Review – “Farmageddon: A Shaun the Sheep Movie”
After 150 episodes and an award winning feature length debut in 2015, Aardman continue to show off their comedic charm and iconic plasticine/puppet animation quality that fans around the world know with Farmageddon: A Shaun the Sheep (Dir. Will Becher and Richard Phelan). The hilarious and often beautifully animated film ticks all the right boxes for the whole family to enjoy while also being able to bring out some unexpected emotional depth that fans of the character and his series may not expect.
The story treads on familiar, ET territory as Shaun encounters Lu-La, an adorable dog-like alien, who become quick friends with their eyes set on fun and mischief. But as the new-found duo enjoy their antics around the farm, Shaun must try to help Lu-La return home while being chased by a group of alien hunters in the speechless, slapstick style that audiences can expect with a sprinkle of references to past sci-fi films for the adults to look out for.
With Mark Burton returning from the Shaun the Sheep Movie as screenwriter, he places Shaun in an interesting position of responsibility as his new alien friend becomes too excited and engaged with its surroundings, especially during one hysterical scene in a supermarket. Burton manages to once again delve into some surprising emotional depths throughout the story as we learn more about Lu-La and how this develops Shaun beyond the comedy star he is famed for.
But as their journey offers plenty of humour and some pulling of heartstrings, the other cast of characters don’t have as much screen time or presence as they did in the first film back in 2015. Their sub-plots, which sees The Farmer’s attempts to make money from the town’s sudden interest in alien activities whilst dragging other farmyard animals into his scheme don’t offer as many laughs as you would hope and makes the film feel slightly padded out on an already short running time.
(Aardman/Studio Canal)
The use of puppet animation from Aardman never disappoints – from their instantly recognisable character designs to their ambitious set pieces – and this film proves a great addition to the studio’s catalogue and stands out from this year’s already impressive releases. Farmageddon proves once again that Aardman aren’t like other animated studios and can thrive on their stop-motion animation and it never drops in quality as well as adding small visual details that will make you want to look closer to an already visually-pleasing film.
The inclusion of Lu-La blended in some clever uses of computer animation to create the character’s unique abilities and the inclusion of exciting scenes that are out of this world, the film still feels very traditional from what you would expect from the iconic British studio. It’s just a shame that the film focuses too much on Earth and doesn’t explore enough with space. They could potentially introduce audiences to new and exciting opportunities as the studio hasn’t explored the stars since Wallace and Gromit’s debut in A Grand Day Out.
Lu-La (Aardman/Studio Canal)
Overall Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon is as enjoyable and entertaining as you would expect from Aardman’s talented team for audiences of all ages. While the secondary story plot may not necessarily add a lot to the film and tries to do something different on the ET formula, it’s still impressive to see that there’s still plenty to explore with Shaun and his farmyard gang to bring it to the surface without a bumpy landing.
Farmageddon: A Shaun the Sheep Movie is out in UK cinemas today