Thanksgiving is coming up and two turkeys must travel back in time to change history.

Picture gallery

Reggie and Jake are turkeys who are perturbed by what people do to fowl each year on Thanksgiving. Their objective: saving their kind from the table! To change history and stop the slaughter, the two go on an adventure, traveling in a time machine back to the 17th century to meet up with the pilgrims of Plymouth Rock, where the very first Thanksgiving was held, and to convince them to pass on the drumsticks.

Canadian animator Jimmy Hayward is one of the most skilled in the business, having worked on the classic Toy Story in the 90’s, as well as Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc.. His directorial debut, Horton Hears a Who!, was a hit in 2008 with audiences and critics alike. Which makes it all the more surprising that Free Birds is a disappointment all the way down the line. Weak animation, bland main characters, and cheap CGI are dragged down even farther by overblown action and noisy, irritating slapstick segments.