Finger lickin' good

Rating: Null/10 (28 April 2004)

CHICKEN RUN (2000) *** (Voices: Julia Sawalha, Mel Gibson, Miranda Richardson, Jane Horrocks, Timothy Spall, Phil Daniels, Tony Haygarth, Imelda Staunton, Benjamin Whitrow) Cult animated filmmakers Nick Park and Peter Lord make their first feature length spectacle in a very funny take on escape-from-prison yarns a la 'Stalag 17' and 'The Great Escape' but this time with a flock of plucky British chickens 'imprisoned' in a farm run by the bloodless Malisha Tweedy (Richardson) whose business takes a turn for their worse: custom made frozen chicken pies (!) Led by the determined hen Ginger (Sawalha) and several doomed attempts to break free their (would-be) savior lands at their feet in the form of 'flying' American rooster Rocky (Gibson, gleefully having a ball) who isn't exactly what he appears to be.
Wildly inventive in its Rube Golbergian execution of plotting and production design all come off seemingly effortlessly in their pain-staking stop-motion animation with their trademark of likable characters in difficult situations on a universal appeal overall.
Great fun for young and old alike.