Free Birds

Reggie the Turkey, voiced by Owen Wilson, has lived his life in dread of Thanksgiving, fully aware that turkeys usually end up on the menu. His desperate attempts to alert his fellow farm-dwelling turkeys about their fate fall on deaf ears, leading to his exile from the flock. As a twist of fate unfolds, Reggie is unexpectedly designated the “pardoned turkey” by the President, allowing him to enjoy a life of leisure at Camp David. Initially resistant, Reggie soon finds joy in pizza deliveries from the Pizza Dude and binge-watching telenovelas.

However, things take a sharp turn just days before Thanksgiving when he is abducted by Jake, played by Woody Harrelson, the sole member of the Turkeys Liberation Front. Jake insists that a “Great Turkey” has instructed him to take Reggie back to the inaugural Thanksgiving to ensure turkeys are off the menu forever. Despite numerous attempts to escape and elude capturing federal agents, Jake secures an egg-shaped time machine piloted by the A.I. named S.T.E.V.E. and ventures to the fateful day in 1621.

Upon their arrival, they find themselves under attack from colonial hunters led by Myles Standish. Their rescue comes from a group of native turkeys, guided by Chief Broadbeak, who inform them that settlers have forced their kind to retreat underground. As Reggie gets to know Jenny, one of Broadbeak’s children, he quickly falls for her charm.

The following day, while Jake and Ranger spy on the settlers, Reggie and Jenny work to dismantle their hunting traps. Initially skeptical of Reggie’s claims of being from the future, Jenny is soon impressed by his innovative methods. However, a confrontation with Standish leads Reggie to have Jenny orbiting in S.T.E.V.E., and he manages to validate his story in the process.

As feelings grow, Reggie suggests that Jenny join him in the future, but her loyalty to her flock holds her back. Meanwhile, Jake reveals his personal stakes in this mission, stemming from a childhood incident involving three turkey eggs he couldn’t save. Together they attempt to sabotage the settlers’ plans but inadvertently lead the hunters directly to them, resulting in Broadbeak’s tragic death.

With a determination to prevent further bloodshed, Reggie ultimately returns to Camp David, where he encounters multiple future versions of himself who reveal that he is, in fact, the Great Turkey. Motivated by this understanding, he travels back once more, successfully persuading the settlers that pizza is a better alternative for Thanksgiving than turkeys.

In the finale, Reggie chooses to stay with Jenny while Jake departs with S.T.E.V.E., yet Jake returns almost immediately, implying that their time-travel escapades have caused unforeseen consequences in the timeline.

Last Updated: October 27, 2024 at 21:55