Shaun das Schaf: Der Film

For a while, I've held a belief that Aardman can do no wrong, and thankfully this latest example has kept up that belief and then some. It's actually rather difficult to write a review of this movie, because there's not a whole lot one can actually comment on. For instance, I can't say anything about voice acting, or script, because there is literally no dialogue. I mean, there are voice actors (for example Omid Djalili as Tramper the villain) but all they do is mumble (and in the case of the sheep actors, bleat) and stuff. I suppose this, then, serves as a testament to the sheer quality of Aardman's animation. In addition to it being fantastic that claymation can still find its way onto the screen today, it's also brilliant that such a film has found such capable animators; the animation is beautiful, and though you may think they may not be able to convey so much emotion with just facial expressions and mumbles, lo and behold, they do; from glee, to terror, to sadness, to panic, and many more, the characters they've created are absolutely brimming with emotion, and immensely watchable at the same time, and that just makes this movie all the more effective. Lack of a proper script also doesn't seem to trouble Aardman either; this movie is really goddamn funny. The physical comedy sequences, the highlight of which has to be the gleefully chaotic scene in a restaurant, are done to a tee, quite possibly the best Aardman has done them since Flushed Away, while Aardman's trademark sight gags, though not quite as strong as they were in previous offering The Pirates! (the Brian Blessed gag comes to mind), are ever-present and really quite amusing, however obvious or subtle they may be (for instance, "The Big City - twinned with Le Grande Ville, La Ciudad Grande"). My main gripe was that towards the end, which I won't spoil, things do get a bit too cheesy for my tastes, but the rest of the movie, and indeed most of the climactic sequences, more than make up for that. Shaun The Sheep: The Movie only serves to reinforce why I am such a huge fan of the Bristol lads to begin with, and while it is nowhere near as good as their first two features, it is definitely a worthy addition to their fine repertoire of work. If you're looking for some great entertainment on an afternoon, you could do a lot worse than this.

I know the title of this review sounds cliché and somewhat pandering, but this film truly is a delight for all well mannered (perhaps even ill tempered) audiences of all ages.

As other reviews have stated, the main character, Shaun the Sheep, is from the Wallace and Gromit short "A Close Shave", where in Shaun helps the duo overcome a mechanical threat of canine sorts.

This film propels Shaun (a star in his own series) into the biggest adventure he's ever had since "A Close Shave" way back in the mid 90s. Shaun leads his flock through a series of very funny misadventures to rescue a member of their farm-family, so to speak.

Everything here is pantomime, and hearkens back to the days of old before sound was added to film. This is, in spirit, a silent film in the sense that there's no dialogue, and all the communication is primarily done with showing the audience the story as opposed to telling it to us through dialogue. The gags are the usual clever Aardman offerings, but there's also some very witty use of classic silent era gags, yet with a very British flavor of understatement, which makes the comedy in this film all that much funnier.

Truly I hadn't laughed out loud at a comedy film in who knows how long, and it was something that was much welcome in our day and age of low brow humor. Regrettably there are a couple of flatulence gags (I'm guessing primarily for the kiddies) that didn't need to be. But most of the other humor is keen, dextrous in execution and inventive in concept, and very British in overall gist.

Finally, as with most of Aardman productions, there's a knack for demonstrating the villain who has more tech wizardry as an expression of brawn to make up for brain, or lack thereof. It is a running theme in some of Aardman Production's films, notably the Wallace and Gromit series, and should serve as a nice little, almost subliminal, message to young minds as they mature into full adults.

Again, very delightful and very fun.

Give it a shot. You won't be disappointed.

I am a grown male and got the timings wrong to see The Interview and could not be bothered to wait for the next screening so I selected the next film starting.

I have never seen the series, so cant judge if this is a good or bad adaptation all I can say this is a truly funny film though aimed at children is funny enough to keep me entertained.

The animation is uniformly excellent and honestly kept me guessing from the start to the end whether it was CGI or stop motion, I am still not sure even after reading all the credits. Maybe I didn't read them properly because the theme tune is very catchy and bounces round the head even now.

The story is easy to follow, the characters are likable and there is no trite wince inducing dialogue, everything is mumbled by the humans and the sheep communicate in a variations of bahs. There are some cracking running gags and a smattering of fart jokes. The sheep in disguise have to be seen to believed and the viewer would be surprised what goes on with a horse.

The closing credits though long are a fun roll with a funny bit at the end.

Watch it. I bet The Interview wont be as much fun.

The very notion of Shaun The Sheep Movie sounds faintly ridiculous, as if the universe were playing a joke on movie-going audiences around the world. A hyper-intelligent sheep embarking on an epic adventure to save the farmer who shears off his wool every year? What utter claptrap. The film has next to no lines of intelligible dialogue and is based on a long-running TV show for kids? How ludicrous. Is anyone above the age of three actually expected to want to watch this film? And yet, there's plenty to recommend this charming, full-hearted gem from Aardman Animation - a studio so passionate and dedicated to its craft and characters that it literally animates entire worlds in exhaustingly tiny increments.

