The razor-sharp wit was what did it for me.

Rating: 9/10 (7 July 2000)

The main surprise for me was just how cleverly-done all the jokes were. Many American producers have really lost any appreciation of subtlety that they ever had - no matter whether it's a kids' movie or an "adult" comedy, they never give the audience any credit to intelligence.
Chicken Run's main strength is that they don't feel that they always have to use obvious jokes or sight gags most of the time to make you laugh; they're not even afraid to put in references that few people below their teens will be able to pick up on. Just wait until you catch at least one or two nods towards one of the more well-known Mel Gibson movies of the past few years. :)
Some of the characterizations are fairly expected (the evil Mrs. Tweedy, for example), but they don't really go over the top and certainly help liven things up. Most everyone will have a favourite character by the time the credits begin to roll.
One last thing to touch on is Chicken Run's unyielding "Britishness." Despite attracting American interest, it's clear that Aardman wasn't pushed into producing something contrary to their vision. Rocky may be a major character, but that doesn't save him from being torn down as the stereotypical American hotshot. The other chickens are all wonderfully British; they're not afraid to use different accents and mannerisms, and so in addition to the laughs you get a distinct charm that you'd never get outside of a British production.
All in all quite a surprise - go see this if you're looking for something well outside of the usual summer blockbuster spectrum. This is especially true if you just have to catch a Mel Gibson movie this summer; Chicken Run is on the whole much less pretentious than The Patriot (although that's not due to Gibson) and more universally appealing.