dir. by Mark Burton and Richard Starzak
BEST NEW FEATUREAardman's newest animated film, based on their hit television show, is every bit as charming and clever as is expected from them.
Shaun (Justin Fletcher) is a sheep. He goes through a monotonous routine day after day, until one day when he gets the idea to take a day off. This inspires in him a crazy plan to get the farmer (John Sparkes) out of the way, allowing the sheep (and the pigs) to take over. It's not a complex plot, and it doesn't need to be, and there's elegance in the film's simplicity. Shaun the Sheep: The Movie doesn't even feature dialogue, primarily conveying information through visual means and having characters interact in a purely visual manner. Anything that cannot be seen simply isn't present in the movie, and for the most part the communication is largely physical as well. There's still moments where written information is used, especially for communication between characters, but rarely does the film rely on such. Speech is present, but it consists solely of grunts and animal noises, with not a single written line of dialogue in the script. This works marvellously, allowing the bountiful physical comedy to shine.
Said physical comedy is consistently hilarious, with Aardman constantly finding inventive new things to happen on-screen, not only including the expected slapstick but also a number of other clever approaches to visual comedy. This is helped in no small part by the utterly brilliant animation, which is impressively fluid and gorgeously modelled. These clay figures move so smoothly that it can be hard to believe they were manipulated by hand. Rarely does Shaun the Sheep: The Movie look anything but wonderful, and over a decade of experience in the field has made Aardman masters of their craft. This is top-tier visual work, the kind that, while it may not cause a resurgence in the popularity of the form, certainly justifies it. Clay animation has a certain charm to it, and Shaun the Sheep proves that clay characters can be just as adorable as those in traditional or computer animation.
The film starts to falter a little more as its plot really kicks into high gear, with more awkward situations slightly detracting from the humour. It's not nearly enough to keep the film from being absolutely wonderful, but it does mark a slight step down from the near-perfection of the first act. While the film is mostly clean and most of its naughtier jokes are still G-rated, there's at least one sequence that could be considered a little inappropriate, involving the rear end of a felt horse costume, although it's also one of the film's most memorable scenes. Perhaps the most entertaining scene in Shaun the Sheep, though, is the darker turn in the climax, wherein the main villain (whom appears in the final act) finally goes off the deep end and seeks to dispose of his nemeses once and for all. The scene is intense, exciting, and has some really cool imagery, and as with the rest of the film, it's absolutely hilarious.
On top of its many laughs, there's also a solid emotional core to the film. Particularly around the third act, some sequences were genuinely heart-wrenching, and the ability to feel bad for these characters despite none of them speaking really shows the strength of Aardman's visual storytelling. Second act plot developments do strip away a bit of Shaun the Sheep's simplicity, but they never sacrifice the charm, and especially not the heart. This is a film that was clearly made out of admiration for the craft, and it shows in the sheer effort that is present in every sequence.
Shaun the Sheep: The Movie is fun for the whole family, or fun for friends, or even fun for an individual going to a matinee on their own. It's a top-tier animated film that will entertain, excite, and even move, and while it won't change anyone's life, its joyous charms are irresistible. With its great humour and its gorgeous animation, this film proves every bit as good as it was said to be during its British theatrical run, and is easily one of the best films of the summer.
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