Dreamworksathon is back from a short hiatus and this time the chickens are trying to escape in 'Chicken Run'.

 

First of all, like so many Dreamworks movies, I haven't seen 'Chicken Run' since I was a kid. And unlike most Dreamworks movies, I hated 'Chicken Run' at this age. It was the chickens. What could be a more boring protagonist than a chicken? (I always hated farm animals in general). But forgetting my personal bias for a moment, 'Chicken Run' is a solid romp that is simple in its storytelling yet effective in its message.

 

Aardman's stop-motion animation is a little dated and sparse but its nonetheless such an intriguing style, a breath of variety in a CGI landscape. Of course, its lack of detail hinders the setting of the film, which is extremely lacklustre in colour and rather drab. On closer analysis, the predominate browns and greys of 'Chicken Run' are not a technical limitation but a creative device reflecting the themes of the film.

 

The characters are hit-and-miss. Ginger, the protagonist, is too morally perfect and hence difficult to care about. On the other hand, Rocky is immediately likeable for the very reasons Ginger isn't: he's flawed. I found myself engaged much more in the scenes where Rocky is onscreen rather than Ginger.

 

Yet for all its flaws, 'Chicken Run' manages to maintain a well-crafted, charming story that is perhaps much more aimed towards children than most of Pixar's or Dreamworks' earlier films.

 

Score: 7.5/10