SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

elicopperman After Wallace & Gromit caught on, a new character entered in their third short "A Close Shave" whom would later be called Shaun the Sheep. Shaun soon got himself a beloved TV show, so it was inevitable that he would soon get his own feature film one day. Well, that day happened in 2015 with the release of Shaun the Sheep Movie, which did pretty well at the box office and earned massive critical acclaim for its simplistic charm, lovable characters, cute animation, and sense of childhood wonderment. I agree, as this could probably make even the most cynical jerk feel like a happy child again.The story is simple enough, Shaun is tired of the same rules of living on his farmer's farm, so he and the sheep decide to have just one day off and have fun. But then, the farmer ends up getting lost in the city, so it's up to Shaun and his gang (along with Bitzer the dog) to save the farmer and go back home, while also avoiding the animal containment worker Trumper. That simple storyline is perfect for this film, as Shaun the Sheep was always a simple series, so why not have the most basic concept? That being said, the execution is what really stands out and it gives the movie some heart. Even though Shaun just wanted a day off, it would come with consequences, but he would never think it would mean nearly losing his loving master. Adding on to that, the humor of this movie is delightful. Of course it appeals to children, but even adults may get a kick out of it due to its appealing nature and the situations of the characters. Speaking of the characters, despite not being highly developed, the film still gives them enough personality to stand out and the very situations they end up in deliver the best gags. Even the antagonist has his moments of genuine humor and terror, just from his will to capture any animal alive. Not to mention, the movie even makes good use of modern day technology to help drive the story without making it too much of a gimmick.Stop motion has really been pushing the boundaries of cinema thanks to Laika, but Aardman have always been masters at crafting their own simplistic albeit charming puppets. The characters look like the traditional adorable designs you'd see in an Aardman film along with solid movements, and even many of the visual gags feel like throwbacks to silent comedies. Considering that the whole movie is told without dialogue, it's amazing how the crew were able to tell an entire story with just the emotions and the setting of a big city. Plus, along with a beautiful city, the meadows in the country side of England are simply gorgeous, and it shows just how hard the crew worked in bringing them to life. Oh, and phenomenal mesh of electronics.Finally, the main song Everyday Feels Like Summer With You is a brilliant theme to showcase just how endearing it is to be with the ones we love. Shaun and the gang may have wanted the day off, but without the farmer, the love just isn't there. Is it not a fantastic feeling to frolic with the ones we love most which in return brings us back to when we were once children? And that's why I think Shaun the Sheep Movie is a masterpiece of a children's film, simply for the fact that along with witty jokes, sweet characters, and adorable visuals, the movie makes us feel as if we are watching it with the mindset of an innocent happy child aided by those who loved us. So seek this movie out and regain your childhood; heck, if you have any kids, let them watch it so they can have a happy childhood like many of us once did.

studioAT After a scene stealing cameo in the Wallace and Gromit adventure 'A Close Shave' and his own successful TV series, it was no surprise that Aardman decided to spin little Shaun off into his own feature length film.And the results, by and large are worth the effort. Taking inspiration from famous silent movie comedians like Buster Keaton the film is a solid piece of silent family entertainment.Does the film feel a bit dragged out despite its short running time? Yes. Does the idea of the sheep disguising themselves as humans lose its appeal early on? Yes again. The ending also is a little too similar to Toy Story 3 for my liking too.However, these points aside this film is a fun family film that again shows what Aardman are good at.

MartinHafer "Shaun the Sheep the Movie" is a very enjoyable and completely inconsequential film that was also, interestingly enough, Oscar- nominated for Best Animated Feature. When I say inconsequential I am not insulting it but am talking more about the plot....as there really isn't a lot of it. Instead, it's more just an excuse for the animators to have fun and throw in 1001 cute little jokes. When the film begins, the animals on the farm are happy and nothing unusual appears to be in the future. However, when the sheep all conspire to work together to give themselves a day off, things go haywire and their farmer, amazingly, gets taken to the big city. The guy ends up getting a head injury and has amnesia* and the sheep and sheepdog hurry to the city to rescue him. Unfortunately, there's a totally insane animal control officer who insists of getting them...even once they've arrived safely back at the farm. So is the film any good? Yes. The Aardman folks did their usual terrific stop-motion work and the writers did a wonderful job keeping the jokes coming and the viewer interested. Kids and adults should like it. However, it's also something that is nice but not especially life-changing or amazing. Well done and cute.

brchthethird If only more animated films were as creative and entertaining as this! Believe it or not, despite being aware of them for a long time, this is the first Aardman feature I've ever seen. The plot for SHAUN THE SHEEP is a very simple one: Bored with the routine at the farm, Shaun and his friends trick the Farmer into having the day off (kind of), but he gets lost in the big city and Shaun & Co must go find and rescue their beloved owner. I suppose the first thing you should know is that this movie has no intelligible dialogue whatsoever, making it kind of a silent film. People who rely heavily on speaking and exposition to guide them through a story may find this irksome, but I thought it worked rather well. The pacing is really good and there's always a gag of some sort to make you laugh. Of course, Aardman aren't above toilet humor, and those handful of gags were probably the reason for the PG rating. Aside from being a funny film that will appeal to children and adults, though, it works in some subtle commentary on our technology and social media-obsessed society. After the Farmer gets a knock on the head and temporarily loses his memory in the Big City, he inadvertently becomes an internet sensation by giving people haircuts in the style he used on his sheep. There's also plenty of other visual cues, as nearly everyone in the city is on a mobile device of some kind. While not really delivering a message, per se, it would be hard not to come away from this with the feeling that maybe we've lost ourselves in the hustle and bustle of modern life and need to occasionally unplug and enjoy the simpler pleasures of friends and family. So, the film is definitely on solid thematic ground. The only place where it falters a little bit is resorting to the usual action climax. It leads there naturally, but the plot had begun to lose a little bit of steam by that point. Fortunately, it never wore out its welcome, and concluded in heartwarming fashion. I should also mention that I loved the music, which included both original tunes (I think) and previously existing songs. There's even a couple of a movie references/homages for the film buffs in the audience. Overall, while not completely perfect, it's about as perfect as can be and is a refreshing reminder that there's still room in today's crowded, CGI animation-dominated landscape for lovingly crafted Claymation like this.