Birds in movies

In the history of the seventh art, there have been numerous birds that have served as protagonists for several famous stories. Birds have occupied a special place in popular culture both in animated films and in live-action movies. Learn here which the most popular movie birds are.

The most popular movie birds in movies

This list is not intended to be a compilation of all the birds that have starred in films in the history of cinema, such a task would be almost impossible and would require an encyclopedic space to present in a decent manner. The ambitions of this article are much more modest and seek simply to name the most recognizable birds of today’s popular culture.

 

The criteria are not very strict. They are based more on a survey of the works that have left a more perceptible impact on culture. This opens the discussion in regard to which the protagonist is the most recognizable and which has most marked the medium. In a certain way, it depends on generational and regional issues that determine which works each person has been exposed to.

Some of the most popular film birds in today’s culture are:

Rio Blu

Blu is a Blue Macaw that is also known by its scientific name Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus or Blue Arara in Brazil. This bird is particularly rare and seriously endangered, and it is reported to be functionally extinct. It means that no living specimens are found in their natural space. Therefore, this implies that they do not fulfill their function in the ecosystem.

 

The population of these birds has decreased greatly because they have been traded for their striking plumage. In addition, their habitat is very small and specific, and they have been threatened by logging for planting. Despite all the conservation campaigns and programs, the population continued to fall rapidly. On the other hand, their prices on the black market have risen sharply.

 

This problem of their preservation is the main theme of the 3D animated film Rio del Blu Sky Studios. The film was released in 2011 and was directed by the Brazilian director Carlos Saldanha. It was hugely successful all over the world and brought awareness of this deadly species by making it a protagonist.

 

The story tells the adventures of Blu, a blue macaw that is captured by wildlife traffickers to be sold. In his eagerness to escape, he meets a variety of characters also presented as animals of the Brazilian fauna. Among these ones, he meets Jewel, a macaw of the same species that will be his romantic interest.

 

The success of this film was such that in 2014 a direct sequel called Rio 2 was released, also directed by Carlos Saldanha. This story focuses on a failed expedition in the Amazon where Blu goes astray. The antagonists are the loggers who deforest the Amazon rainforest, following the protectionist theme of the former.

Mumble from Happy Feet

Happy Feet is a 3D animated film released in 2006 and directed by the legendary Australian director George Miller. This director became known for his post-apocalyptic stories in the Mad Max series. But despite the adult and violent tone of these films, the director is very well adapted to works aimed at a child audience.

 

 

This movie stars Mumble. An emperor penguin that is played by the star of the Lord of the Rings trilogy Elijah Wood. Mumble lives in a society that highly values the ability to sing for the survival of the species. However, Mumble cannot sing and he is discriminated against the members of his community.

 

But Mumble’s pretty handy with a dance. Through its natural talent, he manages to gain a space in its society and the respect of its peers. In addition to this plot, there is a threat of Antarctic fishing that threatens the penguins’ food source. In this way, Happy Feet joins Rio as a film with an environmentalist message.

 

The emphasis on penguin song is due to the allusion to the behaviors of Emperor penguins. These penguins which are also known as Aptenodytes forsteri use specialized songs to find and recognize their partners for life. They depend directly on the song to be able to reproduce and get their young among the crowds.

 

Also, due to the success of this film, a sequel called Happy Feet Two was produced in 2011. It was directed by George Miller and was filmed with the same protagonists, this film did not turn out to be as successful as the first one. The plot is about how penguins must form alliances with other species to protect their habitat from an iceberg. Most of the cast returns to lend their voices.

Cody Maverick from Surf’s Up

Cody is another penguin starring in a movie. But unlike Mumble, it is not an emperor penguin, but a northern rock-hopper penguin. It is also known by its scientific name Eudyptes Moseley, this penguin is smaller and lighter than the emperor. Despite its name, this bird lives in the southern oceans near the South Pole.

 

Its population has fallen by almost 90% since the 1950s, and now it is in serious danger of extinction. This drop is mainly due to fishing as it diminishes the food that sustains the populations. In addition, human settlements in their habitat have reduced their living spaces considerably.

 

Surf’s Up is a 3D animation film released in 2007 by Ash Brannon and Chris Buck. It was produced by Sony Pictures Animation. The film is presented as a fake documentary that uses interviews and a hidden camera to tell the story. Besides, the story tells the life of the protagonist Cody Maverick as he takes part in a surfing tournament in the tropics.

