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[Note:
Ten people kept asking me when I was ever going to get out of
the house and see a real movie at the theater. They finally annoyed
me enough that I went just to make them quit bugging me. Along with
my significant-other and my daughter, Smidge, we caught the
"Chicken Run" at the matinee. There were three other
people watching the movie with us. Just to let you know… I can’t
stand sticky stuff. It’s a phobia I’ve had since I was little,
and the theater floor just gives me the willies. So, we watch most
of our movies at home.]
 "Chicken
Run"
Starring (voices, of course): Mel
Gibson (Rocky),
Julia Sawalha (Ginger), Miranda Richardson (Mrs. Tweedy),
Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, Benjamin Whitrow, Lynn Ferguson,
Tony Haygarth (Mr. Tweedy), Timothy Spall, Phil Daniels
1 hour, 35 minutes
Rated G
Aardman Productions
Released June 23, 2000
 [JULY
14, 2000] Trapped
in a prison camp where they are deprived of dignity, freedom, and
put to death if they don’t lay their quota of eggs, Ginger and the
other Chickens hatch plot after plot to escape from the clutches of
Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy, their captors. While they find ways to get one
or two chickens out, their goal is for their whole chicken community
to escape en masse. Time after time they fail in their quest, and
Ginger is sent to solitary confinement, until one day when a strange
"flying" chicken named Rocky arrives in the camp,
promising to teach all the old hens how to "fly" the coop.
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Egg
farming seems to be perfectly satisfying to a dullard like Mr.
Tweedy, but evil, plotting Mrs. Tweedy wants more out of life. The
need to escape escalates as Mrs. Tweedy becomes even more greedy,
and plots to put the entire chicken population to death in a
get-rich chicken scheme.
These
chickens are nothing but innovative and devoted to their cause and
each other. In this film the good prevail and the evil are
ultimately punished.
"Chicken
Run" is a fun, claymation animated short film by the same
people who crafted the popular "Wallace and Gromit"
films. It seems to be written for two levels: it has great appeal
for both adults and children. The animation is fantastic and
fascinating. The clay characters have a life of their own, and
although some of them are meant to be annoying, they endear
themselves to you.
(To
top of second column)
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The
level of detail in Aardman productions will bring you back time after
time. I have watched the "Wallace and Gromit" films several
times now and am utterly amazed at the lifelikeness of all the
characters. But "Chicken Run" has far surpassed the level of
perfection achieved in "Wallace and Gromit."
I
recommend this movie highly. Notice that there are no warnings for
this film. I reward those who have written and produced this movie
with 4 stars out of 5.
[midge]
E-mail
your comments to me at midge@lincolndailynews.com.
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