First thought: “Shaun the Sheep? What is this nonsense?” But then, it turns out, my judgement was too fast: the Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit credits that belong to Aardman Animations make a big difference; but while the work on display exemplifies what I expect from and like about this company, I’m so disgusted by the trailer’s voiceover — “Now, to get the family back together, they’ll need a little woolpower” — clearly issued as a disguise for the UK cast that the rest becomes a bit hard to process.
Good news: this, a feature-length version of Aardman’s popular TV series, earned rave reviews upon opening overseas earlier in the year, one of the most common sentiments being that it lived up to their standards. My expectations are thus fairly high, both for the quality of this production and as something of a lower-fi alternative to Pixar’s glossy animated offering. (Something I’m nevertheless looking forward to; consider that a preference for non-monopolization.) When seen along with a poster for their next production, the 2018-bound Early Man, the buzz on Shaun indicates that things are running smoothly for the English outfit. We should be grateful for that much.
Have a look below (via Apple and Empire):
Synopsis:
When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix-up with the Farmer, a caravan, and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City, and it’s up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.
Shaun the Sheep opens on August 7th.