plays extremely well and evinces some level of dodgeball superpowers which he uses to gain a resounding victory. His wife approaches him threateningly, saying she’s never seen that side of him. All tension is broken when she suddenly smiles and says that she “likes it” and begins smothering him with kisses.

There are no obscenities, though the characters use the occasional substitute including dang and darn, and a few more more, as somewhat playful substitutes for what would otherwise be expletives. There are no profanities; there is light cartoon violence as angry birds constantly launch themselves and objects using various methods into each other and other objects; there is no nudity, though at one point an adult bird gets a massage and takes off her towel–even though most of the birds don’t wear clothes, and she doesn’t in some episodes, the scene where she took off her towel smacked of nudity though there was none; there is generally no implied or depicted sexual content, though in one episode a wife kisses her husband who is on the ground and a shot showing the reacting crowd includes her tail fears as she moves her rear in a way that looks as though she’s thrusting; there is no smoking/drug use and abuse and no alcohol consumption; major miscellaneous immorality as the pack uses deception to solve their problems, disobey the adults at camp, and generally misbehave–usually to great avail as such acts successfully solve their problems.

The camera work is decent and the animation is simplistic but well done. The character movements are fluid, the special effects aren’t spectacular but aren’t bad either, and the character faces are expressive and clearly convey the emotions that the characters are feeling even though they are birds. The show is somewhat visually appealing overall and has plenty of bright colors and fast-moving objects to attract and keep the attention of young children. While the characters do a lot of talking, there is never more than 5 to 10 seconds without something whooshing or zipping across the screen to re-engage young viewers.

ANGRY BIRDS: SUMMER MADNESS  is a silly, irreverent, lightly moralistic show with some questionable elements. Some children will pick up on the questionable acts the kids engage in and might emulate them. Interestingly enough, most of the questionable acts the young birds engage in are of the sort that children can easily and actually emulate. Most children, but especially boys, will enjoy the fun colors, fast paced movements, and silly dialogue. Parents will find the occasional episode entertaining, but must evaluate if the questionable elements outweigh the enjoyment their children, especially their boys, will likely get from watching the show.

 

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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.