Shaun the Sheep The Movie - what you need to know
Does it live up to Aardman's high standard of entertaining adults as much as young children?
Shaun the Sheep the Movie is a funny, fluffy movie about the love-hate relationship between a hapless, farmer and his mischievous flock of sheep. Another affectionate creation from Aardman, makers of Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, it's a film that will keep you as entertained as your children.
And yes, everyone will fall in love with Shaun, a cute-looking sheep who acts like a scheming teenager. But our reviewers (1 mum with a 5-year-old) found there were 4 things you should know before heading into cinema...
1. It's a silent movie
Well a grunting, baa-ing, muttering one. The whole premise is that actions speak louder than words and in this case the actions are so sweet, hilarious or downright daft that they need no explanation.
However, if your children haven't seen Shaun the Sheep before, expect to field a few 'what did he say' questions from younger viewers, or if Granny comes and she's a little hard of hearing you may have to interpret. Reply 'baa' for your own amusement. If you have teenagers, probably best not to tell them there's no speaking.
2. It's a U, but there's a bit of peril and a baddie
Shaun is a loveable rogue who loves to push the boundaries and play tricks on the short-sighted, ever exhausted farmer. And whilst we're not issuing a spoiler alert, what we will say is that if your child gets scared by runaway trains, or het-up with fast and furious music there's a small chance that there will be tears, or shouting, or both.
Shaun's latest escapade involves the farmer taking a perilous ride in an ancient, rusting caravan towards a busy city centre. What's more, there's also an evil baddy who is intent on harming Shaun. He's a nasty piece of work (if you're a sheep) and ultimately gets his comeuppance but younger children might find him scary.
3. Parents and teenagers will love it
It's hard not to be wooed by the characters in this movie. Both of our reviewers spent most off the 85 minutes smiling, giggling or saying 'ahhh' - there's a big feel good factor.
As we've come to expect from Aardman, there are plenty of adult references and visual gags to spot. The Farmer is constantly taking photos of his flock on his phone and becomes the star of a social media campaign, while the soundtrack features the Kaiser Chief’s Nick Hodgson, Ash’s Tim Wheeler and a rendition of Primal Scream’s Rocks Off.
4. You don't need to know Shaun
The TV series has been on our screens since 2007 and its spin off Timmy Time is now a firm favourite on CBeebies. But there's no backstory to the film and nothing that you need to know about the characters in order to get the most out of the movie. Mr A Trumper, a power-crazed Animal Containment Officer who hates animals and loves catching them, is a particular new delight.
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