Rent Chicken Run on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Peter Lord & Nick Park (original story), Karey Kirkpatrick (screenplay), Mark Burton & John O'Farrell (additional dialogue)
Directed by: Peter Lord, Nick Park
Starring: Phil Daniels, Lynn Ferguson, Mel Gibson, Tony Haygarth, Jane Horrocks, Miranda Richardson, Julia Sawalha, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, Benjamin Whitrow
Rated: G [PG]
Watch the trailer
Plot
When a cockerel apparently flies into a chicken farm, the chickens see him as an opportunity to escape their evil owners.
Verdict
The stop motion claymation is endearing as this borrows from several prison escape movies. It's not quite a kid's movie with several dark undertones though it presents as one. For the most part it's a silly barnyard romp as chickens try to escape the coop with no results. A new rooster and an uncertain future at the farm encourage the chickens to embrace escape. It's a step above the typical kids' movie, but it feels like a pastiche of the most popular prison escape movies. The most endearing part is the animation.
It depends.
Review
This is on a surprising number of top lists. That's what prompted me to watch. Chickens attempt to escape the coop, led by the adamant Ginger. Despite the inept farmers, several of Ginger's plans fail. She ends up in the hole as punishment though she's undeterred. This is quite serious and bleak for what I assumed is a kids' movie. These chickens are basically in a prison camp. When they can't produce eggs they're literaly killed. It's harsh, and the movie doesn't leave the consequences to the imagination as we see a chicken led to her end. This had to be pushing the G rating.
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| Ginger |
Ginger can't convince the others to seek freedom, but she sees opportunity when boisterous American rooster Rocky crash lands inside their camp. His big claims and Ginger's assumptions about him flying change everything. While Ginger is committed to the escape, the other chickens are more enthralled by this new Rooster. Rocky isn't interested in escape, liking the adoration. While he trains the chickens in flying, it doesn't seem promising.
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| Rocky |
Disappointed with the lack of production, the farmers plan to liquidate the farm and get rid of the chickens which adds a proverbial countdown clock to the escape. It's do or die. Rocky and Ginger have a falling out which gives Rocky a chance to redeem himself later, though that alters Ginger's escape plans. The chickens must pull together to escape, finally as desperate as Ginger with manifest consequences.
I love the animation, and the stop motion looks really nice. That's part of what makes this so endearing. It has a unique look that sets it apart from most animated movies. While some kids movies offer enough depth for adults as well, this offers a sharp story that I've seen before. It's more than a typical kids movie albeit dark, but it doesn't pique my interests.
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