*Quick Correction: A previous version of this review referred to 2006's Flushed Away as a stop-motion film. I learned today while reading a post at SlashFilm that it was, in fact, CGI animated. So my bad on that one- it has since been corrected. Anyways, back to the review.
It's quite interesting to contrast my animation taste as a kid with my taste in the genre now. Growing up, the bulk of the films that I consumed were either hand-drawn Disney cartoons, Pixar's elaborate CGI creations, or Dreamworks' equally polished, slightly more off-color computer designs. Whenever I tried to watch stop-motion animation from Aardman or Laika, I responded with a big shrug. Now, I often find myself more compelled by these peculiar companies- I still adore the big-budget spectacles from Disney and Pixar, but I think the style of stop-motion lends itself well to a quirkier, more eclectic approach. From the distinct, Wes Anderson-directed mayhem of Fantastic Mr. Fox (and the upcoming Isle of Dogs!) to the lyrical, soulful majesty of Kubo and the Two Strings, this particular medium has produced some great results over the years.
Aardman has been leading the way in stop-motion since 2000's Chicken Run, which brought their British sensibilities to the mainstream in an Oscar-winning way. In the years since that surprise hit, Aardman has banked on their most recognizable characters, most notably in feature-length films for Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. They've dabbled in CGI animation (Arthur Christmas), but animated tales like The Pirates! Band of Misfits have kept them firmly in the stop-motion/claymation realm. It's been three years since their last effort and 13 long years since director Nick Park's The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, but Aardman and Park are finally back with Early Man. Critical praise for this prehistoric fable has been muted to say the least (though still overwhelmingly positive), but I was delighted to find such a goofy, consistently pleasant animated comedy. Early Man is often weird and quirky, equipped with a deadpan, totally British sense of humor that shines through in its best moments. And even though it's a slight, somewhat forgettable experience, Aardman's latest is short and sweet, an amusing kids flick with its heart in the right place. It's simple, yet still completely charming- an easy win-win.
Early Man is also a movie about soccer, something you may not have caught from the film's marketing materials. This pretty much makes it a traditional underdog sports story, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Set in the final days of the Stone Age, Early Man follows Dug (voiced by Eddie Redmayne), a lively young caveman who lives in a valley with the other members of a rabbit-hunting tribe. Dug aspires to hunt mammoths and bigger creatures, but the Chief (Timothy Spall) keeps his dreams for the tribe at bay. But for these cavemen and cavewomen, life will change with the arrival of Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston), an aristocrat who comes from the Bronze Age. He claims the valley as his own, forcing Dug's tribe into the world of the unknown. But Dug isn't willing to go down without a fight. After coming to the realization that his Stone Age tribe helped to create the game of soccer, he challenges Nooth's Real Bronzio to a match for the valley. With inexperienced players and major stakes, Dug has his work cut out for him. But with a little help from Goona (Maisie Williams), Dug might just be able to save the day.
Early Man is an incredibly simple and straight-forward film, which is both its greatest strength and most glaring weakness. Aardman's latest has no complicated plot mechanisms, nor does it shoehorn in any convoluted twists. It's an animated throwback that tells a crowd-pleasing story effectively, and there's not a moment of filler or fat. By following the archetypal format of the underdog movie, Nick Park is able to land his jokes with stunning ease, while simultaneously playing with the narrative conventions of the genre. Early Man is lean and effective, coming in at a brisk 89 minutes- and it's even shorter than that thanks to lengthy end credits. For every minute of its runtime, the film is cheery and enjoyable, rarely feeling mean-spirited or cynical. It's often absurd and biting, yet it rarely devolves into anything that feels too juvenile.
But with such functional execution comes obvious downsides, negatives that become more and more apparent upon further reflection. Early Man is so consistently entertaining that its flaws never stick out, which is a talent in and of itself. Unfortunately, Aardman's latest fades from the mind pretty quickly, as its tale of unexpected sporting heroics offers only a modest twist on the genre. It doesn't help that so many of the characters are sadly one-dimensional, rarely demonstrating anything resembling nuance or complexity. Dug is a fairly prototypical hero- determined, good-natured, but never all that interesting. Park and screenwriters Mark Burton and James Higginson turn Lord Nooth into a simple mustache-twirling baddie, while they half-heartedly attempt to tackle feminist politics with Goona. But they disappointingly fail to explore that further, which emerges as a common trend in the film. Other critics have found various metaphors within Early Man's subtext, but I just don't think the film ever commits to one idea long enough to form something that consistent.
Disappointing missed opportunities aside, Early Man gets the job done in workmanlike, supremely engaging fashion. It's a colorful, kaleidoscopic portrayal of a time that never existed, filled with giant ducks, anthropomorphic pigs, and dopey cavemen. I wish there was a little more substance to its style and idiosyncratic humor, but I have a feeling that most animation fans will be content with this compact and enjoyable ride. While it never manages to make enough of an impression to be memorable, Early Man delivers enough jovial fun to work as good counter-programming to this February's array of mammoth blockbusters.
