Shaun the Sheep Movie

Shaun the Sheep Movie [2015] is the new movie from one of my favorite studios, Aardman Animation.  Based on the popular television series, Shaun the sheep, decides to take the day off from his normal sheep duties.  But, after a big mix up, his farmer gets lost in the city with no memory of the farm or his sheep.  With the help of his flock, Shaun and his team travel to the big city, hoping to rescue the farmer and return safely to their home.

Aardman’s #1 Fan. I’ve always been a huge fan of Aardman Animation.  Their style of animation, the British humor, and the lovable characters, there’s not a thing I don’t like about them.  They’re best known for Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit, and they’ve also made Arthur Christmas and The Pirates!.  All of their movies have a great mix of heart and humor. If anyone can give Pixar/Disney a run for its money, it’s Aardman.

Shaun the Sheep? As great as their characters are, Shaun the Sheep was never their best work.  Sure, he had his moments in a great Wallace and Gromit short, and even his own TV show, but he was never my personal favorite.  I never thought he’d be able to sustain a feature film, and the movie didn’t prove me wrong.  That’s not to say it’s bad; it’s actually very good.  But compared to the likes of Wallace and Gromit, it doesn’t hold up as well. Curse of the Were-Rabbit proved that Wallace and Gromit could handle a feature film.  Shaun the Sheep doesn’t have that ability. He’s fine for ten minutes.  But for eighty minutes?  There’s just not that much there.

But it’s still good.  All quibbles aside, this is a still a very funny and charming family movie.  I laughed throughout, especially at a certain prison dog.  It doesn’t top Aardman’s best movies, but even then it’s still better and funnier than most family films being released.  It doesn’t need pop-culture references to appeal to adults.  It does just fine by being smart and clever.