If you go to see “Chicken Run” this weekend, don’t expect to laugh toohard. But do expect to leave the theater a vegetarian.
Co-directors Peter Lord and Nick Park, creators of the claymation filmsstarring the lovable characters Wallace and Gromit, have produced anothercast of clay characters in “Chicken Run.” But unlike the clever, goofyantics of Wallace and Gromit, which earned Aardman Studios an Oscar, thechickens are boring and predictable. You can’t ask much from a species thateats grain 52 weeks a year, except to avoid appearing on a movie screen fortwo hours.
Set on an English farm in the 1950s, “Chicken Run” is the story of a coopof chickens who try to avoid becoming Buffalo wings. When Rocky the Rooster(voice of Mel Gibson) flies into the coop, Ginger the Chicken, leader of200 disgruntled hens and a lone rooster, decides Rocky is the flock’sticket to paradise. Rocky will teach them to fly, and the chickens willkeep their white and dark meat together.
But Rocky is forced to speed up his training sessions when the farm ownerbuys an enormous machine that manufactures chickens into pot pies.
The viewer’s first reaction to the movie is, “How cute! The chickens aredancing!” or “How cute! The rooster has a sling on its arm!” But thecuteness wears off quickly, leaving the audience with a lame love storybetween Rocky and Ginger, a predictable outcome and some dopey one-liners(a skeptical hen exclaims, “Oh, that’s chicken feed!”).
There are definitely a few entertaining parts of “Chicken Run.” Some of theclaymation is interesting, including the incredible detail on the pot piemachine and a rain scene. Viewers even get to see a chicken kiss, althoughone wonders how the chickens manage to negotiate the lip issue.
An interesting role reversal exists throughout the movie. While thechickens are personified, all the humans are either evil or stupid. Thechickens possess perspective; the humans just go through the motions oftheir daily work, salivating for money.
As a result, the viewer tends to side with the chickens, which may have aneffect on his or her diet. Eating chicken after seeing this movie might besomewhat painful.
Digestion might be impeded by spasms of guilt. The pot pie machine, forexample, shows graphic detail of the pie-making process.
If you’re a Mel Gibson fan, “The Patriot” might be your best bet thisweekend. If you’re looking for a comedy, Jim Carrey’s “Me, Myself andIrene” would probably be a better choice.
But if you’re willing to shell out $8 to see a claymation version of “TheGreat Escape” with chickens substituted for people, look no further.
If you’d like to continue enjoying pot pies, don’t look during the machinescenes.
