Ever since they produced the wonderfully enjoyable
animated shorts, Creature Comforts, Grand Day Out
and The Wrong Trousers, it has been a case of not if Aardman
(the animation studio that produced all of the above shorts) will produce a feature-length
film, but when.
Chicken Run marks the studio's first foray into
full-length feature films and they have produced a film that will help keep them making
full-length films for as long as they wish (as will the five-film contract they signed
with Dreamworks, of which Chicken Run is the first film made).
For Chicken Run is a film that is so impossibly
charming that it is easily the most watchable film of the year. The fun, wholesome
quality that was a trademark of Aardman's earlier work has been transformed onto the big
screen and it is this quality that makes Chicken Run so enjoyable.
From the start of the movie it is quite evident what
will be served up to the audience over the next 85 minutes. The opening scene/s of
the chickens' initial escape attempts has plenty of laughs and the laughs keep coming
through the rest of the film; although it must be said that this film is not quite as
funny as Toy Story 2, but it is just as fun to watch.
The clay animation (I would have said claymation, but
this might conjure up thoughts of those horrible claymation Christmas specials where the
clay looks like it has been manipulated by a three year old; rest assured this
"claymation" is of the highest quality) is combined with stop-motion animation
to bring to life the chickens who live on Tweedy's farm and the chickens, as well as the
sets, are incredible to look at.
Knowing how much effort went into producing this film
only adds weight to what an incredible achievement this film is (anyone who saw the
recently screened (on SBS) special on Aardman will know what I mean).
The film is littered with wonderful, quirky characters
who are off-set beautifully by the clear-thinking Ginger, the unofficial leader of the
flock and the chicken who, more than any, wants to escape from the farm.
But it is the cocky American rooster Rocky, voiced by
Mel Gibson, who steals the show. The film picks up the moment he is introduced into
the story and he provides most of the film's funnier moments. Gibson is excellent in
the role, although it is funny to think that Gibson, an Australian, was chosen to voice a
chicken that is quintessentially American.
The story moves along quite nicely, although there are
some quieter spots, most of which occur when Rocky is not on screen. Still, the film
does not get bogged down for long and the livelier moments more than make up for the
occasional quite spot.
As mentioned earlier, the film is not quite as funny as
Toy Story 2, but its wonderfully British humour still makes a nice change from the
in-your-face comedy that is now coming out of America. The film has an agreeable
quality to it that would probably not been evident had the film been produced totally in
America.
Chicken Run is an excellent first up effort from
Aardman and we will no doubt be seeing more excellent films from them in the years to
come. That can only be a good thing.
- Adam Matthews
