FILM REVIEW: SHAUN THE SHEEP – THE BEAST OF MOSSY BOTTOM (U) ESP RATING: 4/5
A charming, hilarious and gently spooky Halloween treat for the whole family.
What better way to kick off the Halloween season than with a brand-new adventure from Aardman – the brilliant British animation studio behind Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run and, of course, Shaun himself?
Written by Mark Burton (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Paddington in Peru) and Giles Pilbrow (Horrible Histories), The Beast of Mossy Bottom sees the spooky period approaching at Mossy Bottom Farm. When the Farmer (John Sparkles) accidentally destroys the flock’s beloved pumpkin patch, Shaun (Justin Fletcher) takes matters into his own ‘hooves’ – turning mad scientist in an attempt to fix the problem.
Naturally, things don’t exactly go to plan.
Before long, The Farmer has disappeared, a mysterious beast is roaming the woods and Shaun and the rest of the flock find themselves caught up in a monstrously fun adventure.
This would be a brilliant film for introducing younger children to the horror genre. There are monsters, spooky woods and plenty of mayhem, but being a U-certificated flick, it’s all incredibly tame. There’s enough here to give younger viewers a taste of classic horror without anything genuinely frightening, all wrapped up in that wonderfully charming Aardman humour.
It’s almost entirely visual comedy – think Mr Bean. The animation tells you everything through expressions, movement and wonderfully timed slapstick.
For me, this was real ‘comfort watching’. I grew up with Wallace & Gromit, so there’s something incredibly nostalgic about settling down to watch this particular style of stop-motion animation. It’s that lovely feeling of returning to something familiar, only now it’s being enjoyed by the next generation.
And then there’s the runtime at a very welcome eighty minutes.
I took my very hyper eight-year-old son to see this, and let’s just say that any film I watch with him that goes beyond ninety minutes makes me a little more anxious with every additional minute. So when I saw this was a tight one hour and twenty minutes, I was quietly relieved – as it’s the perfect length for young ‘uns.
There’s enough time to tell a proper story, deliver plenty of laughs and take us on a fun little adventure, without reaching the point where younger viewers are likely to start fidgeting in their seats and asking when it’s ‘going to finish’.
Whether you’re eight or, like me, considerably older, there’s something here to enjoy.
As chief film critic Gav likes us to end our reviews with a pun – here’s one – you’d be Baaaaaaaaa-rmy to miss it.
ESP Rating: 4/5
Mike Clarke
Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough & Odeon Luxe Peterborough, Out Now
Voice Cast: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkles, Kate Harbour, Paul Whitehouse, Nina Sosanya, Roman Kemp & Dani Dyer
Running Time: 1 Hr 21 Mins
Directors: Steve Cox & Matthew Walker
Film Review Venue: Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough
For all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Showcase Cinema De Lux & Odeon Luxe cinemas go to www.showcasecinemas.co.uk and www.odeon.co.uk
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