Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes!
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
Secret ending? Sort of. Stay till the end to find out!
Running time: 85 minutes (~1.5 hours)
“Shaun the Sheep Movie” is an animated feature film based on the popular “Shaun the Sheep” cartoon series. It follows the adventures of the partially shorn sheep Shaun, as he embarks on a quest to rescue the Farmer from the Big City. It stars Justin Fletcher (Shaun the Sheep), John Sparkles (Bitzer, Farmer), and Omid Djalili (Trumper).
“Shaun the Sheep” has virtually no dialogue (just some grunts and singing, but you wouldn’t consider that dialogue now, would you?) but still manages to tell a touching and convincing story. That’s some pretty strong storytelling, if you can stir up emotions and convey messages without the spoken word!
Highlights
Adorable animation
The sheep are adorable in the show – especially Timmy, the little baby sheep that the the other sheep rally together to cheer up near the end. Even Bitzer and Slip, the new dog introduced in the movie, look just as soft and huggable as the rest of the animal characters. Their actions are fluid and believable, and the details in all the close-up shots are pretty amazing – it’s not just a flat clay texture.
Heartwarming story
At its core, “Shaun the Sheep Movie” is about a family looking for their lost father. The lengths that Shaun would go to to rescue the farmer highlight the love and care he has for his owner. The daily drudgery of life may have caused the inciting incident for the film, but it is also the daily drudgery of life that built the familial bonds that the farm animals have with each other and the Farmer.
Funnies of all types
Being a children’s film, there has to be a fair amount of humour. There’s all kinds of laughs here – from basic slapstick, visual humour, and even slightly more mature jokes. Once again, considering that there’s no dialogue, the sheer number of jokes is impressive. I laughed out loud several times during the movie.
Interesting new characters
Slip and Trumper, the new protagonist and antagonist for the film, are actually quite well-developed, intriguing new characters. Despite being a rather ugly dog, Slip still manages to come across as a cute puppy who’s only wish is to be adopted, while Trumper’s desire to capture Shaun and friends is organically and believably built up through the course of the movie. Rather than being new for the sake of being new, these characters bring a new dimension and depth to the film.
Enjoyable length
Rarely do the scenes drag on or belabour any point. Each scene is short, sharp, and sweet, achieving its purpose clearly and succinctly. This results in a movie that feels perfect in length, because not a single minute of animation is labourious.
Letdowns
Certain beats are to convey without words
Several points are hard to understand without the use of dialogue, such as Shaun’s plan to save the Farmer in the end. Still, it all becomes clear by the time the climax rolls around, and it doesn’t pose severe problems to the film.
“Shaun the Sheep” is a spectacular animated film that appeals to all ages. It has a timeless story, loveable characters, and clever humour. If there’s one show the whole family can watch this Chinese New Year, it’s “Shaun the Sheep!”
“Shaun the Sheep” opens in cinemas 19 February, 2015 (Thursday).
This review was also published on Yahoo Singapore.
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