Aardman Studio

Early Man review

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I don’t think Early Man is quite at the peak of the Wallace & Gromit shorts – I hold The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave in particularly high esteem – but it’s very much a joyous family movie

The new film from Aardman sets out a very ambitious table of treats in its opening five minutes or so. A stop-frame animated piece, it immediately zeroes in on a prehistoric area of the planet just outside of Manchester. Early Man then starts with a lovely homage to the style of Ray Harryhausen (and more treats await in the end credits), charts the end of the dinosaurs, introduces some furry underpants and covers the early days of football. Oh, and it’s knocked someone off too. That’s efficiency. Proper storytelling efficiency.

Early Man, then, is the hugely enjoyable new film from the sure-to-be-knighted, multi-Oscar winning director Nick Park, who in turn has invented his first collection of totally brand new characters since 2000’s Chicken Run. He’s settled for his story on a bunch of generally lump-headed caveman and women, all with geographic roots in the UK, who live in a valley that’s overshadowed by the apparently progressive Bronze Age City next door.

Whilst the cavefolk, cheerily led by Eddie Redmayne’s Dug and his dad, Timothy Spall’s Chief Bobnar, try and prolong their existence, the dastardly Lord Nooth next door – Tom Hiddleston – has other ideas. The Queen – Miriam Margolyes! – too [ . . . ] More at: Early Man review

What’s the future for Wallis and Gromit after the sad loss of Peter Sallis?

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Last of the Summer Wine star was the wonderful voice behind Wallace

As Aardman gears up to introduce fans to a set of brand new prehistoric-themes characters, Sproxton said it would be tricky to replace the star in any future Wallace and Gromit films.

“There will be somebody out there,” he said. “But it’s a great shame because Peter was a lovely actor and there was something very special he brought to the part which other people did find hard.

“It was his natural warmth and kind of innocence that gave Wallace a real character. It was very sad to see him go.” [ . . . . ]

More at: What’s the future for Wallis and Gromit after the sad loss of Peter Sallis?

Wallace & Gromit; Shaun the Sheep; Pirates: The Magic of Aardman at ACMI

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One of the most fascinating things about narrative art, as we experience every time we read a book, or watch a play or film, is the way we can become emotionally engaged in stories we know very well to be fiction. Moreover, what we now call suspension of disbelief is not necessarily enhanced by superficial realism [ . . . ]

More: Wallace & Gromit; Shaun the Sheep; Pirates: The Magic of Aardman at ACMI