Chicken Run

Rating:
Summary: Way overrated
Review: I had heard so much about this film last summer that I couldnt' wait to see it on DVD (where I see nearly every film now). Perhaps if my expectations were lower I might have been pleasently surprised, but as it was it was actually rather tedious. It's basically a one-joke movie about the "Great Escape" re-written to be a story about chickens. This might have been hilarious as a short film on Saturday Night Live, but it is not worthy of a feature-length film.

Rating:
Summary: Good Fun, possibly a little of kids heads
Review: This movie was so funny! I can't believe Mel Gibson would be involved in a project like this. Some of the references in the movie might be over a younger child's head, but anyway it is still funny to see clay chickens running around.

The movie starts off with one chicken who is deterined to get off of the farm. The rest of the chickens just sit around and produce eggs. Until one day, the owners of the farm decide that chicken pot pies are more profitable than eggs. So now the chickens must try to find a way to get away from becoming a pie. Enter mel's chicken.

This chicken comes out of nowhere, actually from the circus. he inspires them to "fly" away. the rest is hysterical. I think this is a must see for all ages. I like humor and this is good. You'll recognize the voice of Julia Swahala (boy did I spell that wrong) from "Absolutely Fabulous", she played Saffron, and also the woman who played Bubbles on ABFAB is a chicken.

Great movie! Definitely a wonderful gift!

Rating:
Summary: RUN and see Chicken Run...
Review: I don't know quite what I expected when I saw this movie, but I have to say, that despite its theme, the humor was definitely NOT just for children. I was originally hoping it to be polished and neatly produced (similar to the fantastic Toy Story movies) but you can only do so much when it comes to clay-mation. Well with that said, 'Chicken Run' was truly a delight. The jokes were on a childrens level--PART of the time...SOMETIMES the jokes were outright WAY over the heads of children--nothing dirty mind you, but the producers also realized what Disney figured out a few years back: 'Sure, it might be considered a kids film, but there are going to be a LOT of adults that see this, too--and you simply CANNOT ignore them anymore'.

TRYING to escape from a chicken's version of a concentration camp (the similarities are hilarious) and the motto of those running the camp: "NOBODY escapes!" All of the characters are funny, especially the knitting lady who wonders about the chickens who disappeared by asking, "Did they go on holiday?" The first time I saw an animated film with the voice of Mel Gibson I hated it, I hated, hated, HATED IT!! 'Course I'm talking about the abysmal 'Pocohontas' and while watching it I just COULDN'T help but think of Gibson's face every time his character spoke...I was afraid that was also going to be the case here, but thank heavens that isn't what happened at ALL. In fact I completely forgot about Gibson almost immediately. This is not just fun for children, but VERY worthwhile for adults as well. Grab it while ya can and you will most likely see it over and over.

Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining and funny
Review: I was not impressed with the commercial for this movie at all. But I had to take my 8-year old to see it anyway. To my surprise, I enjoyed every minute of it and was happy to see it in the theater. by the way, I still like eating chicken. Yum yum!

Rating:
Summary: Something a tad different from the Wallace & Gromit creators
Review: I purchased this DVD because I liked a *lot* Nick Park's W&G series. His humor is clever, yet innocent; I can't imagine anyone to be hurt by his humour and I say that's not very common. For me, humour is a very difficult art. Very often 'fun' things are not fun for me, but offensive and/or insult my intelligence. IMHO Nick Park has managed to do humor which is both very fun and non-offensive or insulting. I admire his talent for this achievement.

However, those who expect Chicken Run to create the same atmosphere as the W&G series will be surprised. Yes, I think CR is fun, but I'd say it is meant for a bit more mature audience than W&G series. First, the overall feeling in the movie is a bit dark. I guess the little children will find at least one character not fun at all, just evil and scary. For some reason, concentration camp was almost always in my mind when watching the movie, but I think it is good; there were certain wisdoms and facts of life depicted quite cleverly in the movie. Where W&G series is a relaxing experience, I guess CR is a bit more inclined to make you wonder about sad facts of life, like tyranny, loss of freedom, violence, death and - yes, I'm serious here - treating of animals in the food industry.

However, and also because of these things, I think CR is a good movie and - I have to add - that british ol' rooster guy is an excellent and hilarious, say, character!

