Funny throughout, thrilling at times, heartwarming at others -- a delight for children of all ages!

Rating: 9/10 (24 June 2000)

You can't help imagining the pitch meeting for this movie -- a full-length feature film, done in claymation (animated characters made with latex and photographed), set on an English chicken farm in the 1950s but inspired by "Stalag 17." Talk about "high concept" -- plucky chicken meets cocky rooster, and together they lead the imprisoned flock to the Promised Land. Younger kids will love its endearingly goofy-looking, wide-eyed characters and its action sequences (just don't serve them chicken pot pie for a few days after!), and older kids will get a kick out of the non-stop stream of pop culture references.