Review of Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) by Bjorn B — 08 Feb 2015

Aah Aardman you've done it again! But then thinking about it when have they not 'done it'? They've been making animated gold for the past twenty-five years. But for some reason I was slightly more sceptical about their latest offering, Shaun the Sheep Movie. While I was never expecting it to be bad because come on, this is Aardman we're taking about, I was not expecting it to be half the film it turned out to be. Shaun the Sheep Movie is an hilarious, heartfelt and thrilling animated comedy that will delight everyone in the audience no matter what the age.

When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with the Farmer, a caravan and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it's up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.

When going into a film like Shaun the Sheep Movie one has to weary of its source material. This is a big-screen adaption of what is basically a young kids programme on CBBC, so it was always in the back of my mind that it was going to play to a younger audience but really I found myself laughing more than any of the children in the audience. It's a natural talent that Aardman seem to have, they effortlessly give their films a universal audience and there is absolutely no one that this film isn't for.

The very daring move on Aardman's part with this adaption is that Shaun is in all intensive purposes, mute, so they've played the film out like a silent comedy and as a huge lover of the genre I can say with great reassurance that directors Mark Burton and Richard Starzack have absolutely nailed it. In order for any silent comedy to work it has to have great visual comedic timing and mercifully Shaun the Sheep Movie has that.

The absence of dialogue doesn't go a miss in fact you'll barely notice it. In fact I think it elevates the film into something else, something even more impressive. And as always with Aardman the animation is unmatched with its trademark use of stop-motion and plasticine, Shaun the Sheep Movie is extremely ambitious with some of its sets as a huge bulk of the film takes place in a city. The sets are just as impressive as they are meticulous and the attention to detail is just staggering.

The producers have clearly been given a bigger budget to play with making the film feel surprisingly cinematic. The facial expressions are so life-like and provide first-rate comedic timing and just as I was about to leave the theatre yet another set of gags awaited me with its superb end credits sequence.

I would be stunned to hear if someone didn't enjoy this, people will look down on Shaun the Sheep Movie but believe me, this is some of Aardman's best work to date. To quote Mark Kermode "As I was watching it I could feel my soul being scrubbed clean".