Early Man isn't Aardman Studio's best work, but it will still make you laugh

Movie Title:      Early Man

Grade:  B-

Rating: PG, 89 minutes

In a Nutshell:   If you’re a fan of the Wallace and Gromit stop-motion, cheeky, clay animated series like I am, then you’re always happy when the Aardman team creates anything new. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t their best work.  Still, it’s family entertainment that will make everyone giggle at least a few times.

                             

Tips for parents: 

• No profanity.
• Some gags and jokes that some kids won’t understand.
• It’s super silly.

Uplifting theme: 

• Teamwork
• You can be or do anything you set your mind to.
• Girls can play soccer too.

                                   

Things I liked:

• Lots of visual gags and puns.
• The talented voice cast includes Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Timothy Spall, and Richard Ayoade.
• I thought all of the characters’ accents were funny and ridiculous.
• Wallace and Gromit are actually in a couple of the crowd shots.  Yay!

Things I didn’t like:

• How sad that I was actually glad when the movie ended.  I hate to admit I was bored at times.
• The trailer doesn’t really show what the movie is about.  As it turns out, it’s a soccer movie ala Stone Age vs. Bronze Age.
• Americans won’t catch a lot of the British jokes.  For example, there is a zebra pelt on the ground when Dug first enters the Bronze-age village.  Apparently, it refers to the British term “zebra crossing.”
• Some people won’t get the duck joke.  I didn’t.
• The story is pretty thin with characters I didn’t feel very invested in.
• Visually, it felt dark and rough.  I suppose that’s supposed to make us feel like we’re in the Stone Age, but it made me sleepy and uninterested.
• Predictable ending.

Funny lines:

• “Sliced bread! That’s the biggest thing since…well, ever!” – lady in the market

Fun movies from the Aardman Studio:

                                              @trinaboice