As they say, dying is easy and comedy is hard. Now take British comedy. That's even harder on American palettes. Chicken Run has a style of comedy which I could best describe as dry. Very, very dry. Fortunately, Mel Gibson as the American rooster Rocky balances all this out with the gusto that Americans are used to. Just take a look at the sequence where he keeps falling down in pie batter. While probably not up to the highest standards of Aardman, Chicken Run showcases that Nick Park and Peter Lord are the masters of crafting quality comedy that's not in the least like what Disney passes for comedy. Chicken Run is a solid blend of parody, true storytelling, great characters, two of the keenest villains I've ever seen, and technically superior claymation. In most animated movies, the eyes are the windows of expression. In this movie, it's the teeth. This different style of expression might've been the reason why I was a tad hard on this movie in the first place, but I can see that when I first reviewed it, a three star mark was just wrong. Pick up Chicken Run if you haven't already done so. It's hard to find a movie of this quality these days. Even if the comedy is very British.

When my uncle saw this film, he said he kept forgetting that he was watching clay chickens move. It was like he felt emotional attachment to these chickens trying to escape. And I felt the same way.

The animation is great, and thats not just comparing it to other claymation movies. Mel Gibson's voicework was okay, but nothing great. And just about anything is funnier when someone with an english accent says it.

It's a most excellent film, that i don't mind watching over and over again.

Chicken Run is a rather enjoyable movie. The characters are fairly interesting, and it has some great humor. Just the thought of how many hours were put into animating all the clay is amazing. The story was pretty good, it got a little dry in places, but otherwise it went along smoothly. The voice acting was great too.

A funnier film i have yet to see. this is a classic. not as funny as wallace and grommit, mind you, but it is a hilarious film. now, i'm not too fond of claymation, but this was pretty good. the synopsis was something along the lines of a chick- fil- a chicken uprising against the cows, but hey, they deserve to be heard. the voices were great, and the story line was a little over the top, but what story line isn't slightly over the top to get the audience into it? all in all, it was a wonderful film and i loved it!

I was in the USA when this film was released at the cinemas, and I remember this really bizarre, not to say tasteless advertising tie-in from McDonalds (or Wendy''s or someone). "Help save the chickens - buy a hamburger". Just goes to show how public sympathy about an issue as serious as the treatment of animals can be influenced more by an anthropomorphic claymation movie than by any logical argument. I wonder if people are out there eating chickens again after ''Home on the Range''.

Anyway, that''s somewhat beside the point, I guess.

In reviewing this movie I have to assume that most Americans who saw it weren''t previously familiar with Nick Park''s claymation, whereas most Australians were quite familiar with it, and thought "Ah, he''s made it in Hollywood".

I guess why this is important is because inevitably anyone who remembers ''The Wrong Trousers'' is going to use that as the yardstick by which to compare ''Chicken Run'', whereas anyone who hasn''t is just going to be gobsmacked by this amazing claymation.

The fact is though - well IMHO anyway - is that ''Wrong Trousers'' is Park''s masterpiece, and as I gave the nearly-as-amazing ''A Close Shave'' three and a half stars, I logically can''t give ''Chicken Run'' any more than that.

This is where it gets difficult, because I can''t quite put my finger on exactly what it is about ''Chicken Run'' which fails to ignite, and which burned so bright in the Wallace and Gromit shorts. The claymation is still amazing the characters are mostly terrific (and Aardman have made the jump from minimal voice work in the W&G films, to a full blown talking cast here).

I can only guess at the reasons for my less enthusiastic response. I have a definite penchant for the eccentric and off-kilter, and whereas I'm sure 'Chicken Run' seems sufficiently 'zany' to most people, 'Wallace and Gromit' were just outright warped. Could it be that the mise-en-scene (oooo, ok, I admit, I took a film course) of 'Chicken Run', as impressive as it is, isn't quite as amazing or inventive as Park's earlier work? Is it because Mel Gibson's character annoyed me just a little? I dunno. My objective side says this film deserves 3.5. My subjective side says 3.0, and when it comes to the crunch, the subjective side generally gets the nod.

Let's not belittle the achievements of this movie. It just doesn't quite work for me in the way that Nick's earlier stuff does.

8 out of 10

This film has some of the best voice-over work I've ever heard. Unlike a lot of animation that seems to revolve around stunt-casting for voices, "Chicken Run" features some seldom-heard (in North America anyway) UK actors giving it their all for the flock. Miranda Richardson's Mrs Tweedy has a voice that could freeze oceans. Babs and Bunty could have their own spin-off of short films. And Mac the Scottish hen will make you believe in the power of "thrrrrrroooossst!"

What makes this film one of my favorites? I couldnt say.

Maybe it's the fact that the film is a parody of every prisoner-of-war escape film ever made. Maybe it's the wonderfully unique and eccentric personalities of the various chickens. Maybe it's just that Mrs. Tweedy is the best movie villain to come along in some time.

In any case, if you don't see this film, you're depriving yourself of some serious laughs. Even in the opening sequence, there is fantastic visual humor when the bizarre, failed escape attempts of the chickens are shown...in one scene, a pile of chickens has disguised themselves as Mrs. Tweedy, and is stumbling along on booted stilts in an ungainly way.

Ginger, the heroine, is a very strong and determined character, and quite likeable. She is determined to escape the chicken farm, with all her friends. Unfortunately, Mr. Tweedy (think of an English Sergeant Schulz) stands in her way, with a pair of nasty and very big Rottweilers. And behind him, far more menacing, is the cold, ambitious and sarcastic...Mrs. Tweedy!

Among the laughs are moments of intense emotion. The tragedy of a chicken's death is well expressed. As is the shock of the revelation about Rocky (which the audience, frankly, saw coming a mile away.)

But the greatest strength of this film is the continual visual and verbal humor. Definitely worth seeing!

Oh, and I should mention that the movie score--a pastiche of war-movie parody and other styles--is easily one of the most entertaining and enjoyable CD's in my movie soundtrack collection. If you like soundtracks, the CD is another gotta-have!

I feel the urge to throw in some really bad puns to start out the review.. like "it's an egg-cellent film" or a "cracking good time" but you can see I've restrained myself. bwahaha!

Okay, this is an Aardman film and if you haven't been exposed to their other work they have a wonderfully wacky sense of humour and it gives Chicken Run this great family movie appeal. It's hilarious no matter how old or young you happen to be. On one hand you've got Fowler making cracks about those "darn Americans, late for every war" and then you've got.. well.. great big claymation chickens attempting to fly.

Oh, and keep reminding yourself this is claymation.. repeat it like a mantra, it's only claymation.. it's a unbelievably complicated process requiring hours and hours of effort moving clay around millimetres at a time.. because I promise you in the next second of the film you'll have completely forgotten again as there is nothing in this movie that is limited by the medium. You'll be so busy laughing or holding your breath as you watch the fast paced action, you'll completely forget those talented invisible hands at work.

Perhaps the most amazing thing of all though is.. there's a story! It's got characters with character.. the wonderfully evil Ms. Tweedy and her doddering henchmen.. I mean, husband.. Mac the Scottish engineer hen, Fowler the ex-RAF rooster, Bunty, Babs and so on.. and of course, Rocky and Ginger. I was particularly impressed with their relationship. The whole "guy and girl hate each other" but then "guy and girl fall in love" bit has been done a few too many times in recent memory but the progression of their relationship was so well-paced it was surprisingly believable.. well, as believable as talking chickens get anyways.

Anyways, take the tea off the burner, throw down yer crumpets and get yourself off to the theatre right now... oh, and Aardman? Jolly good show!