Free Birds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Free Birds
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jimmy Hayward
Produced by	Scott Mosier
Screenplay by	Jimmy Hayward Scott Mosier
Story by	David I. Stern John J. Strauss
Starring	Owen Wilson Woody Harrelson Amy Poehler
Music by	Dominic Lewis
Editing by	Chris Cartagena
Studio	Relativity Media Reel FX Animation Studios
Distributed by	Relativity Media
Release date(s)	November 1, 2013 (2013-11-01)
Running time	91 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$55 million
Money made	$110.4 million

Free Birds is a fun computer-animated movie from 2013. It's a comedy film with a bit of science fiction mixed in! The story is all about two turkeys who go on an amazing adventure back in time. Their big goal? To stop turkeys from being the main dish at Thanksgiving dinner!

The movie was made by Reel FX Creative Studios. It was their very first full-length animated film shown in theaters. Jimmy Hayward directed the movie and also helped write the story with Scott Mosier. Famous actors like Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, and Amy Poehler lent their voices to the main characters. Even though some critics didn't love it, the movie made a lot of money, earning $110 million worldwide!

Story of Free Birds

Reggie is a turkey who has always been worried about Thanksgiving. He knows that turkeys are usually eaten on that day. He tries to warn the other turkeys, but they think he's strange and don't listen. They even push him outside to save themselves!

But then, something amazing happens to Reggie. The President of the United States chooses him to be the "pardoned turkey". This means Reggie gets to live a safe, happy life at Camp David. At first, Reggie isn't sure about it. But soon, he gets used to relaxing, eating lots of pizza, and watching TV shows.

Time Travel Adventure

One day, Reggie is suddenly taken by Jake. Jake is a big, strong turkey who is part of the Turkey Freedom Front. He tells Reggie that a special "Great Turkey" told him to find Reggie. Their mission is to go back in time to the very first Thanksgiving. They want to change history so that turkeys are never eaten again!

They find a cool time machine in a secret government building. It's controlled by a smart computer called S.T.E.V.E. (Space Time Exploration Vehicle Envoy). Jake tells S.T.E.V.E. to take them back to the year 1621. This is just three days before the first Thanksgiving.

When they arrive, they are attacked by colonial hunters. These hunters are led by Captain Myles Standish. Luckily, they are saved by a group of native turkeys. These turkeys are led by Chief Broadbeak and his children, Ranger and Jenny.

Meeting the Wild Turkeys

Chief Broadbeak explains that his turkeys have been hiding underground since the settlers arrived. They are afraid to fight back because it could make things worse. The next day, Broadbeak sends Jake and Ranger to spy on the settlers. Reggie and Jenny are told to find and disable all the human hunting traps.

Ranger and Jake discover that the settlers are already getting ready for Thanksgiving. They also find out where the settlers keep their weapons. Meanwhile, Jenny doesn't believe Reggie is from the future at first. But she is impressed by how he accidentally sets off the traps.

Captain Standish and his men soon find Reggie and Jenny. To prove his story, Reggie quickly sends Jenny into space using the time machine! Reggie asks Jenny to come back to the future with him. But she says no, because she won't leave her flock, even though she likes him. Jake then pulls Reggie away, saying he has a plan to attack the settlers. But Reggie is tired of Jake's wild stories and threatens to leave.

The Great Turkey's Plan

Jake then tells Reggie a secret. He says this whole trip is about him making up for a past mistake. When Jake was young, he failed to save some turkey eggs from a factory farm. He says the Great Turkey convinced him to go on this mission. Reggie is still unsure, but he agrees to help with Jake's plan.

They blow up the settlers' weapons shed. But Jake accidentally leaves a trail of gunpowder leading back to the turkeys' hiding spot. Standish and his men follow the trail and force the turkeys out from underground. They capture many turkeys for the feast. Chief Broadbeak bravely sacrifices himself to help the remaining turkeys escape.

Feeling like a failure, Reggie goes back to Camp David. There, S.T.E.V.E. reveals a big secret: Reggie himself is the Great Turkey! Reggie then travels back in time to send the young Jake on his mission. Back in 1621, Jenny becomes the new chief. She orders the remaining turkeys to get ready to attack the settlers.

Changing Thanksgiving

Jenny, Jake, and Ranger lead the turkeys in an attack on the settlement. Just then, Chief Massasoit and his tribe arrive. Inspired, Reggie goes back in time again to stop the attack. He accidentally traps Captain Standish in the time stream!

With help from S.T.E.V.E. and the "Pizza Dude," Reggie convinces the settlers and the Native Americans that pizza is a much better food than turkeys. Because of this, turkeys are taken off the Thanksgiving menu forever! Reggie decides to stay with Jenny. Jake takes S.T.E.V.E. to find new adventures.

In a short scene during the credits, Jake returns. He has a chicken and a duck with him. Jake starts telling the turkeys about something called a "turducken." This makes it seem like removing Standish from history might have caused some unexpected changes in the future!

Characters and Voices

• Owen Wilson as Reggie: A turkey who gets a special pardon from the President. He is dragged into Jake's wild plan. He becomes Jenny's boyfriend and Ranger's brother-in-law.
• Woody Harrelson as Jake: A brave wild turkey and the leader of the Turkey Freedom Front. He's Reggie's best friend.
• Amy Poehler as Jenny: A strong wild turkey, Reggie's girlfriend, and Chief Broadbeak's daughter.
• George Takei as S.T.E.V.E.: The smart computer brain of the time machine. S.T.E.V.E. looks like a giant egg!
• Colm Meaney as Captain Myles Standish: A pilgrim hunter who wants turkeys for the Thanksgiving feast.
• Keith David as Chief Broadbeak: The wise leader of the native turkeys. He is Jenny and Ranger's father.
• Dan Fogler as Governor William Bradford: The governor of the Plymouth colony.
• Jimmy Hayward also voices the President of the United States and Ranger, Jenny's brother.
• Scott Mosier as the Pizza Dude, who delivers pizza to Reggie.

Soundtrack

The music for the movie Free Birds was created by Dominic Lewis. The official soundtrack album was released on October 29, 2013. It includes all the exciting background music from the film.

All music composed by Dominic Lewis, except as noted.

See also

In Spanish: Free Birds para niños