Rating: 
Summary: "Chicken Run"- don't let this one get away!
Review: I first found out about 'Chicken Run' in a movie theater, when they played the coming-attractions trailer. My first glance at those claymation figures, with the hotdog-shaped mouths and square white teeth, told me this had to be Nick Park's work. Which was just about all the recommendation I needed.English animator Park is the creator of the 'Wallace and Gromit' cartoons; misadventures of a clueless but lovable cockney inventor, and his very patient dog. So far there's three installments in that series; 'A Grand Day Out', 'The Wrong Trousers', and 'A Close Shave.' All are notable for being entertaining fare for both children and grownups. The plots are original, there's no end of amusing little details tucked into the sets, and Peter Sallis, the actor voicing Wallace, does a fine job of it (Gromit never speaks, but, with his drolly understated facial expressions, he hardly needs to.) It is to Dream Works' credit that they apparently let Park & Company follow their own vision in the making of 'Chicken Run.' As other reviewers have noted, the plot is essentially a feathered version of 'The Great Escape', with dashes of very British wit stirred in. The opening scenes are of Ginger, the indomitable hen (voiced by Julia Sawalha), making repeated attempts to extricate herself and her fellow egg-laying prisoners from the stalagesque 'Tweedy's Chicken Farm.' Every effort fails, but, despite being repeated punished with confinements the dumpster, Ginger won't give up. Things promise to get worse; the sinister Mrs. Tweedy (voice of Miranda Richardson, giving Cruella DeVille a run for her money) decides the farm would make bigger profits producing chicken pies, rather then eggs. Just in time, Rocky, an apparently fledged American rooster, literally drops into the picture. Ginger promptly declares him their best hope for escape; surely a Flying Rooster can teach the hens to soar out of their captivity. Rocky, who's on the lam from the circus and needs somewhere to hide, reluctantly agrees- but is he really on the level? Of course, we all know he'll come around sooner or later (he's got Mel Gibson's voice, after all.) Likewise, we know these determined barnyard fowl will triumph, after dealing with a succession of obstacles and setbacks. What makes this movie work is the abundance of funny and/ or visually interesting bits along the way. There's Fowler, the fussy, aged ex-military rooster who's openly mistrustful of the newcomer ("Those Yanks! Always late for the wars!") There's a wise-cracking pair of opportunistic rats, maneuvering to make a profit off the chicken's efforts. There's refs to Bugs Life, Indiana Jones, and Star Trek, among other things (these are fleeting, so keep your eyes & ears peeled.).There's an exuberant sequence where Rocky teaches the hens to dance, a merrily nightmarish one where he and Ginger struggle to escape the bowels of the pie-making apparatus, and a Final Confrontation to rank with the best of 'em. In short; despite the Schindler's Birds subtext, 'Chicken Run' is a genuinely Fun Ride. Don't be afraid to let all but the most sensitive kids view this video.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Fun For The Whole Family!
Review: This movie was so funny. It's about a group of chickens who are fed up with having to reproduce eggs all day and don't feel like doing it for the rest of their lives. And whats worse, their owner isn't making enough money on the eggs so she's going to turn them into pies. But when a circus rooster who is part of a flying act comes in, they think he can halp them. What they don't realize is that he was shot out of a canon. But he just might have a plan after all. You'll love it. It's hilarious. Buy it today!
Rating:
Summary: Completely funny and entertaining!
Review: "Chicken Run" may very well be the best movie of 2000, and most certainly the funniest and most awe-inspiring. It contains all the needed elements to make a children's movie, but what makes it so much better is that it still has a high adult-pleasing quotient, using lots of wit and humor that most small children would not pick up on. The story is as exciting and entertaining as any action movie this year, and the characters inspire pure humor and laughs. The movie is supposed to make you laugh, and it hit the spot for me. The story is strikingly similar to "The Great Escape," the 1963 film in which a group of P.O.W.s try different tactics to escape a Nazi prison camp. "Chicken Run" takes the basic structure of that film and replaces its protagonists with poultry, the prison with a poultry farm, and the Germans with a chicken farmer whose greed for money is the danger the chickens may face. It's a basic remastering of the plot that incorporates a fresh plot full of humor and delight in its characters and development. The movie centers around Mrs Tweedy's chicken farm, and the antics of one chicken, Ginger, as she tries various ways of escaping the clutches of their devilish owner. One by one, the plans fail, but they become more determined to escape when one of their own is taken to be killed because she laid no eggs. As the chickens begin to panic, in comes Rocky, an American rooster who finds himself surrounded by swooning English chickens that can't wait for him to demonstrate how they can escape by flying out of the coop. There's only one thing: Rocky doesn't really know how to fly, but is afraid of telling the chickens for fear that Ginger will turn him in to the circus he escaped from. This is the point at which the movie picks up a lot of momentum and comedy, which mostly involves the plans of escape. Once the chickens realize the awful truth that they are going to be turned into pot pies, the race is on to try and find an escape route from the coop. I found myself laughing at so many different things this movie has to offer, but mostly at the irony of the chickens themselves. Chickens, in reality, are not smart creatures, but