Buck Cluck

Buck "Ace" Cluck "You gotta be ready to listen to your children, even if they have nothing to say!" Gender: Male Type: Neglectful Cruel Rooster Parent Age: Unknown Species: Rooster Portrayed by: Garry Marshall Status: Alive Media of origin: Chicken Little First appearance: Chicken Little

Buck "Ace" Cluck is a major character in the 2005 animated film Chicken Little. He is Chicken Little's father and Chloe Cluck's husband. He is voiced by Garry Marshall.

However, he was heavily disliked by audiences alike for his terrible actions for his son.

Why He's No Ace

1. He is a very neglectful father who is shallow, petty, blithering, idiotic, and cruel.
2. The film tries to paint him as if he fails to understand his son. However, the problem is that he never even makes an attempt to understand his son, and just seems to be more focused on his public image.
3. He is a nervous wreck, and will easily break down and resort to the worst decision when under pressure, especially if it involves his son.
4. He is an incompetent parent, failing to give decent care to his son, coming off like he wants nothing to do with him whilst being embarrassed by his son's existence and distancing himself from him - and the film only calls him out on this near the end.
   • Much like Big Tex, he uses his own son to lie to the townspeople just so that he can be his cash cow.
   • The funny thing is, Disney would do another character like this in Encanto with Abuela Alma, but that was done more tastefully and actually painted her in the wrong for neglecting Mirabel from the start.
   • Some of the things he has said to his son are unsettling and potentially scarring.
5. When the entire town was bullying Chicken Little for thinking that the sky was falling down, he practically didn't do anything to support him, let alone defend him.
6. The only times where he seems to want anything to do with his son is when it benefits him. For example, when Chicken Little won a baseball game, Buck is happy because that means everyone will forget about the 'sky is falling' incident, coming off as not acknowledging his son until he wins his first baseball game.
7. He's not exactly the villain of the movie, which made him even more unlikable because his portrayal is fitting enough to be an antagonist instead of the parent of a protagonist.
8. His design is lousy.

Redeeming Qualities

1. Although it's not enough to save his character, he at least apologizes to Chicken Little at the end of the film, and he admits his parenting was awful.
2. He’s not entirely at fault for the citizens for not believing Chicken Little. The others didn’t see the spaceship at first, so yeah.
3. He is a pretty good fighter and a relatively sporty person.
4. He does love his son, despite his neglectfulness and cruel actions.
5. He was much more likable and tolerable in the deleted scenes and early production of the movie.
   • Surprisingly, in the storyboard test scene of the early storyline of Chicken Little (where Chicken Little was a girl), Buck realizes he’s absolutely wrong about Chicken Little being like everyone else, so he apologizes to her and tells her that he loves her.
   • An alternate opening has Buck letting the paparazzi stay away from his son.
6. The late Garry Marshall did a passable job voicing him.

Controversy

Buck Cluck was universally despised by audiences due to his awful parenting, with many considered Buck Cluck the worst father for movie characters.

Buck received minor attention on social media in 2020 when Disney used the character as a positive example of family that is "there for you". They immediately received backlash as Buck is widely regarded as a negative portrayal of parenthood.

There is a controversy with people's hatred to Buck for his incompetence and negligence as a parent, considering him the anti-hero or villain. Despite his embarrassment to Chicken Little's ridiculing, he tries his best to support him.

• The Mysterious Mr. Enter (or Mr. Enter) is the best example of it.

Trivia

• Despite the negative reception, the character has spawned several internet memes.
• Before Garry Marshall was cast as Buck Cluck, Charlie Sheen, Christian Slater, Joseph D. Reitman, Peter Falk, the late Dennis Hopper and Mick Jagger were originally considered for the role.

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