CHICKEN RUN (DTS) (DVD)There were a lot of disappointments in the 2000 summer movie season, but Chicken Run wasn’t one of them. Made by Aardman Animations, which produced the Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit shorts, this is a dazzling stop-motion animation film that is both deftly funny and surprisingly touching. The concept is simple: The Great Escape–with chickens. But directors Peter Lord and Nick Park take it much further than that (and remember: there’s a whole generation out there that has no idea who Steve McQueen is). Julia Sawalha voices Ginger, a plucky English hen who has been trying to escape from Tweedy’s chicken farm, where the vicious Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson) fries up any chicken who doesn’t produce enough eggs. When egg profits slump, Mrs. Tweedy decides to turn her farm into a chicken-pie factory, giving new urgency to Ginger’s plan. Enter Rocky the Flying Rooster (Mel Gibson), a brash American who has escaped from a circus and promises to teach the chickens to fly to safety. The film is filled with innumerable visual touches and the animation has a tactile quality that makes you want to reach out and touch these funny fowl. Above all, it’s played with intelligence, wit, and heart–a rare combination in any film. While Chicken Run is being marketed to a youth audience, it truly is a family film that operates on both a child and an adult level. It would be a shame if grownups skipped it because they thought it was strictly for kids. –Marshall Fine
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March 5, 2010
#1
this movie is all aout chickens living in a pen and awaiting execution.like there was some sicko animater who didnt want to get the facts to do a movie on world war 2 so he used imagery and symbolism instead.the entire movie is in a chicken pen.thats not very exiting.the kids watch it like they watch animals at the zoo.theyre cool for a few minutes then thats it.its done in claymation.a lot of people cant even stand to look at that stuff.anyhow,a stunt performer crashlands in the pen and instills the chickens full of false hope.they begin to belive he can really get them out before execution day.he doent know squat though.will kids like a ,movie all about death?i doubt it.i guess the upfront message is all about vegetarianism and the subtle animal farm rip off message is all about ww2.all in all this movie SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!
March 5, 2010
#2
I don’t see how adults could appreciate this movie– the humor works only on an infantile level. If I’d never seen “clay-mation” before, I guess I could appreciate this on a technical level, but it really doesn’t look very good.
The worst part of this movie is the the movie itself– any of us could’ve written this ourselves, there is nothing surprising clever or creative like one would find in a Disney movie (not that I love Disney cartoons, but this pales in comparison.) I suppose Mel Gibson and the other vocalists were pretty good, but overall they are nothing really special.
This movie was recommended to me by 2 adults (“It’s so funny”) but to me, there is nothing funny in this that an adult can enjoy. If you’re looking for a movie for the kids- there are much better ones out there. If you’re looking for one for yourself, don’t bother!! Lots of yawns, not a single laugh or smile.
March 5, 2010
#3
This was the WORST and BIGGEST waste of money that I’ve ever seen. Chicken Run…THE WORST AND MOST BORING MOVIE IN THE WORLD, stunk. I fell asleep three times and my friends did too. My daughter, age 4 fell asleep, my son, age 2 fell asleep and my other daughter, age 7 fell asleep. So did I and my husband. This is the worst buy ever. If you wanna waste money, be my guest and buy it but if you dont wanna waste any of your hard earned money..DONT BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!! trust me….
March 5, 2010
#4
Chicken Run was the WORST movie I ever saw. The humor was NOT funny at all. And here is the boring drag plot: A bunch of hens are stuck on this farm with this evil woman who wants to turn them all the chickens into pot pies. Then a rooster named Rockey Road lies to the chickens that he can fly to get their attention. (He was orginally shot out of a cannon, his weakness is discovered, but he saves the day anyway) is BORING!!!! Here is an example of a bad joke: “Turn into pies? I don’t like gravy” is not that funny. All the rest of the humor is cliched (You Idiot! etc.) Overall CHICKEN RUN IS A TURKEY!!!!
March 5, 2010
#5
I really had to fight not turning this one off. It was boring! Soooo boring. Not only boring but all the jokes were stolen from other movies.
And the clay is well, clay. A very austre film to view compared to a Pixar film. Animation wise? Very mechanical.
I’m really suprised this one has gotten such good reviews because everyone I know hated it also!
But if you like British humor this might be your cup of tea! As for me it was one of the worst movies I have ever seen.