Cute critters — with well-rendered fur and feathers — have abundant life of their own.

Maybe Illumination and Universal should look at why Pixar succeeds instead of just ripping them off and regurgitating the leftovers.

The film [is] loud, colourful, frantic in pace, but less than the sum of its parts.

A slier challenge would have been to make the most of the smarter initial concept rather than blowing it up for manic energy for the sake of manic energy.