Early Man (2018)

Since I enjoyed all three Aardman Animations films I've seen, I was expecting Early Man to be a pretty good film. Unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations. And by far. 

In Stone Age Manchester, a small tribe of cavemen live peacefully in a small valley. One day, their valley is invaded by the evil Lord Nooth (voiced by Tom Hiddleston) who wants to finish off the Stone Age and move to the Bronze Age. One young caveman, Dug (voiced by Eddie Redmayne), challenges Nooth's football (soccer if you're American) team to win the valley back.

Early Man's is an unoriginal story filled with clichés and ridiculously predictable plot points, so predictable that even a kid would be able to predict how the story is going to unfold. Moreover, it is rather boring and unengaging, surprisingly boring and unengaging I'd add as I am a huge football/soccer fan and would never find football boring. 

The characters are just as poor as the plot. While Dug is quite likeable which really surprised me considering Eddie Redmayne voiced him (no, I don't like him), and Hobnob, Dug's pet sidekick, is adorable and kinda funny, they are pretty forgettable. Not to mention the fact that they all are stereotypes, and the only reason Lord Nooth is a decent, kind of menacing villain is because of Tom Hiddleston and his brilliant voice work. 

StudioCanal

As for the humour, Aardman Animations usually does well with it. Not this time though. Partly because the film lacks the energetic pace of the other films, partly because the delivery of the humour isn't as good, but the thing is that Early Man is funny only occasionally. There are some funny and enjoyable jokes and gags, but overall the humour falls flat. 

At last, there is the animation. Aardman Animations' claymation is still on point and it is as charming as it's always been. The film indeed looks very beautiful, with its very identifiable characters and nice sets. It's a real shame they paired such a good animation with such a poor script. 

Arthur Christmas (2011)

I haven't seen many animated Christmas movies. To be honest, I'm not even sure there are a lot of those (suggestions are welcome). Anyway, I haven't really enjoyed those I've seen and I was expecting Arthur Christmas to be another of those but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

Arthur (James McAvoy) is Santa's (Jim Broadbent) younger and clumpy son whose happiness depends on seeing kids happy on Christmas. So when he discovers his father's high-tech ship has failed to deliver the present to a little girl, he goes on a mission to save Christmas accompanied by his ageing grandfather, Grandsanta (Bill Nighy), and a rebellious young elf, Bryony (Ashley Jensen).

Right from the very beginning is clear that this is going to be a different film. That's because of the originality. Although the story is quite simple and predictable, and pretty much your typical heartwarming Christmas story, it presents Christmas and the way Santa works in an inventive way. Who would have ever thought of turning Santa and his elves in some sort of military operation? 

As for the characters, they aren't that unique, but at least they have some development. Arthur is a clumsy, awkward young man which such a big heart, it's impossible to not love him. He's one of the nicest characters ever, he doesn't care about himself, he just wants to make kids happy, and he's so determined to bring that girl her present, he's willing to face his fears.

Columbia Pictures

However, stealing the show is two supporting characters, Grandsanta and Bryony. The first was the easiest to empathize with, only if you are an adult though as he's the one who has lost the meaning of Christmas. The latter, the elf who joins Arthur on his mission, is absolutely adorable. She is so passionate, optimist and full of joy, and it's very nice to have her around. These two are the comedic peaks of the film, with both Bill Nighy and Ashley Jensen successfully delivering their jokes. 

The animation is also very lovely. I have to admit I had some doubts about Aardman Animation (Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit) switching from clay stop-motion to CGI, but they delivered it beautifully.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

Genre

Animation | Comedy | Fantasy

Directors

Steve Box | Nick Park

Country

UK

Voice Cast

Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Peter Kay, Nicholas Smith, Dicken Ashworth, Edward Kelsey

Storyline

Wallace (Peter Sallis) and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.

Opinion

I've never seen the the television series this is based on, but I remember that I wanted to see the film very badly when it came out, pretty much because I was 11 and obsessed with bunnies. Now, 11 year later, I've finally watched it, and it blew me away!

"Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" is an amusing, creative and colourful animated flick that is entertaining from start to finish.

And it is well written as well. Even though it is simple - but easy for kids to follow - and not very original, the story is funny and engaging and also reserves some surprises along the way, turns that may seem bizarre, but that totally makes sense and seems normal in this world. And the subplots are interesting as well.

The film is also filled with British humour - if you love it, you'll love the film - that suits both kids and adults. Sure, there are some jokes that target more adults - like in the scenes between Wallace and Lady Tottingham - but overall everyone can laugh at it.

I've found the characters quite eccentric and memorable, not to mention how hilarious they are. But since I've never seen the series, I believe the filmmakers should have taken some time to properly introduce Wallace and Gromit for those not familiar with the series. In spite of that, it was still exciting to follow the two friends in their adventure.

The best and most striking aspect of this film is indeed the clay animation, that is what makes this film so unique. The meticulous attention to details, the beautifully expressive faces of characters that seem more human than those computer generated. It's really amazing what can be hand-crafted.

Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)

Genre

Animation | Adventure | Comedy

Directors

Mark Burton | Richard Starzak

Country

UK

Voice Cast

Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Omid Djalili, Kate Harbour, Richard Webber, Tim Hands, Simon Greenall, Emma Tate, Henry Burton, Dhimant Vyas, Sophie Laughton, Nia Medi James, Sean Connolly, Stanley Unwin, Andy Nyman, Jack Paulson, Nick Park

Storyline

Shaun the sheep (Justin Fletcher) is tired of doing the same work at the farm everyday. He decides to take a day off. In order to do that, he needs to make sure the farmer doesn't know. When more happens than they can handle, the sheep find their way in the big city. Now they need to get back to the farm.

Opinion

Despite not having seen the television series this film is based on, I had quite big expectation for this picture because of its Oscar nomination. I can say without a doubt that it deserves every single nomination it got, even though it can't compete with "Inside Out" or "Anomalisa".

Witty, hilarious and sweet, "Shaun the Sheep Movie" is eighty-five minutes of pure entertainment and lightheartedness for all ages. Yep, adults as well. 

In this film there are the two elements that characterize Aardman's productions: claymation, the art of making a film with plasticine characters filmed in stop motion, and British humour expressed without words, but through actions, 'facial' expressions, and comical moments, with some slapstick scenes that live up to Chaplin's - like a memorable scene at the restaurant where the sheep, wearing human clothes and pretending to be humans, try to have lunch

The animation is excellent and if you didn't know it, it would have been hard to tell whether it was CGI or stop motion. 

Directors and screenwriters Mark Burton and Richard Starzak didn't just lengthened an episode of the series or put together several episodes, but created a story about a small rebellion against monotony that turns bad and they enriched it with plenty of emotions and humour.

The story is very easy to follow, the characters are very likable, especially Shaun the main sheep, and the lack of dialogue is spot-on. The closing credits also deserve being mentioned: they are nice, and the song is very catchy. 

Definitely worth the time!