Happy 2009 everyone. Having trouble juggling the hours in the day....but have managed to come throu...
Happy 2009 everyone. Having trouble juggling the hours in the day....but have managed to come through with a review at long last. :)
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Chicken Run was released on video and DVD in 2000 and is a feature length animation from Aardman studios: The Nick Park led outfit that bought us Wallace and Gromit and Creature Comforts. It is described officially as a "claymation" film, rather than "Animation", because the characters are made of clay rather than drawn.
I was a bit dubious at first because, although Wallace and Gromit has become a classic, could Nick Park sustain this throughout a film length story? Chicken Run lasts for approximately 81 minutes, so I wondered if I would be bored with cartoon characters after this length of time.
My worries were unfounded - Chicken Run is Chicken fun! After about ten minutes I had forgotten that the characters were animated (sorry - CLAYMATED") and I could have sworn that they were real. The attention to detail on the sets is stunning and the characters have a depth of personality that makes them come alive.
The DVD is also excellent and has some great extra features. For those of you who like to know these details, here are the technical specifications of the DVD, a basic
cast list and a list of the extra features contained on the disc.
Interactive Menus Scene Access Teaser Trailer Theatrical Trailer Chicken Impossible Trailer Fowl Play: The Making of Chicken Run Aardman Archive Director`s Commentary DVD ROM Audio Described `Chickens Go In, Pies Come Out`
STARRING
Mel Gibson Imelda Staunton Miranda Richardson Phil Daniels Lynn Ferguson Tony Haygarth Jane Horrocks Julia Sawalha Timothy Spall
Now that is out of the way I need to give you a brief plot outline, before I review the Extra Features on this DVD.
Chicken Run is set in a chicken farm owned by Mr & Mrs Tweedy (Tony Haygarth & Miranda Richardson). It is cleverly set out to look like a Second World War Prisoner of War Camp and the whole story has the feel of a wartime escape movie. The chickens, led by Ginger (Julia Sawalha) and aided by the "Yank" Rocky (Mel Gibson), are planning their "Great Escape". Ginger spends a lot of time in the Coal Bunker which directly parallels Steve McQueen's "cooler" scenes.
Rocky arrives on the farm by accident and because the chickens think he can fly, they are convinced that he can teach them all to escape by flying over the fence. The story that follows has all the elements that would make a live action film exciting - There is comedy, tragedy, romance and danger. It is easy to see why the characters are so believable. Each chicken has their own unique personality, from Jane Horrocks as the excitable Babs to the tetchy "Fighter Pilot" of Benjamin Whitrow's Fowler.
I don't really want to give too much more away. This is a DVD opinion not a film review so I should really write about some of the Special Features.
The animated menus are really nice and help you navigate around the disc in a fun way. These take you to, among other things, three trailers, the best of which is the "Chicken Impossible Trailer" which is a great parody of Mission Impossible.
The Director's commentary features Peter Lord and Nick Park, as they talk you through the film. I particularly like this feature because you learn about which scenes were difficult to film, what they enjoyed most and how long things took to perfect. It is things like this that encourage me to buy DVDs instead of videos because I like to know why things and how things are made.
There are also two documentaries: Fowl Play - The making of Chicken Run and Chickens go in, pies come out. Both are very interesting and are worth watching for an insight into the behind the scenes world of animation.
The Aardman Archive section is a collection of clips from the people behind Chicken Run. This is also very interesting and a great chance to see bits from Wallace and Gromit and Morph, among others.
I haven't played the DVD-Rom features myself yet, but I hear from others that they are pretty entertaining. Often these just include links to the web-site relevant to the film, but on this disc there are interactive features, extra information and a study guide.
I would definitely recommend this film, particularly in the DVD format. A lot of thought has gone into making it an interesting and innovative viewing experience. All this, and it's a great film too. At some points I laughed until I felt ill!
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Production Year: 1956 - Comedy - Director: Joshua Logan - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray, Betty Field, Hope Lange, Eileen Heckart, Arthur O'Connell, Casey Adams, Hans Conried, Robert Bray
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
As warming as a nice cup of tea on a cloudy day,Chicken Runis that charming singularity, a ... more
commercially successful British family movie that has near-universal appeal without compromising its inherent British pluckiness (that will be the first and last...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
As warming as a nice cup of tea on a cloudy day,Chicken Runis that charming singularity, a ... more
commercially successful British family movie that has near-universal appeal without compromising its inherent British pluckiness (that will be the first and last...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Trouble is brewing down on Mrs Tweedy's poultry farm: the chickens are revolting (yes ... more
that old chestnut) and clucky hen Ginger (voiced by Julia Sawalha) is planning her latest coop um coup. Getting one or two birds out of the farm is no problem what...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Two classic films in one amazing box set Disadvantages: There is none
soph_da_snail 24.12.2005 (27.12.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Ice Age / ChickenRun (DVD)
![Chicken Run [DVD] [2000]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78535437.jpg "Chicken Run [DVD] [2000]")
Aug 29th, 2001
(Aug 30th, 2001)
very helpful by (100%):
