Shaun the Sheep Movie **** (2015) – Movie Review

Try and hard as you like, it’s impossible to resist this incredibly sweet, charming, inventive and amusing stop-motion animated caper from Nick Park and the guys at Aardman Animations, of Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run fame.

In the story spun off from the TV series, Shaun the Sheep and his pals decide to take the day off from Mossy Bottom Farm, and have some fun, causing the Farmer to a very steep hill in his caravan, bang his head, lose his memory and end up in the Big City cutting hair at a barber’s, just like he used to shear sheep.

Now the Sheep have to get to the Big City on a quest to return everyone safely to the green grass of home, evading the evil clutches of sheep catcher. Cue funny slapstick at the hair salon, a fancy restaurant called Le Choux Brulée and a creepy animal pound.

The really clever thing is, there is no dialogue at all, just grunts and noises and of course a score and snatches of music. So it is more or less a silent movie, and yet it is still hugely entertaining, and confidently telling its fun little story without words.

Although, weirdly, however, various vocal artists are credited for the voices – nice work if you can get it. Justin Fletcher is the voice of Shaun and John Sparkes provides the voices of the Farmer and Bitzer.

I would put it in The Lego Movie category as surprise animation hit of the year. Mark Burton and Richard Starzack wrote the screenplay and directed, so they are the heroes here. You will want to flock to this one: it’s shear pleasure, etc etc.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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