It most likely hasn’t been the 23 years because the unique “Hen Run” on the planet of this movie, however “Daybreak of the Nugget” does happen not less than just a few years after the daring escape by chickens Ginger (Thandiwe Newton) and Rocky (Zachary Levi) from Tweedys Farm. The trauma of that occasion has led the free fowl to take up residence on an island the place vicious rooster eaters like Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson) can’t attain them. Their rat buddies Fetcher (Daniel Mays) and Fowler (David Bradley) convey them provides, however Ginger and Rocky’s daughter Molly (Bella Ramsey) longs to know what’s occurring on the mainland. A sequence of occasions lands Molly within the confines of a large rooster farm, a manufacturing unit that seeks to revolutionize the nugget by conserving the birds as joyful as doable earlier than they flip them into quick meals—stress makes for more durable meat. Ginger, Rocky, and the remainder of the gang who broke out of a facility lethal to their type within the first movie have to interrupt into one within the long-awaited sequel.
It is an awesome thought. It’s solely modestly well-executed. There’s one thing in regards to the rhythm of an Aardman comedy—a mix of bodily humor, old style Vaudeville, and basic character beats which might be warmed by full-bodied voice work—that’s so charming. Sure, the technical acumen of an Aardman movie is one thing to be admired, however I’ve all the time seen them as nice examples of basic comedy, one thing that performs nicely for all ages—go watch “Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon” for an awesome instance of this components executed nicely. There’s one thing just-so-slightly off within the script right here by Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell, and Rachel Tunnard. The jokes don’t precisely hit the ground, however they land with a “hmm” as a substitute of amusing. Outdoors of some impressed sight gags, “Hen Run: Daybreak of the Nugget” simply isn’t as humorous accurately or might have been with a sharper script. The voice forged additionally feels a bit uninspired by what it’s been given with Levi notably failing to search out the best tone for a former circus star who will get to revisit his outdated self to save lots of the day. Like a lot of this film, Levi isn’t “dangerous,” he’s simply not memorable. And there’s one thing that’s draining in a movie that’s consistently falling wanting what it may very well be.
And but it might be churlish to say that “Hen Run: Daybreak of the Nugget” is ever boring. It’s not. It retains the viewers within the inevitable rescue of Molly and her new buddies, touchdown simply sufficient jokes and character turns to cease most Netflix viewers from their telephones. Once more, that’s a wonderfully threshold for many animated movies in a yr that’s been form of weak for the shape (exterior of Spidey and Ghibli). It’s simply not what I’m used to saying about Aardman.
In theaters now. On Netflix subsequent week, December 15th.