INTRODUCTION
Chicken
Run
is the first full-length feature film from Aardman Studios, home of the
Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit series. Co-directed by pioneering
animators Peter Lord and Nick Park and starring the voices of Mel Gibson
and Miranda Richardson, Chicken Run
follows the story of a group of chickens determined to fly the coop for
good! Led by the rough-and-ready newcomer Rocky, the chickens hatch an
elaborate plot to escape from the clutches of the menacing Mrs. Tweedy
before she serves them up as pies. Full of adventure and Aardman's unique
wit, Chicken Run proves that bravery comes in all forms - even feathered!
TEN GOOD REASONS TO CATCH CHICKEN RUN
1. Something for everyone of all ages. Chicken Run is basically a comedy that will put everyone in stitches. However, it also has romance, action, intrigue, betrayal and a little bit of seduction :)
2. Stop-motion claymation. Need I say more? This movie is a far cry from the usual yearly-cartoon offering from Disney and the computer-generated animations of late, e.g. Antz, Bug’s Life and Toy Story (1 & 2). This 82-minute animation had a total of 118,080 shots, which makes it about 24 shots per second!
3. Clay and I mean clay! A total of about 900 kg of clay was used in the production. About 400 artists were involved in creating the characters and the landscape. The characters had interchangeable heads with different expressions. Some characters even had over 60 different heads!
4. Music. John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williams, who wrote the Antz soundtrack, composed the Chicken Run soundtrack. The music suits the movies so well that you feel complied to hum along. However, it’s rather forgettable and cannot be compared to songs that have graced hit Disney movies like Little Mermaid, Hunchback and Lion King. (Of course, the songs of late have been more than disappointing, e.g. Tarzan)
5.
Characters. The main characters are pretty well flushed out though
some of them seem rather stereo-typical. This makes the movie even more
enjoyable rather than stale. The typical Old-Retired-General/RSM to the
dumb blonde to the mugger-cum-genius are so convincing that they steal the
limelight whenever they appear.
Babs (dumb blonde on knowing she’s gonna be slaughtered for a pie): But I don’t want to be a pie!
6.
Accents, accents and more accents! Even though the movie is about
British chicks (pun intended), there are even more accents to boot. From
British to American to Scottish, even the chickens were confused!
Mac:
Thrust! We need more thrust! (Scottish)
Rocky [to Ginger]: I’m sure she’s not speaking English. (American)
7. Tools and equipment. The chickens were innovative to say the least. Funnel-champagne glasses, underwear-swings, shuttlecock-headwear, spoon-spades and bullet shell-cupboards, just to name a few.
8. Plots and schemes. The more than interesting plots that the chickens come up with to escape would put you in stitches. However, the most interesting scenes were when Rocky tries to teach his British chicks how to fly. I guess I should not elaborate as these escape plans form the back-bone of the movie and you’ll be surprised what a couple of chickens can come up with.
9. Action, death defying stunts and more. With the amount of action scenes in this movie, who needs stuntmen? It may not be Matrix or Charlie’s Angels but these British fowl do pack a punch! Give me chickens anytime.
10.
This movie may have a relatively simple but engaging plot. If you
like Wallace and Gromit, this movie is definitely for you!
CAST
Mel
Gibson as Rocky
Julia
Sawalha as Ginger
Jane
Horrocks as Babs
Imelda
Staunton as Bunty
Lynn
Ferguson as Mac
Benjamin
Whitrow as Fowler
Miranda
Richardson as Mrs. Tweedy
Tony Haygarth as Mr. Tweedy
Download a Chicken Run Characters wallpaper!
CONCLUSION: 4 out of 5!
The
movie is definitely worth the six dollars I paid for. Even though I
managed to watch it on the net, nothing beats watching these chickens
parade on the big screen. As they say in the posters and the movie,
“Poultry in motion” always looks better in the cinema. Anyone having
chicken tonight?