Chicken Run 2

[Midas]

In the years since the original came out I've been through the entirety of primary school, secondary school, university, unemployment, depression, etc.

It feels weird that they've decided to make this now

[idunnosomename]

There's only four years between Salwalha and Newton. The producers want the lead fronting female role to be voiced a name with more international bank.

I think if Mel Gibson hadnt gone bananas theyd have got him back, despite his age (Tom Hanks still plays Woody) and she would've stayed. For the original, Gibson's name was key to international marketing.

It really stinks. It's like she lost a job because her chicken co-star famously became a massive lunatic racist

[BritishHobo]

She should make her own Chicken Run 2 and we'll all go watch that one instead. Stick that up your chimney you plasticine cunts

[George White]

There's only four years between Salwalha and Newton. The producers want the lead fronting female role to be voiced a name with more international bank.

I think if Mel Gibson hadnt gone bananas theyd have got him back, despite his age (Tom Hanks still plays Woody) and she would've stayed. For the original, Gibson's name was key to international marketing.

It really stinks. It's like she lost a job because her chicken co-star famously became a massive lunatic racist

Both started in early 90s CITV.
In fact, I wonder did Newton ever audition for Press Gang. She did do Pirate Prince, another 90S CITV (Tetra/Thames not Central) drama of that era.  Also featuring James Hazeldine, Rudolph Walker and David Harewood (who WAS in Press Gang, and Spatz) plus John Woodvine, Dearbla Molloy, Geoffrey Hutchins and Ray Shell (the snake guy from the Apple). 

[Thomas]

Maybe this looks more promising than I previously judged:

As a tedious stickler, I'm pleased that it's firmly set in the '60s. The vocal recastees sound like they're doing a pretty good job.

[Old Nehamkin]

Looks like the chickens are back in business.

[Thomas]

I would agree that it looks like Ginger and the gang are up to their old tricks.

[Bad Ambassador]

Saw this last night. It's fine, as Aardman usually is, but lacks the central hook of the first film in favour of a general rehash. Most of the new cast don't sound much like themselves. It's no Shaun the Sheep Movie, but it's much better than Early Man.

[Schnapple]

This was fine, decent rather than deso, some great sets and one extremely good and pleasingly elaborate gag in the form of the 'eye recognition scan'. Saying that, the Paloma Faith song used in the opening sequence and then later during the credits is so appalling that, after 23 years, I was extremely tempted during to turn it off during it... and did, during the creds, obviously.

The quarter-century gap has definitely hampered Park's original vision, in part because a lot of the films, and even the politics lovingly parodied throughout the original have now drifted from the wider public consciousness, and the film certainly has a more contemporary 'breezy' feel in comparison to the grimmer tone of the original, despite that being a more uplifting film overall.

The Scouse Hun chicken was a strong investment, but Rocky's character is now fundamentally diluted. Obviously it's not particularly hip or loveable to portray an arrogant male lothario rooster, so they have instead reimagined him as a well-meaning but feckless boring 6music chickendad.

[dead-ced-dead]

I haven't seen it yet, but I'd imagine Rocky is a hard character to place in a sequel. His whole allure was that he was a conman (albeit one with a redemption arc). His whole "lone free man ranger". And as you say, he was a horny bastard. Remove those two things, there isn't much left.

I remember being ten and seeing the movie in the cinema and being devastated when the chickens find out he's been conning them.

And while it was necessary to recast him, since Mel Gibson is a scumbag, but just in term of acting talent, Gibson to Zachary Levi is such a huge downgrade.

[BritishHobo]

Saw this at London Film Festival a few months ago. Agree that it's good fun but is missing the kind of core idea that made the first film such a strong film. It's essentially the first film amplified - what if Tweedy's farm but with loads of lasers and mad spy shit. But nothing in it tops the horrible thrilling terror of the pie machine in the original.

Jane Horrocks is spectacular value as ever, because of course she is. Mays and Ranganathan do a decent job as Nick and Fetcher, and I did love the scouse chicken. But Thandiwe Newton sounds so close to Sawalha's performance that it just constantly reinforces how stupid it was to junk her.

[jamiefairlie]

Saw this at London Film Festival a few months ago. Agree that it's good fun but is missing the kind of core idea that made the first film such a strong film. It's essentially the first film amplified - what if Tweedy's farm but with loads of lasers and mad spy shit. But nothing in it tops the horrible thrilling terror of the pie machine in the original.

