 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Chicken Run
- Review Date: May 19, 2003
- G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2000
Common Sense Media says
Fab animation from Wallace and Gromit creator.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that although this movie is rated G, it may be too scary or hard to follow for kids under 6 or 7. A minor character is killed off-screen, and characters are in peril throughout the movie.
What's the story?
CHICKEN RUN has arrived, to the joy and relief of the many fans of Nick Park's Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit short films. In his studio's first feature-length movie, a brave chicken plots an escape from a small Yorkshire chicken farm. The stern and angry Mrs. Tweedy (voiced by Miranda Richardson) and her hen-pecked husband have bullied their hens into producing eggs, but now they've set up a fierce-looking machine that turns chickens into chicken pies. Ginger (Julia Sawalha) is a smart, brave, loyal chicken who won't leave unless she can take the others with her. When an American circus rooster named Rocky (Mel Gibson) arrives, Ginger gets him to agree to teach the chickens to fly over the fence, so they can find a place where they can live in freedom.
Is it any good?
Animator Nick Park is a master at creating a world that is enchantingly believable. The farm seems to be set in the 1950s, and every detail, down to the last nail in the last board on the hen house wall, looks exactly as it should. The chickens are highly individual, completely believable, and wildly funny, as are the side-characters. Parents and kids alike will delight in Park's Rube Goldberg-like machines and split-second action sequences.
Kids may not get all the jokes and some of the 1950s references may even escape adults. There is a wonderful variety of British accents here, but that shouldn't deter non-Brit viewers. Both kids and adults will find much to enjoy in the chickens' adventures and their incredibly creative, highly detailed, animated world.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why it was hard for Rocky to tell the truth -- and even to understand what telling the truth meant (as when he said, "I didn't lie to them, dollface. I just omitted certain truths"). Families can also discuss Ginger's perseverance in the face of steep odds, her refusal to escape without her friends, and the importance of leadership and teamwork. Why does Ginger have a dream of freedom that some of the other chickens can't even imagine? What does it mean to say that "the fences aren't just around the farm -- they're up here on your head"?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Funny
Once a kid knows that we eat chickens, this is slapstick funny
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Funny Film for Kids (6+) & Parents
This is one of those films that was written with enough tongue-in-cheek references to older films (especially Steve McQueen's "The Great Escape" and William Holden's "Stalag 17") that it will delight parents while the animated action/comedy will keep the kids rolling. This is a film the family should be able to enjoy for some years to come.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
A great flick from Aardman. Animation from the clay modeling is great, and the story is silly but fun. A bit like 'Dinosaur's' storyline, but instead chickens! Great for kids and tweens. Deals with death though and two sinister human characters.
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 10 years old
December 29, 2009
AGE
the best movie I've seen
This movie is super , but a little scary.I really like it. This movie is sooo good.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
a good movie bit there are3 things you should know.....
i loved this movie when i was little but there are 3 things i should tell you about this movie: 1. it has some vilonce and lots of peril 2. a very sad scene were they briefly show a chicken being killed with an axe 3. the boy chicken Rocky flirts with the girl chickens.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Brilliant animation has some threat
This is one of Aardman's finest works. There are some issues though. In one early scene, a chicken fails to produce any eggs - what happens is they are grabbed by the neck and taken away, and it is implied that they have been killed. One scene close towards the end has two chickens in the pie machine, trying to escape. This is a fantastic scene but it does have a sense of threat to it.
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 10 years old
September 4, 2011
AGE
Toddlers should be scared.
Toddlers should be scared for watching it.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
a It's a mad mad mad mad mad world classic
I love this movie. It's a cool movie. It's so funny. I highly recommeded it
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Fantastically entertaining for everyone in the family
Like the best animated movies, this one works on many levels. For little kids, it's funny adventure. For teens, it's a tongue-in-cheek take on classics movies. For adults, it's a reflection on mortality, longing, and self-determination. And it's all done with bug-eyed claymation chickens you care about as characters! Pure brilliance.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
uhhh, i am pretty sure this was PG
this was a PG movie, i am sure of it, there is a lot of cartoon violence, but it is a very funny movie and i like it, then and still now
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Topics: | adventures, horses and farm animals |
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Nick Park |
| Cast: | Julia Sawalha, Mel Gibson, Miranda Richardson |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 84 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 23, 2000 |
| DVD release date: | November 21, 2000 |
| MPAA rating: | G |
| MPAA explanation: | general audiences |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
