Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget | Review
© Aardman & Netflix
It feels good to be back in the hands of Aardman. The visual and sensory identities of other popular animation studios in the west have shifted so much in the 23 years since the first Chicken Run was released. Aardman, perhaps by virtue of being one of the few British animation studios operating on a large scale, have always felt like Aardman, meaning for those of us who grew up with their films, a new release is a chance to return to a comforting, plasticine bubble.
Simultaneously, resurrecting chicken-shaped stop-motion puppets from two decades ago comes with the pressure of living up to that initial iconic outing. It has to feel familiar, the characters have to feel like the characters, the world has to be consistent, but it also has to feel fresh and give itself a “reason to exist.” Though that phrase is quite detestable, it’s difficult to not give into the fear of a franchise reappearing, grabbing your attention with nostalgia and leaving you unfulfilled 10 minutes after the credits roll. Dawn of the Nugget, though not lacking in charm, does suffer from legacyquel-itis.
Basking in the seemingly perpetual sunlight on their new island home, the once-cooped chickens, free from their fascist farm, can finally live their lives. In what director Sam Fell coined “Wakanda for chickens,” Ginger and Rocky return with a bun (chick) in the oven (egg). Their daughter Molly inherits her mother’s rebellious spirit and yearns to see what life is like beyond the borders of Chick-kanda (a term unfortunately not used in the movie). This lands her in a chicken nugget processing plant run by familiar foe Mrs. Tweedy.
© Aardman & Netflix
The opening 15 minutes of Dawn of the Nugget will worry those looking for a true evolution of this franchise. In the process of refamiliarising us with the characters, the film retreads some comedic ground which was thoroughly harvested in the first Chicken Run. While it may land for those who literally haven’t thought about these characters for the last 23 years, those who may have rewatched the first film in preparation will see it more as an attempt at emulation.
This attempt falls short because Dawn of the Nugget truly is interested in evolving the dynamics of the first film. The familial relationships between Ginger, Rocky and Molly feel fresh and charming, while the plot builds upon the connective tissue between the main and side characters. Breaking Molly out of the facility is tasked to a small portion of the flock, unlike the first film which was a larger group effort to escape. This more streamlined focus gives every character a defined space in the story, even if the script is less interested in giving them something interesting or funny to say.
When the film is in full heist mode, it is a glorious thing to watch. Characters either sleuth expertly or bumble clumsily around the facility, triggering or avoiding its ridiculous security measures. No chicken nuggets manufacturer needs laser-guided missiles but it definitely helps. The chickens (along with their rat accomplices Nick and Fetcher) bump into each other and are separated in a fluid, fun way which allows for various character combinations. The contraptions they’re tasked with avoiding become increasingly silly as the film goes on, in turn increasing the impact of the slapstick.
Dawn of the Nugget is wildly ambitious in its animation for that reason, they put these characters through a lot. In addition to blasting them with beams and landmines, each frame is more densely populated than the majority of what was in the first film. While the previous efforts had locations that felt manufactured around the characters, Dawn of the Nugget sells you on the scope and tactility of both the nugget factory and the outside world.
© Aardman & Netflix
The expanded scope in visuals feels oddly matched with a script so narrow. Characters feel like screenshots of what they were in the first film, regurgitating gags with a few words changed. It squares poorly with a film with so many new dynamics with these characters embedded within a new society. These are the kinds of things that would evolve who a character is; instead, Dawn of the Nugget looks to cash in on our memories of who these characters were. Being parents provides Rocky and Ginger with a few new traits and challenges, but the chickens around them feel static, popping into frame to loose a catchphrase before returning to being idle.
Aardman are still Aardman and a certain level of polish and warmth comes with that. Though their identity as a studio shines bright through the animation and the themes of the story, they were a little too faithful to the identity of Chicken Run as a franchise, resulting in a film that replicates more than it evolves.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget hits Netflix on December 15.
Manchester Animation Festival-goers can catch a screening of the film tonight at 8:40pm. They can also earn more about how the film came together at The Making of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget tomorrow at 2:15pm and see the ‘stars’ of the film in person at Meet the Puppets – Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget at 3:30pm.
Go back to where it all began in episode 11 of the Skwigly Film Club, in which the Skwigly team rewatch the original Chicken Run (stream below or direct download):