Huge toothy grins, wild staring eyes, drifting back to a Fifties era where the whole world was very innocent and naive ... this is the land stalked by Nick Park, an extraordinary animator, who winkled his way ever so discreetly out of his Lancashire home with first the Creature Comforts ads and then all those excellent Wallace and Gromit shorts, blissful, blissful stuff.
Park has now made his mark on the big Hollywood world with Chicken Run, a feature length animation from his Handmade organisation. It's been extraordinarily successful and crowds have flocked to see it. However, it got something of a slating in the press.
So with trusty notebook gripped firmly in hand, dave27 sought to draw his own conclusions. There's nothing like relying on your own judgement, so I dutifully trekked along to my local movie house in Lytham St Annes on a windy Saturday afternoon in July 2000 complete with three kids, my children, Lewis (11), Bethany (6) and their mate Alastair (11) to see if it was a turkey or not.
The omens weren't good - after we'd sneaked in our own supply of popcorn to settle back and enjoy the fun, we found it very difficult to pay attention because of the raucous teenagers behind us as the trailers rolled. The first time one of them cried out "That's you, Michael," as we saw a bulldog doing what comes naturally to its owner's leg, it was mildly amusing, but by the sixth variant on this "joke" my patience was wearing a little thin. It's a sign of a good film, then, when I can honestly say that I don't remember any of the same petty annoyances after Chicken Run kicked into life.
Take it from me - Chicken Run is as good as anything Nick Park has ever done. If you liked The Wrong Trousers, you'll love this animated spoof of The Great Escape, set in a 1950's Yorkshire (or is it Lancashire? Who knows?) chicken farm. The POWs are replaced by a bunch of (mainly female) chickens who will stop at nothing to escape and reach their own paradise. I really loved this one.
The female lead, Ginger (voiced by Julia Sawalha), is the persistent leader of the escapees who ends up time and time again in the chokey, bouncing a Brussels sprout against the wall a la Steve McQueen in the original. The baddies of the piece are Mr and Mrs Tweedy, the farm owners who ruthlessly despatch non-laying chickens to the great coop in the sky. They're glorious, evil villains, with Miranda Richardson providing the female voice. Other off screen stars include Mel Gibson (Rocky, a "flying" rooster), Phil Daniels and Timothy Spall (two thieving rodents) and Jane Horrocks (Babs, a blue haired, knitting chicken who keeps thinking the dead chickens have gone on their holidays). It's ensemble playing at its best and the whole thing is eerily reminiscent of one of those black and white Ealing comedies of the 1950's.
In particular, Mrs Tweedy is a kind of Darth Vader in a pinafore, eyeing the helpless chickens spitefully, begrudging them every barren, non egg producing breath they take. If they ain't going to make us our fortunes, then we must find another way, and therein hangs the tale...
I won't spoil your fun by clueing you in on what actually happens, but rest assured - this film is well worth seeing, even if it's only for the way the supremely stupid Mr Tweedy solemnly intones "Them chickens are up to summat, they're organdised."
Chicken Run is just one of the latest in a long, long line of peculiarly English comedy dramas which have captured the imagination of the great British public, and carries the baton with a panache and verve that belies Park's lack of experience in the cinema environment. In truth, it's quite a slight and unimposing tale, and a run through of the plot wouldn't leave you overly impressed. But Park's not about the story, he's about highly individual stop frame type animation, hugely amusing characters and nicely observed, but very obvious, British humour. There's a unique innocence about everything that Park has produced and this film is absolutely delightful
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Soundtrack
Unmemorable
How does it compare to others by the same director?
Outstanding
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Chicken Run [2000]
As warming as a nice cup of tea on a cloudy day, Chicken Run is that charming singularity,
... more
a commercially successful British family movie that has near-universal appeal without compromising its inherent British pluckiness (that will be the first and la...
Chicken Run [2000]
As warming as a nice cup of tea on a cloudy day, Chicken Run is that charming singularity,
... more
a commercially successful British family movie that has near-universal appeal without compromising its inherent British pluckiness (that will be the first and la...
very helpful
