Shaun the Sheep Movie

I worry about the box office prospects of Shaun the Sheep Movie.  Here is a delightful children's movie that features no real dialogue (the characters express themselves through sound effects, grunts, gibberish, and bleats), and is based on a long-running British TV cartoon that, to my knowledge, has never actually aired in the U.S.  This is the kind of movie that has "underrated" written all over it.  My only hope is that it will be discovered by parents looking for something different for their kids to watch on DVD.

This is an endearing stop-motion film from Aardman Studios, who have had some box office success in the States (most notably 2000's Chicken Run), but mostly are beloved by animation aficionados for their Wallace and Gromit short films.  It has the quiet and laid back tone of a classic silent movie comedy.  Since the characters don't actually talk, the filmmakers have to rely on physical humor and the expressions of the characters to tell the story.  I imagine that this would be a good first movie for very little children, as they would easily be able to follow the action.  But don't take that to mean that there's nothing for adults to enjoy.  This is a clever movie that just about anyone can get behind.  There are movie references (including a very funny nod to The Silence of the Lambs), and plenty of gags that are designed to fly over the heads of children, but won't lead to the parents having to answer uncomfortable questions later.  Compared to the last feature length cartoon we got for kids, Minions (a movie I did enjoy, but I like this better), this is gentler, subtler and sweeter.

For those of you not familiar with the characters, Shaun is a mischievous little sheep who frequently acts as the leader of a small flock of eight who reside on the tranquil Mossy Bottom Farm in the English countryside.  Shaun and his flock are watched over by a somewhat absent-minded farmer, and his loyal dog, Bitzer, who usually remains a loyal friend to the sheep, despite the trouble they often cause for him.  As the film opens, all the residents of the farm have become tired of the daily routine of chores and wool sheering.  It is Shaun who hatches a scheme to allow him and his sheep siblings to have fun by luring Bitzer the dog away with a bone, and putting the farmer to sleep with a choreographed routine where it appears that the he and his brothers are jumping a fence, like counting sheep.  With the farmer asleep, they put him away in a trailer, and set about throwing a wild party inside the farmer's home. 

But then, unexpectedly, the trailer the farmer is sleeping within rolls away and makes its way all the way to The Big City, which looks a lot like London.  In the resulting wild ride to the City, the farmer bumps his head and loses his memory, so he is wandering around the streets completely dazed and confused.  When Shaun and his fellow sheep discover that they need their master home in order to be fed, the entire flock sets off to the City in order to find him.  They disguise themselves as humans, and set about on their adventure.  All the while, Shaun and his friends are being tracked down by a heavily-armed animal control officer, who notices a surprising amount of wool being shed by some strange looking people walking around the streets lately, and becomes determined to lock our four-legged heroes away in an animal pound that resembles a prison. 

Shaun the Sheep Movie is relaxed and doesn't really draw a lot of attention to itself, which is kind of welcome after being bombarded with Minions hype the past couple months.  It's simple enough for the smallest child to follow and enjoy, but it also has the sophistication of one of the Looney Tunes shorts.  It's the rare kind of children's movie that actually feels kind of wholesome and good natured.  Sure, there is the occasional shot that lingers on a butt, or a joke that references bodily fluids.  But, it's incredibly tame compared to a lot of the stuff kids are exposed to.  It's not just the pacing of the film, but also the look that is charmingly simple.  With their round, expressive eyes, and the way their mouths kind of jut to the side whenever they make a sound, the character designs are filled with personality.  The stop motion animation (mostly done with models and clay) looks old fashioned, but not dated.  There is a fluidity to the movement that you don't initially expect, and you can tell that this was a painstaking project for the animators.

This isn't just a funny and entertaining film, but a heartfelt one as well.  There's a very sweet prologue that sets up the relationship between the farmer, Shaun and his fellow sheep, and Bitzer the dog that really gives you a sense that these characters, as different as they are, form an unconventional family.  The movie even manages to slip in a subplot supporting pet adoption from a shelter, during the scenes when the animal characters are trapped in a scary pound.  There is just a sweet, handmade quality to the film that you really don't see in a lot of current Hollywood animation.  You probably aren't going to see these characters gracing every junk food and plastic object known to man, but that's probably for the best.

So, while I hope Shaun the Sheep finds an audience, I am a realist, and am certain that it probably won't.  But, that's why we have DVD, so that films that were unfairly looked over at the theater can get a second chance to be discovered.  If there was any justice at the box office, families would be lining up for this one.  Unfortunately, my screening was attended only by myself, and a mother with two little girls.  I only ask that if you have children, do not let this one pass by.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

0 comments