A SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE: FARMAGEDDON / CERT: U / DIRECTORS: WILL BECHER, RICHARD PHELAN / SCREENPLAY: JON BROWN / STARRING: JUSTIN FLETCHER, JOHN SPARKES, CHRIS MORRELL, ANDY NYMAN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Aardman are back once again, and being as reliable as ever, they bless us with another uniquely wonderful stop-motion film, this time it’s the long-awaited sequel to 2015’s Shaun the Sheep Movie. That was the best animated film of that year, and the same case can be made for the sequel, Farmageddon. This time around, we see Shaun trying to get a cute alien toddler named Lu-La back home to her planet while also contending with a government agency tasked with hunting down alien life. Meanwhile back at Mossy Bottom Farm, the Farmer, wanting to have enough money to buy a new combine harvester, decides to open an attraction based on UFO sightings called ‘Farmageddon’.
Just like with the first film, the plot is very straightforward and basic, but it’s within that basic structure lays the underlying charm of Shaun the Sheep. That simplicity gives plenty of room for Aardman to do whatever they want, and there is a lot here that’ll work for everyone: laugh-out-loud comedy, well-timed slapstick, great visual gags, and clever subtle references to various sci-fi films and TV shows, almost to the point where there were even a few Doctor Who-related gags, which made this Whovian very happy! All this services the marvellous stop-motion animation, which is so meticulously crafted, once again showing of Aardman’s impressive attention to detail. It has that quintessentially British charm in its DNA, as well as having its heart firmly in the right place. Oh, and stay tuned during the credits since both the mid and end credit scenes are very memorable, especially the former.
Overall, this is yet another win in a flawless streak of wins for Aardman Animations, and a perfect sequel to an equally perfect first outing spawned off from an already perfect TV show. Phenomenal visual storytelling, hilarious humour, characters that are as charming as they were before, and beautifully-crafted animation, all amount to a brilliant family film that’ll resonate well with adults as well as children. This film shows that Aardman always pour their sweat, blood and tears into every one of their projects, really caring about their own work, and if they care then we care as well, and here’s hoping they strike gold once again with their future projects.