the movie portrays them as intelligent and quite witty, coming up with plans of escaping that end in hilarious results. Each separate character has his own stereotype of a different social attitude: Ginger embodies determination and strength, which holds the rest of the flock together. Rocky is the cocky rooster who knows he can get away with a lot just by making the ladies swoon, but he ultimately ends up a good guy. Babs is the anti-intelligence of the group, and it is her simple-mindedness that makes for most of the laughs in the movie, while Mac is the logical thinker who wants to make sure every aspect of each plan will work. More of the laughs come with the situations the chickens get involved in. As Rocky begins his training of the coop to get them to fly, there is so much comedy to be had as they go from imitating martial arts moves to flying into fences and the ground with the help of a catapult. Screaming chickens aren't something you ever really think about being funny, but trust me, it does take a load off your mind. There is also a lot of wit and humorous dialogue that many small children will not pick up on, but that's okay, because it is more there to keep adults entertained for the movie as well. The remarks and comments are witty, intelligent, and make us laugh at just the sheer humor in the entire situation. Claymation is all the rage in this film, and is some of the best work for animation of this sort that I've ever seen. Once you realize how much work actually goes into making a movie of this sort (each movement is shot frame-by-frame), you cna fully appreciate the work that goes into this movie. This technique of filmmaking sets it apart from regular animation and gives it a unique, 3D feel that makes it fresh and exciting. "Chicken Run" deserves more than just critical praise; it deserves a place in the movie hall of fame for being able to make us laugh like no other movie can. This movie breaks all the rules and proves to us that laughs don't come solely from gratuity and gross-outs. It proves that a children's movie can appeal just as much to an older audience, and it does so by combining sparkling animating techniques with sharp phrases and an easily appreciated story that is delightful and completely satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: Good animated poultrified version of "The Great Escape"
Review: This is a strange concept for a movie, but it works very well. Take the WW2 classic "The Great Escape" and redo it, animated, with chickens escaping from a chicken farm. The animation is very well done, the characters are more two-dimensional (visually and personality-wise) than usual in an animated feature, and the story flows well and has few, if any, slow spots. Some of the characters actually end up kind of quirky, like the one hen who seems oblivious to the fact that departed roost-mates are not really "on holiday". This movie will make the grown-ups chuckle, and it moves along well enough so that the kids will stay connected with the story.
Rating:
Summary: A funny film with heart, and a nicely packed DVD
Review: The technical achievement of Chicken Run is amazing in and of itself; the scale of the story it tells with stop-motion animation is tremendous. It really is a prisoner-of-war movie with chickens, as absurd as that sounds. That sense of absurdity is one of the highlights of the movie -- but the other is the emotional core of the relationships between the chickens and their desire for freedom. It's a very clever script, with lots of verbal humor and fine comic timing from the voice actors. The DVD has lots of nice extras -- the directors' commentary and the behind-the-scenes features are great fun to listen to/watch. This was definitely one of the high points of the summer of 2000.
Rating: 
Summary: Not worth the time
Review: This movie just wasn't very funny. There were a few funny spots in it, but not enough to sit over an hour and watch it. The concept sounds great, but it just doesn't work out to be entertaining. I really don't understand all the praise that has been heaped on this movie. It isn't very often that I rent a movie and watch it only once, but it would be a punishment for me to sit through it again. It's boring!
Rating:
Summary: Don`t see this movie!!
Review: This movie wasn`t very good. You will just sleep through this really boring movie. If you do want to see Chicken Run Do Not Buy It rent it!! Ignore all the reviews that say it`s so great. They`re over exaggerating. My two year old brother didn`t even notice it was on. My mother didn`t think it was funny.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Gem
Review: Aside from the incredible claymation (via the genius of Nick Park and Peter Lord), the voices are what put this one right over the top. Anyone who has spent any time in the UK will roar at the northern dialects. The brilliant Jane Horrocks (of Little Voices fame), Lynn Ferguson, Timothy Spall and Phil Daniels are a riot. Although not in the same league as The Wizard of Oz or Peter Pan, Chicken Run belongs in your collection of children's classics. And hat's off to Dreamworks. I've been pleasantly surprised to observe how many of my current favorites come out of that studio. And Chicken Run is right at the top of the list.
Rating:
Summary: Great disc work for a good film
Review: A good film. I did not find it to be the laugh riot that was claimed in the news media. Great work on the disc with the picture & extras.
Rating:
Summary: A non-hollywoodian gender twist
Review: The most interesting feature about this film is that, unlike "Indiana Jones" hollywood gender roles, the hero is a female (a hen, it's true, but female anyway). Instead of the male hero conquering the heart of the passive maiden, here the all the action and brave deeds are done by the hen Ginger, and the rooster Rocky plays the role of the handsome and (only a bit more than) passive character. It was great to see it!
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