Welcome back to our 4th installment of...
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| The Dreamworks Animation Project! YAY!! |
This week I'm reviewing the 2000 film Chicken Run.
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS MOVIE,
SKIP TO THE END WHERE I GIVE THE SCORE!
Ginger and her flock of chicken pals: Mac, Bunty, Fowler, and Babs (whose voice you may know from another amazing Aardman film),
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| Yes, Bryony the gift rapping elf from Arthur Christmas |
But, what they really want free from are their terrible farmers: Mrs. and Mr. Tweedy.
Mrs. Tweedy actually reminds me of another terrifying british woman...
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| Oh no, I think I just made a fanfic |
They have tried basically everything, from digging under the fence that surrounds them, to even dressing up like Mrs. Tweedy.
But sadly, every plan is destroyed by either the dogs they have guarding the place or Mr. Tweedy patrolling the area. They are called for inspection, where they count there eggs and see if they are producing enough. If not, well...
Ginger, the leader of the chickens I suppose she could be called, brightens everyone's hopes by making a new plan to go over the fence. We meet Nick and Fetcher, two rats who have been selling things to Ginger in order to make their contraptions for escaping.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tweedy is watching the chickens, and explains to his wife that "they are organized." Mrs. Tweedy tells him "that's it's all in ya head, Mr. Tweedy." Ginger is beginning to think they will never get out. After pleading for some sort of miracle, a circus rooster named Rocky flies over the coops, but crashes, hurting his wing.
Ginger thinks that he can fly not only because of him flying right in front of her eyes but also because of a poster that she finds with him flying on it. She wants him to teach them how to fly so they can fly over the fence--to FREEDOM! Rocky decides to pretend to help them when a circus truck comes looking around for their lost bird and Ginger hides him. We then are treated to a beautiful, yet short, montage of Rocky teaching the chickens how to fly; by doing arm exercises.
Another truck rolls in, but this time it's a delivery truck. The chickens don't know what it is yet, but it can't be good. The chicken flying thing isn't working very well, and Mac discovers that they need more thrust, so they continue to try and fly while Rocky's wing is healing.
Another roll call is called, and Babs remembers that she hasn't laid an egg in three day; because of all the planning and trying to fly business. But, to Babs' surprise, Mrs. Tweedy doesn't make her this year's thanksgiving meal, but rather measures how large she is. Ginger figures out that they are fattening them up to kill them, and explains this to all the chickens, depressing them all.
Rocky decides to cheer everyone up and throw a party. Ginger and Rocky do some awesome dance moves,
and Ginger realizes that Rocky's wing as gotten better and can show them how to fly. Meanwhile, Mr. Tweedy is done putting together the machine and we find out that it's a pie machine. What kinda pie you may ask?
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| APPLE?!? |
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| We mustn't PANIC! |
They both get stuck inside the machine.
They escape, breaking the "chicken into pie maker," giving them some more time. Ginger tells everyone about the pie machine,
but cheers everyone up with the happy thought of Rocky showing them how to fly in the morning. Morning comes, but Rocky is nowhere to be found. It turns out he ran away, and left them a little something to remember him by; the missing part of the circus poster.
Ginger is crushed that Rocky had been lying the whole time. But, as all great heroines do, she gets back up on her feet and makes another plan. Fowler, the rooster of the coop, was once a "airplane pilot." So, this time, they're making a plane. With the help of Nick and Fetcher and all the chickens they start making the plane. They make it just in time; the chicken pie maker is finished, and Mrs. Tweedy is ready to make some dough. Ha ha, dough...pie...oh, whatever...Mr. Tweedy catches them getting ready, and we have an awesome scene of the chickens attacking Mr. Tweedy.
Almost reminds me of another scene.
Anyway, with Fowler at the helm, they start off.
Mr. Tweedy manages to waddle himself over to the platform that shoots them over the fence and kicks it down. It's up to Ginger to fix it. To Ginger's surprise, Rocky comes back to help her. Mrs. Tweedy is now aware of the shenanigans going on, and she is...well, I guess you could say she is very angry.
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| You're going to be a pie! |
The plane lifts off, and Ginger and Rocky grab a string of lights attached to the plane. But, it's not only Rocky and Ginger, but Mrs. Tweedy too! Rocky climbs onto the plane and tries to help Ginger on. Ginger tries to cut the lights off with a pair of safety scissors, but loses them. Ginger is biting for her life, when Mrs. Tweedy takes one last swing...Rest in peace Ginger.
Oh wait, she's alive and has acquired super human strength for some reason.
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| Holding a human 100 times your own weight. Nothing's too hard for Ginger! |
She lets go of the line and Mrs. Tweedy goes flying into her precious money maker: the old chicken pie machine. The chickens fly into the sunrise, and go to a
We exit with Nick and Fetcher having a hilarious argument about whether the chicken or the egg came first.
Pros-
My word, if I wrote everything down that was good about this movie, I'd have a book full. This is literally one of my favorite movies of all time. For one, it's hilarious! It has some of the funniest characters ever made. Babs is my favorite, she is always smiley so naively and childlike, saying lines that at so cute and laughable at the same time. It's impossible not to love her. Ginger is the Katniss of the animation world. She is independent, but also very funny and likeable. Rocky could have easily been a bad character, but was actually the opposite. All of the other characters were great too; Bunty is another one of my favorites, and Fowler and the rats have their fair share of great lines as well. The animation in this one is superb. It is just absolutely amazing, and it flows very nicely. The story is what really shines, though. I love how they make the chicken farm some sort of a prison. The actual plot lines run very well together and flow very nicely; it's not confusing. The villains, Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy (yes, I count both of them) are genius. Really, it's just business. That's the whole reason behind the chicken pie machine, they aren't making enough money. But then, they cross the line into evil territory. This was one of those movies I watched a lot as a kid, and of all the ones I watched, this one's score I actually would remember. It's so very iconic and memorable. It's definitely one of my favorites.
Cons-
One of the only things I can think of that is bad, is the cartoony aspects in this film. They sorta feel out of place sometimes. I mentioned one before, of Ginger apparently having super chicken strength--being able to hold a full grown woman with one hand no less. I know it's not a big deal, so I'll drop it. The only other thing is the romance between Ginger and Rocky. Really, it's not something I care about. They kinda throw it in there, when I want to see more chicken awesomeness. But, again not a big deal, just a nitpick.
Final Thoughts-
If you haven't seen this movie yet, what are you waiting for? Go check it out!
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Story- 9/10
I absolutely love this story. Very original and unique.
Main Characters- 8/10
Ginger and Rocky are both really great characters that carry the story very well.
Side Characters- 9/10
Loved all of the side characters. They had some of the best scenes and lines in the movie. I only wish there was more of them.
Villains- 9/10
Some of the greatest animated villains of all time. They're not showed a whole lot, but you can just feel their evilness everywhere.
Effects/Animation- 10/10
Probably the best stop-motion I've ever seen. Truly amazing.
Songs/Score- 9/10
The score will not be leaving my head for a few weeks at least.
Entertainment Factor- 9/10
Was not bored once.
Total Score- 90%
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Next time on Dreamworks Animation Project...
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