 

The role was played by Shia LaBeouf, Cody must face the tassels of other tropical birds because of their polar origin. With a lot of effort and ingenuity, he managed to win the contest and earn the respect and admiration of his peers. In 2017, a sequel called Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania went straight to home video. For this film, the voice of the main protagonist was replaced.

Red from The Angry Birds Movie

The Angry Birds Movie is a 3D animated film released in 2016 and produced by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly. It is based on the video game franchise Angry Birds. Angry Birds is perhaps the most recognized video game series in the world and dominated mobile platforms for several years.

 

The game tells the story of how some birds that must recover their eggs after they were stolen by a group of pigs. The game is based on throwing birds with a slingshot to destroy the pigs’ fortifications. Each bird has a different characteristic that serves for some specific situations. Obviously, the mechanics of the games cannot be adapted to the cinema but the story can.

 

The film tells the story of  Red which was played by Jason Sudeikis and his friends in their adventure to recover the stolen eggs. Red is an irritable and resentful character who has always been discriminated against because of his sullen nature. The arrival of some pigs in the community arouses in him certain suspicions that are ignored by those around him.

 

However, their suspicions turn out to be true and the pigs steal the eggs from the community once they are accepted. Then, Red must take care of retrieving them with the help of those who previously doubted his suspicions. This film grossed over $300 million at the box office. It is currently one of the most successful video game-based films in history.

Paulie de Paulie

Not all birds in movies are caricatures in children’s movies. Although this is the norm, there are live-action films that have used these animals as protagonists. One of these is Paulie, a 1998 American cult film directed by John Roberts. It is now a forgotten film but with a loyal fan base that has popularized it on alternative circuits.

 

The film tells the story of Paulie that is played by Jay Mohr, a blue-crowned parakeet, and his odyssey to return to his owner. Paulie is a special bird who can speak English perfectly. He is separated from his owner when he was just a child. From that moment on, the story is told of how he managed to survive and help many people over the years.

 

A royal blue-crowned parakeet was used for the film. These birds are also known as Thectocercus acuticaudatus are very common in Latin America. They live from Venezuela to Argentina and adapt very easily to their surroundings. Due to their resilience, their populations remain stable and numerous.

Big Bird en Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird

This is another live-action film with a bird as the main character, but its interpretation is much more curious. It was created by the legendary puppeteer Jim Henson Big Bird, he is a character known and loved by several generations of children. He is one of the main characters in the educational series Sesame Street and the main character in this film.

 

 It was released in 1985 and directed by Ken Kwapis, Follow that Bird tells the story of Big Bird’s return to Sesame Street. Big Bird leaves Sesame Street to go to a bird shelter where he is supposed to feel more at home. In time, however, he realizes that Sesame Street is his true home and he will seek to return to it at any cost.

 

It’s a film loved by generations raised on the Sesame Street series. Today, it enjoys cult status and despite not being economically successful is cultural background. The film also stars the rest of the cast of the Muppets and Sesame Street. It was the last film in which the creators of the Muppets collaborated.

 

Big Bird is a canary over 2 meters high. It is represented by a yellow costume of an anthropomorphic bird. At that time, it was played by the actor Caroll Spinney, both in body and voice. Today, due to the advanced age of Caroll Spinney, it is sometimes played by Matt Vogel. Big Bird remains an indispensable character for the current Sesame Street seasons.

Soren the Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole is a 3D animated film that debuted in 2010. It is based on the children’s book series Guardians of Ga’Hoole written by Kathryn Lasky. This series of books with almost 20 deliveries lasted ten years between 2003 and 2013. It was very popular with the American children’s audience and is still selling very well today.

 

The film was directed by the renowned Zack Snyder in his debut in animation. This film was a milestone in the history of cinema by being one of the first to use real 3D. By means of special lenses, this technology allows perceiving depth in projected images. This form of projection was extremely popular at the beginning of the current decade.

 

The story tells the adventures of Soren that is played by Jim Sturgess in a mystical world populated by magical animals. It is a loose adaptation of the story detailed in the books and is presented in a condensed form. It has a slightly darker tone than the films already mentioned in the list, although it is still for children.

 

Soren is represented by a common owl or Tyto alba. These owls are very common in most parts of the world and are a very important part of the ecosystem.  Because of their adaptability and versatility, their populations are healthy and stable. They are often welcome in barns because of their hunting habits. This makes them quite effective pest control in the fields.

Birds in movies

These are the main birds in the movies. However, they are not all we can find. There are many films still where birds are the protagonists.

 

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