This short was made for the Cartoon Network as a part of their Cartoon Cartoon series, aired in theaters and was nominated for the Academy Award for Animated Short. The rules have been changed to preclude nominees from being part of a series or conceived originally for television from being eligible. I personally think this is an excellent short and while I understand the logic behind the rules change, I consider it a shame nonetheless. The success of this short led to a series called Courage the Cowardly Dog, one of the better series in a line-up of series that is widely variable as to quality (some of it quite good, all too much of it poor indeed) and is well worth watching. Cartoon Network still shows it occasionally. Recommended.
8 Reviews
...and a Cartoon Network series is born.
TheOneManBoxOffice3 July 2018
I watched Cartoon Network religiously when I was a kid, and one of the programs I remember watching on the channel was "What a Cartoon", which was a 30-minute block of one-off cartoons produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that also served as a way for Turner Broadcasting, CN's parent company, to acquire new intellectual properties, or IPs, for the channel. 1996's "The Chicken from Outer Space", which was created, written, produced, and directed by indie filmmaker John R. Dilworth, would be one of those shorts that would spin-off into one of those acquired IPs.
The short focuses on an old farmer, his wife, and more importantly, their pink dog named Courage, who live on a remote farm out in the middle of a desert (this would later be known as Nowhere, Kansas). A UFO lands in front of the home, and out comes its only occupant: a chicken with red eyes with malicious intent of taking over the world. Courage, who is coined as the "cowardly dog" in the opening credits, tries to explain to the farmer and wife (with no words) that an invader from outer space has landed, but they don't believe him. In fact, the farmer constantly scares the hell out of Courage with a mask in response. So it's up to Courage alone to defend his home from the chicken.
If you've seen some of his other works, including his commissioned work for Viacom, or more famously, his independent short "The Dirdy Birdy" (1994), you can see that this is exactly the kind of film one would expect from Dilworth. It is wacky, funny, and "out-of-this-world" (pun most certainly intended), especially during the scenes where Courage duels against the chicken while a "horrific" scene involving the farmer takes place. The way Courage also communicates with his owners, the chicken, and himself without any dialogue is also clever and unique, in that it took notes from the silent film era (think Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, or Buster Keaton) while also giving it a cartoon twist. Courage morphing into various creatures while explaining to his owners that an alien invader has landed would be an example of this in action.
Not only was Dilworth's idea picked up for a now much-beloved television series for Cartoon Network, but it was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. While it lost to Nick Park's "A Close Shave" (one of the "Wallace & Gromit" shorts), this was still a huge success for Dilworth, and three years later, he would be able to continue the wacky adventures of Courage for 52 half-hour episodes.
While it is rough around the edges compared to the series it would later take off from, this is a short I highly recommend giving another look at if you are itching for nostalgia. However, if you're in the more younger crowd and have seen some episodes of the series "Courage the Cowardly Dog" beforehand, this is also definitely worth a look if you are interested to see where it all began.
The short focuses on an old farmer, his wife, and more importantly, their pink dog named Courage, who live on a remote farm out in the middle of a desert (this would later be known as Nowhere, Kansas). A UFO lands in front of the home, and out comes its only occupant: a chicken with red eyes with malicious intent of taking over the world. Courage, who is coined as the "cowardly dog" in the opening credits, tries to explain to the farmer and wife (with no words) that an invader from outer space has landed, but they don't believe him. In fact, the farmer constantly scares the hell out of Courage with a mask in response. So it's up to Courage alone to defend his home from the chicken.
If you've seen some of his other works, including his commissioned work for Viacom, or more famously, his independent short "The Dirdy Birdy" (1994), you can see that this is exactly the kind of film one would expect from Dilworth. It is wacky, funny, and "out-of-this-world" (pun most certainly intended), especially during the scenes where Courage duels against the chicken while a "horrific" scene involving the farmer takes place. The way Courage also communicates with his owners, the chicken, and himself without any dialogue is also clever and unique, in that it took notes from the silent film era (think Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, or Buster Keaton) while also giving it a cartoon twist. Courage morphing into various creatures while explaining to his owners that an alien invader has landed would be an example of this in action.
Not only was Dilworth's idea picked up for a now much-beloved television series for Cartoon Network, but it was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. While it lost to Nick Park's "A Close Shave" (one of the "Wallace & Gromit" shorts), this was still a huge success for Dilworth, and three years later, he would be able to continue the wacky adventures of Courage for 52 half-hour episodes.
While it is rough around the edges compared to the series it would later take off from, this is a short I highly recommend giving another look at if you are itching for nostalgia. However, if you're in the more younger crowd and have seen some episodes of the series "Courage the Cowardly Dog" beforehand, this is also definitely worth a look if you are interested to see where it all began.
Wonderful and Crazy
Hitchcoc28 October 2021
This is a delightful cartoon as a cowardly dog tries to protect the farm from a chicken who comes rolling in on a flying saucer. The strength of it is in the wonderful caricatures of the farm people and the starkness of their existence. The dog gets no respect but is there when needed. He is, himself, a delight.
