This is a very amusing story in this week’s National Enquirer, who try to make a mini scandal out of what should be just a laughable anecdote. Supposedly Angelina Jolie is addicted to the number one game on iTunes like so many of us, Angry Birds. She’s been playing it nonstop during breaks on the set of Kung Fu Panda 2, and the crew is scared to play her because she’ll make them play until she beats them. She also is said to get so into the game that she’ll “scream and yell and make screechy bird sounds.” I hope she taunts her opponents with those smug “heh heh heh” grunts that the pigs make when you miss them. Those are my favorite even though you’re trying to blast those suckers.

Angelina Jolie is so obsessed with the video game “Angry Birds” that the cast and crew of “Kung Fu Panda 2” were terrified she’d peck them to death!

The 35 year-old star played the addictive game nonstop during breaks from doing voice work on the animated film, sources say, and her competitive drive wreaked havoc on the set.

“Angelina’s completely consumed with ‘Angry Birds.’ If she had even 10 minutes of downtime, she’d challenge anyone to a quick game,” a set insider told The Enquirer.

“She’d get so into it that she’d scream and yell and make screechy bird sounds. The crew was scared to beat her because if they did, she’d demand a rematch.”

The “Angry Birds” vidieo game, in which players use a slingshot to launch birds at evil pigs – has taken Hollywood by storm…

On Angelina’s movie set, actor Jack Black… was the only person willing to challenge [her], said the source.

“The last thing anyone wanted to do was tick off the biggest movie star in the world, but Jack just ate up all the tension,” said the source. “He’d beat Angelina three out of four times and then razz everyone else because they wouldn’t play with her.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, April 4, 2011]

The people at the Enquirer need to actually play Angry Birds before they write pieces like this. There’s nothing shameful about wanting to smash those pigs. It’s a great game and I know plenty of other people that love to play like we do at my house. My kid even convinced me to buy him a plush toy of that puffy red bird, and it’s his favorite stuffed animal. It’s a great game and I bet Angie’s kids get into it too, with Maddox the reigning champion. You know that Maddox mops the floor with everyone else.

On another note – they’re still working on Kung Fu Panda 2? I thought that was coming out this summer. (Moms pay attention to these things.) I just checked and it has a release date of May 26 this year. No wonder they don’t want Angelina to get distracted during work time. They need to finish that movie already.

Oh in case you’re not familiar with Angry Birds – here’s a link to a video showing the game.

Photo of Angelina from 12/16/10. Photos of Angelina with Jack Black from Kung Fu Panda premiere at Cannes on 5/15/09.