(U, 81 min) Featuring the voices of Zach Braff, Joan Cusack, Steve Zahn and Harry Shearer Directed by Mark Dindal

Disney's first fully computer-animated feature film gives a modern twist to the timeless fable about a little bird whose predilection for telling little white lies gets him into serious trouble.

Chicken Little may not be as visually sophisticated as Pixar's recent offerings (Finding Nemo, The Incredibles), nor is the screenplay as well structured - children will get more out of the film than their parents - but it's still an enjoyable distraction.

The diminutive, bespectacled hero cock-a-doodle-does the right things to guarantee laughs for children and director Mark Dindal shoehorns numerous film pastiches into the fast-paced storyline, including Raiders Of The Lost Ark, War Of The Worlds, E.T., Signs and King Kong.

Chicken Little (voiced by Braff) is notorious in his hometown of Oakey Oaks for his wild imagination. After causing uproar by decreeing the sky is falling down, then conceding it may have been a falling acorn, Chicken tries to abide by the wishes of his father, one-time sports star Buck Cluck (Marshall), and "lay low".

Unfortunately, the fledgling hero uncovers an alien plot to invade Earth - but he can't tell the locals because they won't believe him. So Chicken and his misfit pals Abby Mallard (Cusack) aka The Ugly Duckling, Runt Of The Litter (Zahn) and Fish Out Of Water single-handedly set out to save the day.

Chicken Little is a film of two halves. In the first, Chicken attempts to win the love and respect of his father by joining the school baseball team. Naturally, the coach refuses to play him because he's a weakling - "I put on five ounces this year. I've really bulked up" protests Chicken - setting the scene for a winning performance in the final innings of a high-profile game.

In truth, this extended father-son bonding serves no real dramatic purpose, other than to delay the invasion and the explosive action of the big finale.

Vocal performances are lively but the only highlight is Harry Shearer as the canine baseball-game announcer, whose rapid-fire commentary includes such gems as: "Hold your horses, everyone. And horses, hold your breath."

A sweet yet superfluous romance between Chicken and Abby provides a momentary aside from the heavy-handed, underlying message about parents loving their children.

As well as the film version, Chicken Little will also screen at four cinemas across the UK in eye-popping Disney Digital 3DTM. Bath Odeon and The Odeon Manchester are the only two outside London showing this version.