If you’re a 2000s kid, you truly appreciate the value of stop motion animation. this is an art style so beautifully and passionately crafted, that it can take actual years to develop one film. You have to meticulously craft every model, take a picture and then combine all of those pictures that you’ve taken together into a feature-length film. It seems like an impossible task, but some of the most talented people in the world work on these films and make them a reality.
There was a lot of stop motion animation back in the 2000s, it has less and now in amount but a film such as Chicken Run can still give modern animated films a run for their money.
How to Stream or Download Chicken Run
You can stream it or you can download the film from a digital store. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. if you like stop-motion films, check out also our reviews of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Frankenweenie, and Corpse Bride.
The Movie Review
Have you ever wondered how the domestic animals in your farmyard feel? Well, the answer is quite simple. You see, just like every other living creature, a chicken’s only goal is to survive in life. That’s the exact same goal for Rocky and Ginger, a rooster and chicken duo who have their lives completely turned upside down.
They live their lives quite peacefully in the coop, yet when they realized that their owner is plotting to kill them, they have no choice but to plan an escape.
Starting out with Creature Comforts, and getting their big break with Wallace & Gromit, Nick Park and Peter Lord became kings in the stop motion film scene. If you’re not familiar with those names, then you might have heard of Shaun the Sheep. These two have been creating amazing stop-motion films for a while, and Chicken Run was one of the biggest evolutions of their style.
Chicken Run is a satire on how the political leaders of the world, essentially make the decisions for the common people. This was a stop motion feature so the directors didn’t have to worry about too many children being very invested in that. In fact, they knew that most of the people watching this would be fans of the craft. So, they decided to go all out and make a film that heavily emphasizes that satire without being too obvious about it. It’s still a children’s film, yet what hides beneath the surface is a thematic black comedy that isn’t available in other movies.
The visual style in this film is easily identifiable as a Nick Parks and Peter Lord’s film. There is just something about their peculiar art style. It’s the way they designed their human characters while distinguishing the animal characters from them. Environments are mainly realistic due to actual props being used, but the characters are the real fun parts of this film. All of the characters in this film are perfectly well designed, the art team here genuinely came through.
Now when we’re talking about the voice acting though, that is a whole different ball game. You see, this film doesn’t have too much drama or emotion, it’s more of a comedy from the beginning to the end. Sure, it’s a much more mature form of comedy that kids won’t really understand most of the jokes, yet the actors portray these characters with heart. I especially love Tony Haygarth’s portrayal of the paranoid husband, a man who thinks he is one step ahead of the chickens yet he is always behind.
The music here though, that aspect is a huge letdown. I honestly cannot remember a single tune from this film soundtrack, then it’s not because I’ve seen it a long time ago. After doing a recent rewatch, the only thing I never expected to stand out was the soundtrack and it honestly never did. It mainly serves as background noise, just to keep the action and adventure going.
Chicken Run Is one of the smartest Nick Parks and Peter Lord films of all time. The film is witty beyond the comprehension of children, so it masks a lot of jokes that would make adults roll on the floor. The story is also simple enough to be fun but doesn’t stagnate at any point during the film. Simply put, the pacing, visuals, and characters are all flawless.
