Parents' Guide to

Chicken Run

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Charming animated escape tale has some peril, scares.

Movie G 2000 84 minutes
Chicken Run Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 21 parent reviews

12345
12345 Adult
July 13, 2021
age 9+

GREAT!

I recommend this for kids 9+ because there is one scene in the movie where Rocky (the orange rooster) pulls a feather out of his middle and puts it in his drink and says "cocktail". I know that cocktails are actually a thing but i think it was an adult message but otherwise the movie is great! P.S if you like this movie you should watch barnyard.
Annika17
Annika17 Adult
October 3, 2020
age 10+

Beware

I am 22 right now and finally deciding to watch this movie after remembering little things about it from when I was a kid. Whenever I remembered the movie I could only remember little bits and the creepy animation style, but I’ve always had a negative feeling towards it. Now that I’m watching it back so many parts of the movie are disturbing (i.e ginger being placed in solitary confinement, the chicken being decapitated, and of course, the chicken pie apparatus). I think that certain kids could really enjoy it, but I’d definitely watch it yourself beforehand and judge whether or not you think it’s appropriate for your particular child.
See all 21 parent reviews

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?

Our review:
Parents say (21):
Kids say (39):

Animator Nick Park is a master at creating a world that's 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 in Chicken Run, 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.

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