Thoroughly endearing family entertainment.
Chicken Run (2000)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:134
Fresh:131
Rotten:3
Average Rating:8/10
Consensus: Chicken Run has all the charm of Nick Park's Wallace & Gromit, and something for everybody. The voice acting is fabulous, the slapstick is brilliant, and the action sequences are spectacular.
Runtime: 84 mins
Genre: Childrens
Synopsis: Facing imminent death while laying eggs at Tweedy's English farm, a group of chickens, led by the determined Ginger (Julia Sawahla, BBC-TV's ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS), plan to escape their prisonlike... Facing imminent death while laying eggs at Tweedy's English farm, a group of chickens, led by the determined Ginger (Julia Sawahla, BBC-TV's ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS), plan to escape their prisonlike coop. The situation goes from bad to worse when the sinister Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson) decides to stop selling eggs and use the hens as the main ingredient in chicken pot pies. However, some hope literally falls from the sky in the form of Rocky (Mel Gibson), an American rooster who promises to teach the chickens how to fly. As the hens begin their struggle to get airborne, the monstrous pie-making machine arrives, giving the chickens precious little time to make their great escape. Aardman Studios' first full-length feature film is a stunning showcase of stop-motion animation. Utilizing the unique Plasticine designs of the acclaimed WALLACE & GROMIT and CREATURE COMFORT shorts, CHICKEN RUN features vibrant visuals and colorful characters that are immediately endearing. (The naive and constantly knitting Babs, voiced by Jane Horrocks, is particularly hilarious.) With its clever writing, witty film references, and pitch-perfect combination of comedy, drama, and romance, CHICKEN RUN is one of those rare movies that genuinely appeals to viewers of every age. [More]
Starring: Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Miranda Richardson, Timothy Spall
Starring: Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Miranda Richardson, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, Jane Horrocks, Phil Daniels
Director: Nick Park, Peter Lord
Director: Nick Park, Peter Lord
Screenwriter: Karey Kirkpatrick, Jack Rosenthal
Story: Nick Park, Peter Lord
Producer: Aardman Animations
Reviews for Chicken Run
As far as laughs go, it's slow to take off; and in terms of gags, characters and narrative, it lacks the freshness of some of the earlier films.
The poultry cast are capable of an extraordinary range of expression, especially during the sad or mildly scary scenes.
The deeply ironic undertones will keep adults and kids entertained alike.
In short: It's everything you could hope for from an Aardman feature.
, it’s a remarkably well-sustained spin on the popular P.O.W. camp movie, with a touch of The Squawkshank Redemptions about it, too.
It's The Great Escape as performed by chickens and is every bit as good as you could imagine.
Park's love for all his characters, good and evil, is literally palpable: These characters have been forged of clay, fussed over, posed, photographed over a period of years.
I know I've seen a good funny animal movie if I stop eating the animal in real life.
It has intelligence, humor, drama and tragedy, dance numbers, amour and more, any of which will have appeal to someone out there.
It's a wonder to know that each frame of this film was handmade, not orchestrated by a computer.
Something about Nick Park's characters is intrinsically hilarious... Maybe it's those teeth.
A sharp, witty movie that finally answers the age-old question: what do chickens do when you're not looking?
Latest News for Chicken Run
September 24, 2008:
Get Drawn to RT's Best Animated Films!
Animated films: they ain't just cartoons anymore. Nor have they been for quite some time. RT celebrates the imaginative, dazzling world of animation with out countdown of the... More...
October 04, 2007:
Wallace & Gromit Returning for Christmas 2008
Good news, Wallace and Gromit fans: Aardman will soon be bringing the duo back to a (small) screen near you. More...
June 19, 2007:
Aardman Announces New Slate!
Only a few months after severing ties with DreamWorks Animation, the mad geniuses at Aardman hooked up with Sony's animation division. And now they're announcing their next movies. More...
April 03, 2007:
After DreamWorks Split, Aardman Animation Hooks Up with Sony
Big fan of the Aardman Animation flicks? Well, you are if you dug "Chicken Run," "Flushed Away," and "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the... More...
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