Shaun the Sheep’s magnum opus is another shining example of Aardman’s commitment to fine claymation-based comedy cinema. Shaun has been the star of his own show for years now and many, many parents have given thanks for this rare gem of bitingly funny kids tv, even if that annoying Justin Fletcher fella does provide the voice for Shaun’s rarely-uttered sardonic baaaas.
The action opens with a lovely montage of happy times on the farm, when they were young farmers, lambs and puppies. Cut to current day and Shaun is fed up of all the routine. The sheep hatch a plan to get the farmer out of the way for a bit but then he goes missing and the manure hits the fan. The sheeple realise that if the farmer isn’t there then there is no food. For anyone. Shaun sets out to get their daddy back along with evading a horrible animal control person. Bitzer, the straight dog in the comedy double act, and the rest of the gang hop on the bus to follow Shaun because they can’t do without him. Sequences featuring disguises, fine dining and prison time are complemented by cute comment on pop culture and the power of cult status.
There’s no way of getting around it, this film is silent comedy genius. The characters, despite being largely non-speaking, are fully rounded and always extremely comical. There is just enough plot and intrigue to last the 85 minutes, quite an achievement when you consider that many of Wallace and Gromit’s films were well under an hour and those films contained dialogue. The restaurant and ‘prison’ scenes in particular are very amusing.
There are some dull moments but overall, Shaun the Sheep The Movie is very good fun and a truly beautiful thing. A tribute to all who had a hand in making the film, especially writer/directors Mark Burton and Richard Starzack. Little touches like having Rizzle Kicks sing the Shaun the Sheep theme song will keep beleaguered parents from losing it even after the tenth or twentieth watch. That song is just so gosh darn catchy. Aardman fans of all ages, enjoy.
Maryann has awarded Shaun the Sheep The Movie four Torches of Truth
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I considered Aardmans last stop motion effort ‘Pirates – in an adventures with scientists’ to be a bit of a let down when it was released three years ago and wondered if they had gone off the boil a little bit by trying to appeal to the mass market and thus diluting their witty humour as a result. However after 80 odd minutes of Shaun the Sheep I am happy to report that they are back on track.
Shaun is extremely well animated and manages to keep the story ticking along and funny enough to keep your interest without really feeling stretched. Considering as the film has no real dialogue to speak of that is no mean feat, and is reliant on top notch production design, expressive animation and a script that is entertaining and funny without being overly ridiculous. Whilst the Shaun the Sheep/Timmy Time TV shorts are aimed at young viewers, there is a decent amount of underlying humour here that adults will also engage with and thus it doesn’t insult your intelligence the way some films do.
After Aardmans infamous falling out with DreamWorks (who wanted them to Americanize Wallace & Gromit) I did wonder if Aardman had sold out for the mass market after feeling the Sony Pictures distributed Pirates had a whiff of compromise to it, and that’s partly why I felt Pirates fell a bit flat. However Aardman have teamed up with an independent European distributor for Shaun and as a result it seems they were allowed to make the film they wanted to make this time round. In effect I was not disappointed with Shaun, the simple but hilarious premise of the TV show is expanded successfully to the big screen with no noticeable compromises for the mass market. That the film is also dialogue free should make it an easy sell abroad too and I’m glad to see the film has been well received.
So well done to Aardman for making one of 2015’s most enjoyable, entertaining and amusing films so far.