Shaun the Sheep is going to cause to me rethink my personal thoughts on animated movies. As I stated in my Minions review, I’m not personally fan of animation, however, when you are presented with a flick like Shaun the Sheep, one that is incredibly heartfelt, Ewe can’t help but love it.
Based on a British TV Show, Shaun the Sheep centers on a flock of sheep who head to the “Big City” to rescue their amnesia-stricken farmer. One of the more intriguing decisions was to not have any dialogue in the film. With simply animal sounds, goofy sound effects, and sight gags that were reminiscent of the Benny Hill Show, the audience was entranced by what was transpiring during the 82 minutes. It was a bold stroke by the Claymation studio Aardman ( the guys who brought us Wallace & Gromit) but it was without question a home-run.
Laughing as I watched a dog in surgical scrubs get distracted by the looks of a delicious femur bone on a skeleton, I began wracking my brain, trying to figure out what makes this animated picture different than all the others that I have seen; well, aside from the lack of dialogue. Plain and simple, this movie has a soul. When you see your typical animated movie, it’s basically a mishmash of computer-animated voices. The beauty in this movie is that since it’s claymation, each shot is purposeful, as each shot has to be created by the fine folks at Aardman. The disbelieving look on the sheep’s face when their farmer doesn’t recognize them generates poignant emotional weight to the film. At the heart of Shaun the Sheep is a story about losing your “family,” and it’s told in an admirable way.
So this weekend, when your children are wanting to see the latest Superhero movie, lean them towards Shaun the Sheep, a refreshing option.