Everyone in Mossy Bottom Farm, including our titular hero (given 'voice' by Justin Fletcher), has settled into a dreary routine. One day, Shaun decides to shake things up a little. So he distracts sheepdog Bitzer and traps the Farmer (both voiced by John Sparkes) in a caravan, all in aid of allowing his entire flock to take a day off from their boring lives. But Shaun didn't account for a steep hill, a runaway caravan and a bout of amnesia. Soon, he and his buddies - with the help of Bitzer and stray pooch Slip (Tim Hands) - must hunt for the Farmer in the Big City, even as they try to keep out of the clutches of Trumper (Omid Djalili), a fearsome agent tasked with Animal Control.

It's easy to gripe about Shaun The Sheep's simple plot: this is hardly a complex film. Indeed, it lingers obstinately in the realm of entertainment for kids, even packing in the requisite learning points about friendship and not taking things for granted. The film can sometimes feel simplistic too, given its persistent lack of dialogue and its cheerfully frequent descent into slapstick comedy. There's very little of the cheeky satire here that makes Aardman's Wallace & Gromit franchise such a blast.

But Shaun The Sheep Movie is delightful in so many ways that it's just easier for everyone above a certain age to give in to their inner child. The characters may be fashioned out of clay and wood and painstakingly animated at an extremely slow speed, but the film itself positively crackles with energy. The narrative pokes fun at the concepts of fashion, incarceration and going viral, even as it bounces merrily through a host of hilarious gags. The soporific effect of sheep leaping over fences is mined for plenty of laughs, while the camera checks in with a particularly crazed inmate of Animal Control and an utterly charming Baa-bershop Quintet.

Quite a bit of thought has evidently been devoted to the development of the film's main characters - certainly more than you'd get in some Hollywood blockbusters. Shaun is a sweetly determined hero, refusing to leave any sheep - or human, or dog - behind, even as he cleans up a mess that is (strictly speaking) of his own making. The Farmer, too, gets a storyline that spices the comedy up with a hint of drama, as he stumbles into a new career through his forgotten but deeply-ingrained skill with shearing sheep. The lack of dialogue in the film also proves to be, quite frequently, a plus. Not only does it push the story in inventive directions, it allows the incredibly expressive characters to take centre stage - their hopes, dreams and fears communicated with barely a word spoken.

This all makes for a thoroughly charming experience at the cinema - Shaun The Sheep Movie isn't likely to make you dig deep or ponder long and hard about life, but it will almost certainly entertain you in breathtaking (and breathless!) fashion. In almost every aspect - from the deft character design to its incredibly catchy soundtrack, the film radiates a sweet, optimistic charm that will win over just about everybody who gives it a chance.

For 'Shaun the Sheep' Aardman Animations gracefully goes back to its roots. If you are not familiar with the character of Shaun, then perhaps I should elaborate. He was first seen in the third Wallace & Gromit short 'A Close Shave'. The world he inhabits has no characters that speak an audible line of dialogue. It is all silent, save for the odd sound effect and the musical score. This is Aardman's sixth feature length film or third if you just count stop-motion.

The plot is of course very basic. But that suits the film just fine, it is not trying to be the next 'Inception' and it doesn't need to be. With silent films the simpler the better. Shaun decides that he wants some well deserved time off from his work on the farm. The group or flock want a day off, but they instead end up in rather a mess. Which eventually leads them to the Big City aka London. Meanwhile, through a misunderstanding their farmer is hospitalized with no recollection of whom he is and Shaun. It is up to Shaun and the gang to set the farmer free and return home, before further trouble is had.

Queue great scenes that are funny, referential and light hearted. The first factor being the most unexpected, considering that there is no dialogue at all. Meaning that Shaun relies heavily upon visual humour, which works a treat. It never forays into dark territory and thankfully keeps the tone consistently light hearted with good intentions. It would be impossible to list all the references one could find when viewing it, but let me bring up a few. They are, The Shawshank Redemption, The Silence of the Lambs and The Wolverine. So even the adults will get a chuckle out of it. This film really is for all ages.

The stop motion animation is fabulous and showcases how far Aardman have come along since 1989's A Grand Day Out. It is even well paced and runs little over seventy-five brief minutes. Meaning it never gets tiresome. But the length proves to still be part of the problem. The film is far too short and I wanted I needed so much more. I would not have minded watching this film even if its running time was in fact doubled. I know this is not a big issue, considering the film is silent and still has warmth, heart and a soul. But, some character development would not have gone amiss.

If you are curious as to where 'Shaun' places amongst the other feature length stop motion pictures, then it follows thus; it is greater than 'Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were- Rabbit', but lacks the shear enthusiasm of 'Chicken Run'. But, could the woolly fella ever compete with such grand competition? Probably not, but there is less than a feather between the overall quality of the two.

'Shaun the Sheep' to the cynical will no doubt appear to be a cash grab from Aardman. (As the gang already have a television show to its name). This could not be further from the truth. Shaun is warm, heartfelt, moving, exciting and soulful. No matter what age you are, you will be in for a delight provided by this excellent film from Aardman, further proving that they can do no wrong. I urge anyone to come forward and say they were bored; the mere thought of which is inconceivable!