Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

1st bird watching is an old term and most birders dislike the term because birding requires hard work.The good birders are hikers up to 5 hrs a day and to photograph them requires years of skill building.Many hunters who switched to birder will tell you photographing them is more skillful then hunting...Birderng should be bird hunting you just don't kill it when you find it.This move was clearly written by birders or know birders because everything avid birders experience is in the movie.They miss a few points like bug bites(it was mentioned) and birders do enjoy the scenery and often relax and take it in...This is a funny movie but you really have yo know birders to fully enjoy it if you do the movie is hysterical...

The Big Year is a decent film, but I'm left with the feeling that it could have been A LOT better if it had not been dragged through the Hollywood machine. The choice of music is horrible and generally feels very uninspired. Generally every aspect of the movie (except for the theme Birding) feels VERY Hollywood.Jack Black's character does a lot of voice overs. While there's nothing wrong with voice overs (if done properly), if feels like they did them so the film wouldn't be too long and boring.The three main characters (played by Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson) are great, and the actors' performances are top notch. But I don't think we truly ever get under their skin. Which is a shame.Another thing (SPOILERS), I don't like how Owen Wilson's character is labeled a loser in the end because he chooses birding over his marriage. The film does make a good point of asking what kind of sacrifices you're willing to make just for the sake of your hobby. But to me, it feels like the film is telling us that Wilson's character is a loser just because he doesn't have a girlfriend. Marriage isn't for everyone.It could have been so much better, maybe if it had been handled by independent filmmakers. But I do have to give the film kudos just for making a film about something as special as birding.

Great feel good movie, ruined by an all star cast?I remember seeing the poster for the movie in theaters a while back. I don't know weather I missed it cause of a limited release or weather they decided not to release the movie at all.Either way this was the second time a movie starring Jack Black just up and disappeared from the box office, the other one was Envy which also starred Ben Stiller.Anyway, a movie starring such comic juggernauts as Black, Steve Martian, and Owen Wilson, should not have gone away so quietly, but it did.Especially a decent film like this one. Black, Martian, and Wilson play three bird watchers going for The Big Year, in which they travel across North America spotting as many birds as they can. Black and Martian become friends attempting to beat the record of spotted birds held by Wilson. Each man has a personal interest in changing their lives through the hobby of bird watching. Each story perfectly compliments the other and makes for an uplifting film about following your dreams. I'm not sure if Bird watching counts as a sport, but the movie has that essence of a good Underdog becomes Triumphant type of vibe. But the fault of the film maybe is it's stars. Three men known for being funny yet the movie was not really that funny. It was quirky do to the subject matter and it was semi humorous but not to the point that it justifies who's in it.But whatever fault in stopping this movie from being a box office draw should not stop anyone from seeing this this hidden gem.

Chico California's 2013 Snow Goose Festival featured the movie, "The Big Year". It was adapted from a true story of three guys traveling around the world to find as many species of birds as possible. The real-life person who inspired the movie, Greg Miller, was the festival's keynote speaker. The movie is touted by environmental groups around the country as a great inspiration for the out-of-doors--a truly environmental film. Yet the name of the movie could just as well been "The Big Pollution Year". My calculations is the three of them spewed 180 tons of carbon into the atmosphere racing from one place on the globe to another in their vanity filled quest to beat a record. Yet, if anyone at the festival would have challenged Greg Miller on this account, I think that individual would have been scorned by others in the room. It is interesting how our addiction to carbon-based fuel has become so much a part of our culture that its impacts can be overlooked even by those who profess to protect the environment.