THE FINAL GRADE: B (7.3/10)
Images courtesy of Lionsgate
It's quite interesting to contrast my animation taste as a kid with my taste in the genre now. Growing up, the bulk of the films that I consumed were either hand-drawn Disney cartoons, Pixar's elaborate CGI creations, or Dreamworks' equally polished, slightly more off-color computer designs. Whenever I tried to watch stop-motion animation from Aardman or Laika, I responded with a big shrug. Now, I often find myself more compelled by these peculiar companies- I still adore the big-budget spectacles from Disney and Pixar, but I think the style of stop-motion lends itself well to a quirkier, more eclectic approach. From the distinct, Wes Anderson-directed mayhem of Fantastic Mr. Fox (and the upcoming Isle of Dogs!) to the lyrical, soulful majesty of Kubo and the Two Strings, this particular medium has produced some great results over the years.
Aardman has been leading the way in stop-motion since 2000's Chicken Run, which brought their British sensibilities to the mainstream in an Oscar-winning way. In the years since that surprise hit, Aardman has banked on their most recognizable characters, most notably in feature-length films for Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. They've dabbled in CGI animation (Arthur Christmas), but animated tales like The Pirates! Band of Misfits have kept them firmly in the stop-motion/claymation realm. It's been three years since their last effort and 13 long years since director Nick Park's The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, but Aardman and Park are finally back with Early Man. Critical praise for this prehistoric fable has been muted to say the least (though still overwhelmingly positive), but I was delighted to find such a goofy, consistently pleasant animated comedy. Early Man is often weird and quirky, equipped with a deadpan, totally British sense of humor that shines through in its best moments. And even though it's a slight, somewhat forgettable experience, Aardman's latest is short and sweet, an amusing kids flick with its heart in the right place. It's simple, yet still completely charming- an easy win-win.
Early Man is also a movie about soccer, something you may not have caught from the film's marketing materials. This pretty much makes it a traditional underdog sports story, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Set in the final days of the Stone Age, Early Man follows Dug (voiced by Eddie Redmayne), a lively young caveman who lives in a valley with the other members of a rabbit-hunting tribe. Dug aspires to hunt mammoths and bigger creatures, but the Chief (Timothy Spall) keeps his dreams for the tribe at bay. But for these cavemen and cavewomen, life will change with the arrival of Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston), an aristocrat who comes from the Bronze Age. He claims the valley as his own, forcing Dug's tribe into the world of the unknown. But Dug isn't willing to go down without a fight. After coming to the realization that his Stone Age tribe helped to create the game of soccer, he challenges Nooth's Real Bronzio to a match for the valley. With inexperienced players and major stakes, Dug has his work cut out for him. But with a little help from Goona (Maisie Williams), Dug might just be able to save the day.
Early Man is an incredibly simple and straight-forward film, which is both its greatest strength and most glaring weakness. Aardman's latest has no complicated plot mechanisms, nor does it shoehorn in any convoluted twists. It's an animated throwback that tells a crowd-pleasing story effectively, and there's not a moment of filler or fat. By following the archetypal format of the underdog movie, Nick Park is able to land his jokes with stunning ease, while simultaneously playing with the narrative conventions of the genre. Early Man is lean and effective, coming in at a brisk 89 minutes- and it's even shorter than that thanks to lengthy end credits. For every minute of its runtime, the film is cheery and enjoyable, rarely feeling mean-spirited or cynical. It's often absurd and biting, yet it rarely devolves into anything that feels too juvenile.
But with such functional execution comes obvious downsides, negatives that become more and more apparent upon further reflection. Early Man is so consistently entertaining that its flaws never stick out, which is a talent in and of itself. Unfortunately, Aardman's latest fades from the mind pretty quickly, as its tale of unexpected sporting heroics offers only a modest twist on the genre. It doesn't help that so many of the characters are sadly one-dimensional, rarely demonstrating anything resembling nuance or complexity. Dug is a fairly prototypical hero- determined, good-natured, but never all that interesting. Park and screenwriters Mark Burton and James Higginson turn Lord Nooth into a simple mustache-twirling baddie, while they half-heartedly attempt to tackle feminist politics with Goona. But they disappointingly fail to explore that further, which emerges as a common trend in the film. Other critics have found various metaphors within Early Man's subtext, but I just don't think the film ever commits to one idea long enough to form something that consistent.
Disappointing missed opportunities aside, Early Man gets the job done in workmanlike, supremely engaging fashion. It's a colorful, kaleidoscopic portrayal of a time that never existed, filled with giant ducks, anthropomorphic pigs, and dopey cavemen. I wish there was a little more substance to its style and idiosyncratic humor, but I have a feeling that most animation fans will be content with this compact and enjoyable ride. While it never manages to make enough of an impression to be memorable, Early Man delivers enough jovial fun to work as good counter-programming to this February's array of mammoth blockbusters.
THE FINAL GRADE: B (7.3/10)
Images courtesy of Lionsgate
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