Oh yes, one more thing - for some reason, I don't think McDonalds will run "Chicken Run" campaign and serve special chicken burgers this time...

Just a thought.

Rating:
Summary: Hype in it's ugliest form
Review: This was peobably one of the most over-hyped films I've seen. The film just isn't funny. Not even once. The jokes are very childish and forced ("Chickens go in, pie comes out." "What kind of pie?"). It's like a bad joke that repeats itself again and again, either with bad slapstick or weak one-liners (aspecialy painful are the two rat sidekicks, Nick and Fatcher).

Other than that, there's really not much going on here. Mel Gibson does a "so-so" voice performance. I wouldn't be very proud of this if I were him. Julia Sawalha is very sweet, but her character is so flat that even her sweetness doesn't help it. Miranda Richardson is a flat, boring villainess of the worst kind. Other than that, there is a Scottish chicken who is supposed to be funny just for being Scottish, a hen who is supposedly very dumb, and so makes some very dumb jokes ("I don't want to be a pie! I don't like gravy.") and an old rooster who is supposed to be funny for being geriatric. The plot is unoriginal and filled with cliche's and the music is forgettable.

The animation is the only good point to this mediocre film; Stop-motion never looked better. But I'm afraid that makes this film an official waste of good talents.

Rating:
Summary: I can't stop laughing
Review: The commercials made me think less of this film. But I can't stop chuckling at the chickens. They are so goofy looking especially the farmer and his wife. I've never liked or seen wallace and gromit but I love Chicken Run

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious! I loved this one.
Review:

We bought this movie for our grandchildren (11 and 13), watched it with them, and they loved it! Claymation (the animation technique used) is done in nearby Portland, Oregon, and has been a favorite medium with our family since we first saw the Wallace and Gromit series. This movie is no exception. Everyone: adults and children, loved it.

In the story, the Tweedy chicken farm is portrayed as a World War Two prison camp patterned after those portrayed in Hogan's Heroes, Stalag 17 and The Great Escape with Steve McQueen, with the evil Mrs. Tweedy as the "commandant," making those hens that aren't producing enough eggs into fried chicken.

Ginger (voice by Julia Sawalha), a hen bent on escape with a vision of a free life on real, green grass, is the heroine who inevitably ends up in the "cooler," in the beginning of the film. The hero, an American Rhode Island Red named Rocky (Mel Gibson's voice), is introduced early on as a rooster who can fly. The "inmates" are all persuaded that he will teach them to fly also, thereby enabling them to escape.

When Mrs. Tweedy decides that the real profit lies in chicken pot pie, rather than eggs, the plot thickens, and escape becomes a real necessity, since not only the occasional egg-laying malingerer is now threatened, but all of their lives. A veritable genocide awaits!

You will have to see it, to see how it all comes out.

It is very light-hearted, although the humor is not quite as sophisticated, perhaps, as in the Wallace and Gromit series. It is a delightful movie for children, and fun for adults as well. It is beautifully executed, and the voices fit the parts very well.

I recommend it highly.

Joseph Pierre

Rating:
Summary: One of the best kids' moves I have seen!
Review: I took my sister to see this movie, and I ended up loving it!

It apparently took Wallace and Gromit four years to created this movie. It was well worth it. The claymation adds a lot of character to the movie, and it looks so much better.

The story is cute, but entertaining for everyone. It's written on two levels so that everyone will like it. There are scenes that little kids think are funny, and there are hilarious jokes that fly over their head. The plot is interesting and well-written, the "characters" have definite personality traits and defining characteristics, and you will find yourself attatched to them. I actually got excited in the movie and nervous about the outcome, and found myself pulling for these clay chickens!

The fact that it is British is icing on the cake. I love british accents. I think that is so cool.

This is truly a quality movie. In everything, from the anmation to the story to the characters, the time and effort put into this movie is apparent. Dankeschön, Wallace and Gromit.

Rating:
Summary: Truly for the whole family
Review: What plays off Hogan's Heroes escape attempts? has a chicken behaving like the Major (Elephant) in The Jungle Book? has adventures inside machines like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? and is entertaining to children who won't have the slightest idea what the above questions mean?

While I must admit that the younger kids (3-8) became bored in the middle, the entire family enjoyed the film ... and had some good healthy laughs. This film has a message of freedom, dreams, and perseverence, but it never becomes didactic.