"Shaun the Sheep Movie" Review

Title: Shaun the Sheep Movie

Directed by: Mark Burton and Richard Starzak

Screenplay by: Mark Burton and Richard Starzak

Year: 2015


Shaun the Sheep Movie is the latest animated stop-motion feature in Aardman Animations' library.  When I was younger, I would often watch the Shaun the Sheep shorts on television. I wouldn't call myself a die hard fan or anything, but I did like them very much. And now he has his own movie. Can Shaun the Sheep Movie capture what made the television show great? Let's find out.

A flock of sheep (including the titular Shaun) desperately want a day off from the same dull farm routine. They put the farmer to sleep, but he accidentally ends up in the big city. Now the flock of sheep and the dog, Blitzer, must get the farmer back to their farm. On a side note, this might be the simplest plot summary I've written yet.

Normally, I'd take the time to dedicate a paragraph to the cast of this movie. However...there is no dialogue in Shaun the Sheep Movie. Sure, the characters make different sounds, but there aren't any actual words spoken. And for a family film, that is commendable, it really is. The difficulty does not come in entertaining children with visuals, but rather moving the plot along while also making it obvious to the children what is happening. And how does this technique fare? The answer is incredibly well. This film effortlessly, and I emphasize the term "effortlessly", manages to explain its story clearly through its visuals. And this does not only apply to the story, but also the characters.

Since no one speaks in this movie, every character is defined by their actions and reactions. Shaun the Sheep Movie excels at visual storytelling. For instance, every sheep, though most look similar, have their own personalities and traits which make them unique. The best example of how good this movie is at character development without words is when the villain is introduced. Within the span of a few moments, we instantly know his motivations and traits. He works for Animal Containment and wants to be respected by the citizens of the city. And while I am on the subject, I must say that this is a great antagonist. He is hilarious, the perfect threat for the main characters, and very memorable.

I guess I should start talking about the characters a little bit. Shaun is, as you could imagine, a sheep. He is the leader of the flock, as well as the plotter. Really, he's the brains behind the group. The only other sheep I will mention is Timmy, the youngest of them. Timmy is mostly played for laughs (well actually, all the characters are) but he does provide for a very important moment in the third act of the movie, which I will get into later. Blitzer is the dog of the farm. He makes sure everything goes according to schedule and helps the farmer in any way he can. He and Shaun have an interesting relationship, as Blitzer symbolizes order while Shaun is chaos. They work well off each other and were the first animals the farmer owned (an important fact).

The farmer actually gets a very plot line all to himself. He loses his memory and takes up another career that he is really good at because of his experience with sheep. It is obvious that the animals are ore intelligent than the farmer, which makes for an entertaining character. I have already mentioned how great the villain is, but I have yet to bring attention to another new character. A rather ugly female dog is introduced here and she helps the group with their journey to find the farmer and despite her appearance, she is a rather cute character.

The animation is top-notch, with fluid and lively motion. The art of claymation never ceases to amaze me. The work behind the camera cannot be overstated. Not only must the characters be perfectly modeled, but they must also be animated in a way that does not show the stilted and segmented nature of the filming. Shaun the Sheep Movie is a prime example of stop-motion animation at its technical best. There are plenty of colors, which makes for a visually popping presentation, and the movement of the characters is swift and complete, without a hesitation.

Now to address the humor. Once again, since there is no dialogue, this flick must rely on visuals to get across pretty much everything. So naturally, this movie must default to slapstick for most of the jokes. The physical comedy in Shaun the Sheep Movie is some of the funniest and wittiest I have seen in quite some time. There is plenty of slapstick, a number of cultural references (Silence of the Lambs, cow over the moon, counting sheep, etc.), and a ton of gut busting laughter to be had. In other words, this film is downright hilarious, with jokes coming faster than you can count them.

For the first two acts of the film, I was sitting there thinking, "Alright, this is a fun family film. Simple but enjoyable." And then the third act came around. Never did I expect so much pathos to come out of a claymation film called Shaun the Sheep Movie. The opening credits spend time familiarizing the audience with how the farm was started and how close all the animals are to the farmer. I thought this was just something to put behind the names appearing on screen but it turns out that it feeds in heavily to the plot. The third act hits surprisingly hard with the emotion. We care about these farm animals, we care about their situation, and we empathize with them.

In the end, Shaun the Sheep is simply a charming movie. Everything about it has a certain charm to it that brings a smile to the face. It is wonderfully animated with excellent and smartly written comedy, a fantastic villain, well executed emotion, and another winner for Aardman Animations. Shaun the Sheep is loads of fun and great for viewers of all ages. Children will love it, adults will love it, go see it.

Grade: A-