Never gets old!
tiffanie_says_stay_in_your_lane28 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I don't care how many years go by, how many times I watch this, or how much I've evolved as a person - it NEVER stops being funny! Yes, it's totally cringe, but I die laughing every... Single... Time. The Chicken from Outer Space is one of those things where either you understand it or you don't. In my opinion, you have to be a 90s kid to understand the humor. Anyone before the millennial generation will probably think this short film is too off beat, even for a cartoon. It's an absurd story that manages to work on screen. The precursor to the series Courage of the Cowardly Dog, it opens with an older couple living on a farm that's literally out in the middle of nowhere being invaded by a chicken from outer space whose eyes glow bright red. They're totally unaware of said invasion, and their dog, a pink beagle named Courage, must do everything in his power to keep them safe. Meanwhile, he lays an egg covered in red polka dots, and the woman takes them back to the house to make sunny side up for her husband. He eats them, and subsequently morphs into a giant, aggressive chicken whose eyes are also bright and glowing red. If you've never seen this, you are really missing out. It's on YouTube. Fair warning - you might not like it. In fact, you might find it utterly strange. But you have to give it a try, especially if you love quirky cartoons.
Great animated short
zetes19 January 2001
This is a very funny short. There is no dialogue, and the animation is quite unique - especially the way photographs of people are integrated into the animation (possibly the greatest moment, the space chicken shoots his laser, hits a photo of a guy, and it turns out crooked, with the guy's hair standing straight up).
It is too bad they had to go and make a stupid series out of this short. Cartoon Network is almost completely worthless...have to stay up until 4 AM to see anything good, otherwise we just get Cartoon Cartoons.
It is too bad they had to go and make a stupid series out of this short. Cartoon Network is almost completely worthless...have to stay up until 4 AM to see anything good, otherwise we just get Cartoon Cartoons.
Not so cowardly dog
Horst_In_Translation14 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"The Chicken from Outer Space" is an 8-minute cartoon from 20 years ago, but the title is a bit misleading as the star here is not the chicken, but the dog that protects his owners and the whole world from an evil alien chicken. This is also the shape of things to come for the television series "Courage the Cowardsly Dog". I was positively surprised by this little movie here. I certainly liked it more than I thought I would and good job to the Academy for nominating this somewhat unusual movie. These kinds usually do not get too much awards recognition and even if it lost to Nick Park, it was still a big success. Back to the story of the film, the owner had it coming didn't he? Thumbs up for John Dilworth and shame he does not have a better career as this was a pretty smart and funny little movie. I recommend watching it.
The beginning of Courage
Rectangular_businessman11 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The short that lead to the creation of the Courage the Cowardly Dog series from Cartoon Network, shown in the What a Cartoon Show!
I don't know why, but for some reason, I always thought it was slightly "creepier" than the actual series (I guess it must have something to do with the almost complete lack of dialogue and the transformation of Eustace into a Chicken monster), but it was quite amusing to watch anyway.
Good thing Cartoon Network was able to recognize its potential, since Courage is one of the most original and creative animations that channel ever had; sadly nowadays a show like that simply wouldn't be made on the basis it being too "scary" for kids (Nevermind the fact that kids enjoy a lot scary stuff)
I don't know why, but for some reason, I always thought it was slightly "creepier" than the actual series (I guess it must have something to do with the almost complete lack of dialogue and the transformation of Eustace into a Chicken monster), but it was quite amusing to watch anyway.
Good thing Cartoon Network was able to recognize its potential, since Courage is one of the most original and creative animations that channel ever had; sadly nowadays a show like that simply wouldn't be made on the basis it being too "scary" for kids (Nevermind the fact that kids enjoy a lot scary stuff)
Interesting Start for Courage
Kalashnikovin1 July 2022
I always liked Courage the Cowardly dog because of its Terrifying Themes (I was never scared of the series since I found it interesting and its content was not terrifying) Courage was a Great Program that I Enjoyed for many years, about 4 or 5 years ago I found this pilot of the series and I don't remember well my opinion about this pilot so I decided to see it again and boy was it a Decent start for Courage.
The story as always is based on the cabin in the desert where Courage and his Owners are relaxing in the Living Room of the Cabin, but Eustace's bad guy scares Courage and he goes outside and sees how a ship arrives and from there down a Chicken, but not just any chicken!, A CHICKEN FROM OUTER SPACE!.
To start the series this was not a bad start, the plot is original and quite funny in itself.
The Animation is not the best in the world, it is quite inferior to what it had in the series but this is understandable since it is the pilot and there was not the Budget and Personnel to make an Episode of Higher Quality, but in spite of everything the animation looks warped and the designs look too bizarre and a bit ugly.
The Music is Quite Generic and is only there to give the Short setting.
The voice acting (there are only screams and vocal sounds) is flawed and sounds very strange but that makes the short have a similar setting to the series and makes it feel like the terrifying tone of the series.
In itself, The Chicken from Outer Space is not the Best of Courage but it is a decent start for this great series, the setting and its strange animation make the tone of the Pilot resemble the one it later had in the television series, for everything what I said this short takes a 7.
The story as always is based on the cabin in the desert where Courage and his Owners are relaxing in the Living Room of the Cabin, but Eustace's bad guy scares Courage and he goes outside and sees how a ship arrives and from there down a Chicken, but not just any chicken!, A CHICKEN FROM OUTER SPACE!.
To start the series this was not a bad start, the plot is original and quite funny in itself.
The Animation is not the best in the world, it is quite inferior to what it had in the series but this is understandable since it is the pilot and there was not the Budget and Personnel to make an Episode of Higher Quality, but in spite of everything the animation looks warped and the designs look too bizarre and a bit ugly.
The Music is Quite Generic and is only there to give the Short setting.
The voice acting (there are only screams and vocal sounds) is flawed and sounds very strange but that makes the short have a similar setting to the series and makes it feel like the terrifying tone of the series.
In itself, The Chicken from Outer Space is not the Best of Courage but it is a decent start for this great series, the setting and its strange animation make the tone of the Pilot resemble the one it later had in the television series, for everything what I said this short takes a 7.
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