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Chicken
Run
 Animator
Nick Park and his cohorts at Aardman Studios, have quelled the
myth! Chicken's have lips.
The
creator of claymation stars Wallace and Gromit ( clever
yarns about a lovable Rube Goldman style inventor and his house
keeping dog) has brought you another gem. His Chicken Run.
If
you understand the claymation process, watching CR is awe
inspiring. They did 6 seconds of film a day. Each character is
about 3 to 4 inches tall and each fluid motion took umpteen frames
per gesture. If you could care less about the art, then CR
is simple an adorable movie.
Story goes...Tweedy Farm has gone into the delightful business
of making chicken pot pies.
Evil proprietress Mrs. Tweedy ( voice of Miranda Richardson she'll
always be "Queenie" from Black Adder to me) will
have her chicken pies and eat them too. Mrs. Tweedy is tired of
minuscule profits one procures from an eggery. With the purchase
of a chicken-pot-pie making machine she's ready to crack some
sculls. There is not a compassionate (chicken) bone in this woman.
As
Mrs. Tweedy's ingredients, the chickens of the "farm"
, aren't too happy. They are keep ala concentration camps, complete
with barb-wire and barracks circa 1932, like prisoners. Creepy.
The Aardman folks give a feeling of oppression so dismal, the
kids may be frightened.
That
is until perky chirpy chicken Ginger (voice of cult fave Ab FAb's
Julia Sawalha) boasts the spirits of the sentenced fowl. Ginger
is a motivational speaker with high hopes and short arms. See,
chickens can't fly. They'll all have to think of some other means
of flying the coop, as it were.
After a sad series of thwarted escape plans, Ginger's nearly pluck
out of chickeny cheer her gung-ho has done gone. Till, a hero
lands clumsily, into their camp, er, coop via parachute (voice
of Mel "Hey, I was here before Russell Crowe-what about me-remember
me?" Gibson) is a flying rooster- or so says his circus
poster he's got with him. Immediately the chicks of Stalag 17
are smitten with the cock.
Ginger wants him to teach her feathers in arms to fly the coop.
So begins some exercises, and enjoyable parts.
Chicken run is decidedly British.Though loosely following the
American classic , the Great Escape ( a Steve McQueen great).
It's snide remarks attacking the Americans were keen as mustard
in this patriot's ears! "Americans are always being late
for a war." Hmm, makes you
forget for a nanosecond your in 2000. Anti-American propaganda?
No, just a ribbing.
The
animators do, however take a liberty in regards to their countries
warranted stereotype. Icky Teeth! The chickens all have pearly
white Tom Cruise teeth. Not a cavity among them! Balderdash! The
country is known for their deplorable teeth- scummy gray, crackly
teeth, remember Austin Powers- that's not really a joke.
Dear Moses! Get those people some Aquafresh Triple Flow with Tarter
Control ™Prince Charles will ya?
Anywho,
get out and see this if you enjoy British humor. It's smart and
clever. Smaller kids may be scared...it has dark tones. But they
have plenty of laughter and cheeriness to keep it a comedy. It
really is quite funny.
Snack
Recommendation: Chicken pot pie of course!
Starring: Mel Gibson, Julia Sawahla and Miranda Richardson
Directed
by: Nick Park and Peter Lord
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