Why so angry?
If you are anything like our family then you too might also know a couple of crazy birdies in your nest addicted to the insane slingshooting of colorful bird-balls onto green pigs villages. In our case, papa-bird and his graceful daughter spent hours perfecting their aim and demolishing pig homes.
But why? Why so angry, little birdies?
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| Photo: R. Abouzeid |
Well my happy-angry crew and I were lucky enough to be invited to the premiere of
Angry Birds The Movie yesterday at
Reel Cinemas in
City Walk 2 and the answer to that question was finally revealed.
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| Photo: R. Abouzeid |
The red carpet treatment is always a blast and we got to pose with the stars of the film which was the highlight of my five year old's day. And let me tell you, she is not easily pleased. If you own one of those at home, you probably know they have very particular opinions on things and events and they are not easily impressed. But we were greeted with essentials which made all the difference: a pair of sunglasses and a micro coloring kit (so cool). She was sold. I mean, who does not like a funky pair of glasses, right?
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| Photo: R. Abouzeid |
And bonus for mommy, the formidable photo booth by
Fishfayce which transforms regular snaps into brilliant little flip books!
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| Photo: R. Abouzeid |
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| Photo: R. Abouzeid |
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| Photo: R. Abouzeid |
My talented daughter also seized the opportunity to release the artist within at the coloring tables which she categorically refused to leave before her chef-d'oeuvre was completed, not even to try face painting or Angry Birds Yoga which looked like so much fun. Seriously, those poses were brilliant!
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| Photo: R. Abouzeid |
Armed with snacks and excitement, we entered the theater and took our seats. Pop corn, water and seat booster in places, we were ready.
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| Photo: TOH Public Relations |
"The movie takes us to an island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds – or almost entirely. In this
paradise,
Red (Jason Sudeikis,
We're the Millers, Horrible Bosses), a bird with a temper problem, speedy
Chuck (Josh Gad in his first animated role since
Frozen), and the volatile
Bomb (Danny McBride,
This is
the End, Eastbound and Down) have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious
green piggies, it’s up to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to."
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| Photo: TOH Public Relations |
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Turns out, those birds are not just furious because of their unfortunate disproportionate eyebrows. They happen to have good reasons!
No spoilers here, you will have to head to the cinemas on
May 12 and find out what those reasons are for yourself!
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| Photo: TOH Public Relations |
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The kids had loads of fun and we all had great laughs. The script is funny and appeals to audiences of all ages with not only jokes for the grown-ups but also a soundtrack that will take you back in time with remixes of oldies and classics.
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| Photo: R. Abouzeid |
Absolute bonus: the film is released in both
English and
Arabic and quite frankly, this is a refreshing change. Initiatives of the sort are a real need in the region and Arab audiences always welcome localized content. But so far, this has been very limited and mostly produced for television. Hopefully, more investments will follow that direction and bring Arab audiences the blockbusters they love in Arabic, simultaneously with the releases of original versions.
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| Photo: TOH Public Relations |
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Raya Abi Rached (
Scoop With Raya, Arabs Got
Talent), who features as the voice of
Souka in the Arabic version (Mathilda in English), said: “It is hugely
important to have these films localised. It happens in every big movie market in the world like Germany,
France and Italy. They always have a localized performance for the local audience. This transformation
will give Arab audiences a chance to engage more with the film alongside their English speaking
counterparts.”
Mario Jr. Haddad, Vice President,
Empire International Gulf adds: “Empire is honored to bring The
Angry Birds Movie to the Middle-East in English and Arabic. We have made a strategic decision to invest
in Arabic content and we believe that this is just the beginning of a major shift in the way that the local
market consumes Hollywood made blockbusters,” he continued, “with more than 45% of the GCC
population (excluding Saudi Arabia) being movie goers, there is a lot of room for growth and
development.”
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| Photo: R. Abouzeid |
About Rovio
Rovio Entertainment Ltd. is a global entertainment media company. Headquartered in Finland and with
studios across the world, Rovio is the creator of Angry Birds, the casual mobile game that changed an
industry and became an international phenomenon. Today Angry Birds is not only the most downloaded
game of all time, it is a renowned entertainment brand that has branched out into animation, books,
licensing and more. The Angry Birds Movie is slated for release in the Middle-East on May 12th, 2016.
www.rovio.com
About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-
based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and
distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content
creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products,
services and technologies.
http://www.sonypictures.com.
About Empire International Gulf
Established and headquartered in Beirut since 1919, Empire International is a leading movie distributor in
the Middle East. The company is the exclusive distributor for Sony Pictures Releasing International, 20th
Century Fox and Dreamworks Animation titles in the region.
