 | 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. |
Creature Comforts
- Review Date: July 11, 2005
- NR
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 1990
Common Sense Media says
Witty, absurd claymation for tweens and adults.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this video features much claymation violence and frightening situations, such as an aunt risen from the dead as a zombie. There's also some profanity. But the video will prove worthwhile to more mature kids and adults, for its multilayered humor and visual mastery.
What's the story?
The titular tale in this claymation collection is Nick Park's classic Creature Comforts, a pseudo-documentary about zoo animals. Various interviewed (animated) animals wryly comment on what it's like surviving the confinement and monotony of zoo life. The other stories in the collection include Wat's Pig, which tells the medieval morality tale of separated twins; Not Without My Handbag, an absurdist comedy about the consequences of failing to read the fine print, and Adam, which chronicles the difficult existence of the first clay creature, whose creator isn't very nice.
Is it any good?
In addition to the title short by Nick Park (of Wallace and Gromit fame), claymation kings Peter Lord and Boris Kossmehl deliver comical and implausible plots and scintillating visuals. This collection is perfect for both teenagers and their parents who can appreciate the eccentric sensibility and multiple levels of humor.
Younger children will laugh at the animals' accents strange behavior in Creature Comforts, older kids and parents will howl at the dialogue of this 1989 Oscar winner as animals speak out about their treatment. Wat's Pig, a 1996 Oscar nominee, is a fast-paced medieval action fable, and Adam (a '91 nominee), will entrance younger viewers with its clever clay-play. Not Without My Handbag is a standout, combining Night of the Living Dead horror-animation, suspenseful music, and a ridiculous plot in which the devil owns a washing machine company.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the different types of animation and claymation each family members enjoy. How do the shorts use animation and claymation for social commentary? How is that like other favorite series, such as The Simpsons?
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| Studio: | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Director: | Nick Park |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 32 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | January 1, 1990 |
| DVD release date: | June 6, 2000 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
| MPAA explanation: | not rated |
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