Based on the British stop-motion animation series “SHAUN THE SHEEP, which is housed in the same franchise as WALLACE AND GROMMIT, we follow Shaun into his next “sheepish” adventure under the direction and writing prowess of his creator, Richard Starzak, who joined forces with MADAGASKAR and CHICKEN RUN Writer and Director Mark Burton, allowing us to find that even something as simple as taking “A DAY OFF” can lead to dire circumstances~ welcome to ~SHAUN THE SHEEP!
Tired of his daily routine on the farm, Shaun (voiced by Justin Fletcher) decides that maybe he and his Farmer need to take “A DAY OFF”. With the help of his fellow comrades in crime…you know…the rest of his flock and a few other farm animals too…Shaun lures his Master, the sheep Farmer (John Sparkes), to take a long needed rest on the grounds of their farm.
When a major mishap between a trailer, an old log, and a long and winding road turns Shaun’s plans UPSIDE DOWN, it is up to Shaun and his fellow sheep to head to THE BIG CITY to bring back their master ~ turned exotic hair stylist ~ HOME. But, with the City’s Animal Control Officer hot on their tails, will Shaun and his comrades be able to bring their Farmer home, or will this “mad man” make sure that Shaun, and the rest of his flock, never make it back to the farm they now so desperately want to return to?
I give SHAUN THE SHEEP 3 out of 5 stars: All in all, I enjoyed the storyline, characters and music of this film much more than I was initially anticipating. This film also provides a refreshing escape for children to experience something outside of their realm of normal ~ where their senses are bombarded constantly for mass appeal ~ as SHAUN THE SHEEP offers a sweet story told through it’s mesmerizing soundtrack and other “sounds of our world”, without too much dialogue to cloud the waters. I also found the soundtrack of this film be so multi-faced and refreshing, that it helped me through a few scenes that began to bore me from time to time. I was personally hoping for a little more excitement from Shaun and his crew along the way, but, as animated films go, this film isn’t BAD, but it isn’t FABULOUS either, it is just a cute and adorable little film that can be enjoyed by your entire family as summer vacation comes to a close…
Kathy Kaiser
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 