SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE (review)

SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE

Written and Directed by Mark Burton and Richard Stark / Voices by Justin Fletcher and John Sparkes

Maybe I’m biased but this Shaun the Sheep is pretty darn cute. I mean, he’s not in the same league as my Sheldon, but he’s definitely a close second. (Sorry, Serta sheep!) And the brilliant minds at Aardman Animation (CHICKEN RUN, WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT) know it too. Shaun made his first appearance in the Academy Award winning short film, A CLOSE SHAVE in 2005 and, after then appearing in 130 more short films chronicling his hijinks on a country farm, Shaun is finally ready to take it to the next level, hence SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE.

How do you expand an animated series that runs in seven-minute chunks into a feature worthy of the big screen? Simple. You take the sheep out of the farm and throw him into the big city. As it turns out, Shaun is tiring of the same old routine on the farm. The rooster crows; the farmer wakes; the sheep are fed; and they spend the whole day grazing in the sun until they are eventually sheared. It isn’t that he doesn’t appreciate what he has; it’s just that he wants a day off. In that sense, Shaun is just like you and me, minus the regular wool removal. So he devises a plan that involves all his fellow sheep to trick the farmer so they can enjoy a brief break from the everyday. When Shaun’s plan goes awry, the farmer ends up lost in the city with amnesia, forcing Shaun to come to his rescue.

In the end, Shaun gets exactly what he wished for – an adventure. And we the audience get a simple yarn, with plenty of sight gags and wry British wit to satisfy sheep humour fans of all ages. SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE may be too country for some rock and rollers out there but this charming and endearing little sheep had me at hell-ewe.

Your turn!

How many sheep would you give Shaun the Sheep Movie?

[kkstarratings]