PREMIERE.COM'S REVIEW (posted 8/18/05)

Feature-length CG cartoons keep getting shorter and shorter. I first noticed this with Shrek, which clocked in at 1:30. Next it was Madagascar, at a mere 1:20. I suspect this is a reflection of market research, which is in turn a reflection of the ever-shrinking attention span of the average American child, or some such nonsense. Whatever the case, Valiant , the latest offering from Disney, comes in at a too-trim 1:13, and like its titular hero, seems a few notches too short get the job done.

Against the backdrop of World War II England, Valiant (voiced by Ewan McGregor) is a featherweight by pigeon standards who never misses an opportunity to remind us that "it's not the size of your wingspan, but the size of your spirit" that counts, who dreams of a life of danger and adventure in the RHPS (Royal Homing Pigeon Service). Due to thinning ranks, Valiant gets accepted on a fluke, and along with a band of misfit pigeons who comprise "Squad F," sets out to deliver a message for the Allied forces of utmost importance to the war effort.

The little pigeon with pluck's determination to "do his bit" rubs off on his fellow flunkies, especially his buddy, the dirtier-than-your-average-pigeon Bugsy. While McGregor's take on Valiant's unflinching optimism consists mainly in raising inflection on the last syllable of each of his utterances, the effect, when combined with the character's appearance, is lucklily more lovable than annoying. But it's Ricky Gervais, of The Office fame (BBC, not NBC), who steals the show, bringing the yuks by deftly playing Bugsy's cowardice as an extension of his bumbling paper pusher David Brent.

The danger here comes in the form of Nazi falcons, led by Tim Curry as an avian Colonel Klink who, along with a duo of Schultzes, has an array of stuffed pigeons on his mantle and delights in his "vays of makingk you squawk." Just another example of how Valiant never flies beyond formula. Which should be no problem for the kiddies, but for adults expecting a little bit more, Chicken Run this ain't. —Ryan Devlin