CHICKEN RUN review
Published at: June 14, 2000, 6:08 a.m. CST by staff
I know that there are a lot of you that have taken a
look at the trailers, the images and the reviews you
have seen for CHICKEN RUN, and you have still
walked away with... “It just doesn’t interest me!”
My energy and fervor for this film has been based
upon the history of AARDMAN Animation and the
first 15 minutes of film footage that Moriarty and I
sneaked a peek at months ago.
I have had faith because... well, I’m simply that type
of fool. I’m that person that wants something to be
glorious and beautiful. I wanted Aardman to make
the transition from shorts to features. Just as I wanted
Pixar to years ago. Just like I hope Will Vinton and
his crew will succeed as well.
Animation is a favorite art form of mine. This week I
bought the DVD collection of VAN BUREN cartoons
as well as the two U.B. IWERKS collections. I keep
hoping and praying that someone somewhere will do
a complete works of GEORGE PAL collection....
with everything he did.
I bought Harryhausen’s DVD of GOLDEN
VOYAGE OF SINBAD the second it came out. I
love animation.
So it’s rather upsetting at first, when I went to the
theater tonight to hear the thoughts of most of the
audience members as they filed into the theater and
took their seats. The other critics that... sincerely
believed that they were in for a mediocre film. I
couldn’t believe that this was the belief.
I mean... hell, three weeks ago at TOYS R US, I
bought the entire line of CHICKEN RUN toys and
they are posed next to Jack Skellington and behind
Iron Fist and in front of Godzilla and beneath the
Beatles.
The last time I bought an entire line of toys before a
film came out was THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE
CHRISTMAS. And that was because... again... I
knew. I knew that this was going to be ‘ONE OF
THOSE MOVIES’.
Folks were thinking that this was going to be a cheap
subpar knock-off of THE GREAT ESCAPE with
Chickens and no Steve McQueen in sight.
After watching this crowd’s tone COMPLETELY
CHANGED after the first 3 minutes of the film... I
can say with absolute certainty that this film.... will
completely enthrall you.... IF YOU SEE IT!
You see.... This is that movie that was made with the
idea of being a film that Grandparents took their
Grandkids to.... BUT was meant to be the dirty little
secret joy to everyone between those ages.
This movie did not make me cry with joy. It left me
completely stunned and happy. I could not believe
how cinematically glorious this film was.
There is a perfection of artistry to this film that is
scary.
Story wise.... structurally, it’s perfect.
Performance wise... it’s dead on.
Score.... again, perfect.
I sat there and watched an audience begin cheering,
and watching some geeks in the audience actually do
that.... punch the air while yelling, “OH YEAH!” The
children were laughing, the two old ladies with
walkers sitting below and to my right creaked out of
the theater with smiles upon their aged faces.
Now is there a chance that you might not like this
movie? Yeah, I suppose. I presume if you go into
the film wanting to find similarities to other films....
and then label this film as being redundant and
unoriginal.
BUT... I could take apart both STAR WARS and
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK for the exact same
things.
This is a film that is very much what the medium is
about.
There are characters that you care about. The danger
and the threat are very very real. You understand and
can see why characters make the choices they make.
And at the end of the story you are left realizing that
you have just seen a spectacularly entertaining,
cinematically brilliant live-action in minature work of
joy.
Now... if you want to know more about the film and
why I think it’s brilliant, continue reading. If you are
convinced, and don’t want to read any spoilers and
don’t want any of the bits ruined for ya. Then leave
now and forever hold your peace. Cause this is where
I get beneath the feathers and discuss the real meat
and bones of the film.
Like I said, within the first 3 minutes of the film the
audience is won.
The film begins with a series of escapes. Ideas and
actions moving forward under the command and
enacted by chief chicken Ginger. You see the thought
of her plans... the brilliance of their cunning... and
you see them fail. One after another. Sent into
solitary confinement to ponder her mistakes. She
never gives up, stays determined.
The audience giggles. ha... this is funny STALAG
17/GREAT ESCAPE/HOGAN’S HEROES stuff.
The audience is comfortable. Secure. This is light
fare.
Then the titles end. And the movie begins.
There’s a role call signaled and everyone must line
up. You see, this is a strictly disciplinary chicken
operation. The records show that a chicken has failed
to lay an egg for (I believe) 5 days. This chicken is
picked up by the neck. Taken to a shed. And is
KILLED.
It is absolutely necessary. Because at this point... the
audience realized that all those escapes and funny
escapades. They were not sooo funny afterall. They
were a very real matter of life and death.
At the end of every chicken’s life was a blade of an
axe. Produce or die. We see the remains of this
chicken upon a plate... and a very full Mr and Mrs
Tweedy.
This is to show that to the humans... Chickens are
JUST chickens. Nothing more. They lay eggs and
die to feed humans. That is the purpose of the
chickens.
The life and death weight of the story justifies the
passion and frustrations that Ginger has. This isn’t
some cheap story... this is a matter of life and death.
The ability to die of natural causes and NOT be eaten
by man or woman.
Now... don’t get me wrong... the film is very funny,
but the dramatic arc of the movie is very important.
It is instrumental to the motivation of Ginger’s
character. And if we don’t buy her, then we won’t
buy Rocky’s love for her. And if we don’t buy
Ginger’s passion and Rocky’s love... then we are
faced with a beautiful animated film with no center...
and we have TITAN AE.
Just as in TOY STORY, the characters are complete
creations with in their universe. They are self-aware
and intelligent and capable of far more than we
humans can conceive.
Also, Like IRON GIANT, there are no singing
numbers. There is a dance number, but it takes place
logically and is just a tune coming out of the radio
and not something being sung by one of the
characters.
When I talk about the cinematic perfection of the
film, I’m speaking of the photography, the lighting,
shot selection, editing, sound mix and yes... even
direction in the film.
The nervous back and forth stares, the moments of
fear. The rescue scenes, the escape from burning
death. The feelings of hopelessness. The joy of
success.
These are characters that I began to care for. Those
big eyes... those goofy faces... They ruled.
The action. The action in the film is done in that
Spielberg, RAIDERS... Truck chase editing manner
of count to two and change the shot way. The music
thrilling you, the action both ridiculous and thrilling.
These are chickens... trying to escape being cooked...
and because they built their characters. Because you
KNOW these chickens. YOU CARE! The action is
thrilling because YOU want THESE specific
chickens to LIVE.
And you can’t help but laugh at yourself for that
absurdest thought.
Don’t be a stick in the mud, roll the dice, check it out.
And who knows... afterwards you might find yourself
in a conversation over dinner like mine. Where you
hear someone say, “Ya know, have we so beaten the
chicken that it no longer has the will to fly? I mean,
you know it has wings, it has the musculature. Yet it
decides to not fly.”
To which another would say, “Yeah, I mean have any
of you heard of WILD CHICKENS”
To which you hear, “So were there wild chickens, I
mean, I can’t imagine wild flocks of chickens flying
about.”
Sigh.... This movie gives you deep thoughts.