A masterpiece of stop-motion animation and nods to the likes of “The Great Escape,” the 2000 movie “Chicken Run” was one of the most clever to hit the screen that year … or any year, for that matter.
In that adventure, a group of chickens worked together to flee a chicken farm. The leader of the getaway is a hen named Ginger.
‘Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget’ (IMDb)
Now Ginger (Thandiwe Newton) lives with the rest of the flock on a kind of island paradise. She and Rocky the rooster (Zachary Levi) now have a chick, Molly (Bella Ramsey,) who is every bit as adventurous as her mother.
Molly wants to go beyond her safe haven, and that’s when she gets into a predicament that requires a group of the other chickens – along with Nick and Fetcher the rats – to come to her rescue.
Along the way in this caper movie you’ll see references to “Mission: Impossible” films, “The Truman Show” and James Bond villains (you’ll hear references in the score, too.)
It’s a sequel that will appeal more to those who have seen the original – flashbacks show previous encounters the chickens had with a villain – but you don’t need to see the first one to enjoy this second helping.
This is an Aardman film, from the studio responsible for the wonderful “Wallace and Gromit” and “Creature Comforts” films.
This isn’t as original as the first one, but it’s a lot of fun, with some clever humor and character development for the birds involved. The detail in the animation makes it all the more enjoyable – watch the tiny movements in the environments and consider the painstaking work the animators completed to create these sets.
It’s a rare movie that can entertain all ages, which makes this a rare bird indeed.
3 stars
Rated PG for dangerous situations.
Running time: One hour and 41 minutes.
Streaming on Netflix.
Watch the trailer here.
