I hate the term “children’s entertainment”.  It takes something that could potentially be enjoyed by all ages and puts it in that ghetto of things only to be enjoyed by pre-teens and endured by their parents. 

Unfortunately, some of that marginalization is for good reason.  There has been far too much cheap garbage dumped on children by cynical producers over the years.  One doesn’t need to watch any of Disney’s direct-to-video sequels to know they should be avoided.

The Shaun The Sheep Movie is a major exception to the rule.  The animation is astonishing, the action is thrilling and it is very, very funny.  In fact, it is one of my most favorite films.

Anybody who has seen one of Aardman’s stop-motion films knows the astonishing level of their craftsmanship.  Simply put, this is the culmination of everything they learned on prior films.  I doubt they will ever surpass what they have done here; although, as this is Aardman, I wouldn’t be surprised if they raise the bar even higher with a future effort. 

Aardman is also known for some of the CGI features they have done and, as these are generally regarded as among their few misfires, you will be pleased to know the CGI here is tastefully restrained.

The plot of this movie is incredibly straight-forward: Shaun and the other sheep accidentally end up in the city and the farmer and his dog, Bitzer, try to find them.  Complications ensue when the farmer gets amnesia.

It is so simple of a plot that it could be a silent movie from a century ago.  And it is essentially a silent movie.  There are all kinds of vocalizations, but no real words are spoken.  Another aspect of this movie I love is how you could show it anywhere in the world and not need dubbing or subtitles.

It is also one of the funniest pictures I have ever seen.  At one point, Bitzer disguises himself in surgical scrubs and is mistakenly recruited to perform a surgery.  What happens had me literally doubled-over in laugher.  Until then, I didn’t know it was possible to laugh so hard, your stomach muscles contracted so tightly, that you could not sit up.

We all have our blind spots, the genres we tend to ignore.  Me, I have to force myself to explore westerns and musicals.  But I feel it is a shame to completely disregard something just because it is “all ages” entertainment.  All ages, by the way, means just that, and not “only for children”.  I like to think there is something in The Shaun The Sheep Movie for all audiences, even adults who don’t have children.

Dir: Mark Burton and Richard Starzak

Animated

Watched in the theater