7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
When a cockerel apparently flies into a chicken farm, the chickens see him as an opportunity to escape their evil owners.
Starring: Mel Gibson, Phil Daniels, Miranda Richardson, Timothy Spall, Imelda StauntonFamily | 100% |
Animation | 89% |
Comedy | 58% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: DTS 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Japanese: DTS 5.1
Portuguese: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Chicken Run blends humorous stop-motion talking animal shenanigans with classic World War II prison camp grim. It's a mishmash of styles that wouldn't seem to portend a promising and polished product, but here it is, a fairly good and very unique little movie from the mind of Screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick, whose other notable works include James and the Giant Peach and The Smurfs 2. The film is tonally dark and not necessarily the sort of happy-go-lucky kids film that it may appear to be; the plot revolves around a coop full of chickens hoping to flee from malicious farmers who ultimately want to process them through a machine that makes chicken pies. Adults might find it a bit more palatable for not only the darker themes but the darker tones that compliment the story rather than a barrage of cheerful hues meant to play to a specific audience.
This is a very well-rounded image. The picture maintains a natural and strict grain structure that holds for the duration. The filmic qualities are impressive and the Blu-ray maintains the animation's textural goodness as a result. Woods around the prison camp are of obvious note, as is the earthy terrain, but the characters are the obvious highlights, with each and every piece presenting with very handsome clarity and attention to detail. The image's high quality allows audiences to absorb the finer points and marvel at the workmanship inherent to the production. Color-wise, this one is not particularly bold by design. The movie is fairly dark and gloomy, and even the bolder colors often fail to explode off the screen. Much of the story unfolds within shadowy henhouse interiors and nighttime exteriors, where shadow details and black levels do hold up nicely. Even in daytime, though, there's not a significant color explosion, favoring toned-down tones and colors like reds and greens, which are in somewhat ample supply, lacking major pump and pizzaz. Colors are fine within the movies somewhat drab overall scheme. The image shows no major source or encode anomalies of note. This is a very strong presentation from Universal.
Chicken Run's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack doesn't blast at reference volume, but it doesn't come across as too stifled or shallow, either. Some might find a minor upward decibel increase a good thing, and it is there that, to this reviewer's ears, the track finds more of a sweet spot for its musical output, sound effects, and dialogue. Lively dance music in chapter 11 represents one of the more robust and agreeably wide and immersive moments in the film. Clarity and spacing are both solid. Whirring machinery a few moments later is another highlight, offering full surround use, well defined spacial awareness, and good rumbly depth. Ditto a few moments later when the machine's burners fire on in a pattern around the listener. The end action sequence offers its share of robust elements and full-stage saturation. Atmospheric effects are not prominent but do fold in as needed. Dialogue is delivered without flaw from a firm front-center position.
Chicken Run's Blu-ray includes two featurettes and an audio commentary track. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with
purchase. A DVD is not. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.
Chicken Run might be too dark for younger viewers, both tonally too dark and visually too dark. But older children and certainly grown-ups -- particularly those with an affinity for some of the classic World War II prison break films of yore -- will find this a fun, funny, and often exhilarating journey. The film folds in some life lessons, too -- some obvious, some opaque -- but works best on the surface rather than as a metaphorical life reflection. Universal's Blu-ray is solid all around, offering quality video and audio presentations. A few extras are included. Recommended.
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