Jane Horrocks is spectacular value as ever, because of course she is. Mays and Ranganathan do a decent job as Nick and Fetcher, and I did love the scouse chicken. But Thandiwe Newton sounds so close to Sawalha's performance that it just constantly reinforces how stupid it was to junk her.

" It's essentially the first film amplified - what if Tweedy's farm but with loads of lasers and mad spy shit. "

God that's one of my pet hates and such a sure sign of creative bankruptcy

[13 schoolyards]

It felt like somewhere early on they thought "let's update it from the 40s to the 60s by going from a POW camp to a James Bond bad guy lair", but you really need more than that to build a whole film around

[idunnosomename]

I haven't seen it yet, but I'd imagine Rocky is a hard character to place in a sequel. His whole allure was that he was a conman (albeit one with a redemption arc). His whole "lone free man ranger". And as you say, he was a horny bastard. Remove those two things, there isn't much left.

very like Buzz Lightyear (except he's conning himself too)

[Led Souptin]

It's not great. It's really missing the creativity of the first film. Also none of the characters are substantial enough to carry anything really. Like I don't really care about these chickens like I did first time round. Just let the youngun get nugged who cares.

The animation is brilliant though and there were some very silly jokes that I loved. The zombie chickens being thick af really ticklee me. We didn't intend to watch this the same day we roasted a chicken but it was super tasty

[Old Nehamkin]

Was delighted by the inclusion of the end credits theme from Bottom.

[Old Nehamkin]

See near the end of this where Mrs. Tweedy gets fed into the chicken nugget machine - I assumed she was meant to be dead at that point and actually laughed in surprise (and, to be honest, admiration) at what an unashamedly brutal moment it was for a kids' film. Then when she pops back up for a final confrontation and ends up getting ambiguously done away with off-screen I felt a bit disappointed. I don't care if it's a PG, I just want to see someone get definitively violently killed in an Aardman film. Is that too much to ask.

[Mister Six]

Decent enough fun, obviously not a patch on the original. Post-Sallis Wallace & Gromit film out next year, which feels like heresy, but I suppose after Pirates and Early Man they need to do something to keep the lights on.

[idunnosomename]

See near the end of this where Mrs. Tweedy gets fed into the chicken nugget machine - I assumed she was meant to be dead at that point and actually laughed in surprise (and, to be honest, admiration) at what an unashamedly brutal moment it was for a kids' film. Then when she pops back up for a final confrontation and ends up getting ambiguously done away with off-screen I felt a bit disappointed. I don't care if it's a PG, I just want to see someone get definitively violently killed in an Aardman film. Is that too much to ask.

Piella was eaten by a crocodile

[Old Nehamkin]

Piella was eaten by a crocodile

Oh yeah that's true. And a baker got killed in the head with a rolling pin didn't he. Maybe A Matter of Loaf and Death is the best wallace and gromit after all.

[idunnosomename]

Its not though is it. Even though the element of death is more overt than any other installment, it's still a lot cartoonier and less menacing than when Feathers McGraw pulls out his real revolver. Somehow the latter isnt remotely undermined by him being defeated by getting stuck in a milk bottle. Probably because a good *pop* sound effect is infinitely funnier than another fucking burp joke.

[madhair60]

a matter of loaf and death is fucking dog shit without a single redeemable moment

[Old Nehamkin]

I did not really mean that about a matter of loaf and death.

[madhair60]

yes you did. i dont believe you.

[dontpaintyourteeth]

hi i don't think it's that bad

[MattD]

I watched the original Chicken Run recently for the first time in ages and I was surprised at how much more 'mainstream' it is compared with all the other Aardman films (long and short) from before. Even Wallace & Gromit is quite a strange concept, particularly the first two films. I suppose that's the input of having Dreamworks funding, but thankfully it doesn't lose anything. Still very funny and, despite it being a plasticine film, the cinematography and set pieces are great (as is Curse of the Were-Rabbit). If Nick Park decided to ditch all his plasticine, he'd probably still be a great film director.

Sadly, Chicken Run 2 seems to have entered the domain of mildly pleasant but forgettable and increasingly loud family films. Nothing memorable about it, and to keep up with the trend of generic family films in the cinema these days, it seems they've decided to do likewise.