It's clucking MAD FUN!

Rating: 7/10 (20 June 2007)

Chicken Run (2000, Dir. Peter Lord, Nick Park)
Story
Aardman's first full theatrical stop motion film shows Ginger, Bunty, Babs and Fowler are chickens who are trapped on their farm and desperately want to escape. If they don't produce any eggs for the week, Mr and Mrs Tweedy will have their heads. After every attempt, they fail and their time is running out. When it seems like all their attempts have failed, an American rooster called Rocky falls into the farm. Seeing Rocky flying, Ginger now realises that the only way out now, is by flying. The chickens must learn the trade of flying before time runs outs.
Actors
The problem with movies using stop motion animation is that you don't actually see the actors, and instead must hear their voices. The cast chosen to provide the voices in this film have been chosen carefully in order for them to all suit their character. Benjamin Whitrow provides the perfect voice for Fowler. Timothy Spall and Phil Daniels make a wonderful comic team with the voices matching to the characters of Nick and Fetcher. Mel Gibson is also a nice addition as Rocky. The character really does feel as if he's a rooster from America. Mel is not a complete unknown actor and isn't too famous to distract you from the character. The only problem with the voices I have is Julia Sawalha. To me her voice just sounds awkward when blended in with the other characters. You could possibly say it is too English. This is only my opinion and may someone else might feel different about her 'thick' accent.
Music
The score in this film is actually very good. Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell give you a soundtrack which isn't a blatant rip-off of 'The Great Escape' but also has the same feeling to it. There are some good tunes hears and really fits in well with what is happening on screen. An animation film is harder to build up excitement than a live action film, and 'Chicken Run' is able to accomplish this by the use of the music. The music really builds up tension, especially in the scene, when the chicken are trying to fly off in their 'home-made' plane.
Special Effects
The only special effects I can really refer to is the animation techniques. Like all other popular Aardman material, the characters in the film are made with a kind of plasticine kind of material. Even today, there characters still look wonderful to watch and enjoy. It never puts the viewer off by what they are. It seems as anything is possible with these characters, as they moveand fly just like real people. All the buildings look amazing. So many different camera angles are used, that they do actually look as if they are real full-size sets.
Conclusion
Chicken Run, like all other Aardman movies, is a remarkable film. Not as memorable as the Wallace & Gromit series, but still a fun 'chick' flick. It's suitable for the whole family and contains jokes for the whole family to understand. It's not too short and not too long, and includes a story easily understandable by younger viewers. This is a perfect film to watch together on a wet weekend.
"I don't want to be a pie. I don't like gravy."  Babs (Jane Horrocks)