The biggest artistic and commercial gamble of the summer of 2000, CHICKEN RUN, should pay off handsomely for Dreamworks, paying dividends to all fans of cutting-edge animation. Nick Park, the Oscar-winning creator of the Wallace and Gromit short films, has created a surprisingly complex and interesting universe in his first feature film.

In the hills of rural England, on a chicken farm that resembles a maximum security prison, our flock of protagonists are owned by the dimwitted Mr. Tweedy (Tony Haygarth) and his draconian wife (Miranda Richardson), who measure the egg output of each hen...and eat the least productive one for dinner. The chickens, understandably are looking for a way to escape, especially the idealistic young hen Ginger (Julia Sawalha). By accident, a crash landing by a brash American rooster, Rocky (Mel Gibson), gives Ginger an idea: they should learn to fly like other birds, up and out of the Tweedy's farm and off to paradise. The problem: chickens can't fly. As the flock comes together for the big escape, Mrs. Tweedy hits upon a nefarious new money-making scheme -- scrap the egg business, and begin manufacturing chicken pies.

If it sounds heavier than your average Disney cartoon, it is...or certainly more complex and interesting. Both children and adults will find enjoyment in the sophisticated humor, a refreshing change from bumbling meerkats and brain-dead warthogs. In the preview audience, children shrieked with giddy delight, while parents had knowing laughs as well. The depth of the characterizations is an especially pleasant surprise, including a knee-slapping clueless hen named Baba (Jane Horrocks), and a resolutely military old rooster, Nick (Timothy Spall).

Claymation has, in recent years, become a gradually dying art form. Mr. Park and his team have, in one fell swoop, returned it to its rightful place in the animated universe, exposing a new generation of children to the form's magic charms. (Part of the credit also has to go to Dreamworks' Jeffrey Katzenberg, who oversees all animation for the studio and has championed Mr. Park for years.) Halfway through CHICKEN RUN, it becomes clear that something truly extraordinary is going on. Whether it is a perfectly executed clay rainstorm, or the interplay of shadows and light on their figures, CHICKEN RUN often takes your breath away with its simple, yet exquisite, effects.

The screenplay has five writers, which would usually signal trouble during its developmental stages. Thankfully however, it is a tight, simple, effective effort. The humor flows naturally from the situations these memorable characters find themselves in, never feeling forced or rushed. Many of the films sequences remain in the memory long after leaving the theatre, including a hilariously zany rescue from the pie machine and a deceptively savvy opening sequence. Credit much of the film's intelligent comedy to two able veterans of the BBC hit comedy Absolutely Fabulous, Julia Sawalha and Jane Horrocks. As Ginger, Sawalha never lets her mother hen's heroic aspirations get in the way of a genuinely funny moment, while Ms. Horrocks (the surprising wallflower from Little Voice) exhibits some of the best comic timing since Lucille Ball.

Even through the laughs and smiles, CHICKEN RUN has points to make. Adults will catch many historical and cultural references that youngsters may miss, but the discussion at the film's heart -- oppression and freedom -- will resonate with even the youngest viewer. Excellent visuals, a tenderly told tale, laughs aplenty, and a positive social message to boot -- is there anything else one can ask for in a cartoon? Grab a seat and some popcorn (you may want to skip the chicken fingers at the snack bar), and enjoy a marvelous entertainment.

- Gabriel Shanks

Review text copyright © 2000 Gabriel Shanks and Cozzi fan Tutti, © 2003 Mixed Reviews. All rights reserved. Reproduction of text in whole or in part in any form or in any medium without express written permission of Mixed Reviews or the author is prohibited.

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