Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Shaun the Sheep: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Shaun the Sheep is a charming stop-motion animated series from the geniuses at Aardman Animation. The series is a spin-off of Wallace and Gromit. The Shaun the Sheep character was introduced in the Wallace and Gromit animated short A Close Shave. The television series was originally broadcast on network CBBC in the United Kingdom. The series became a runaway hit and developed a following, leading to more related installments and even feature-films including Shaun the Sheep Movie and A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon. Executive produced by Miles Bullough (Wallace and Gromit’s World of Invention, Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death), David Sproxton (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Chicken Run), Peter Lord (Shaun the Sheep Movie, Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave), Nick Park (A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, Shaun the Sheep Movie), and Nikki Chaplin (Freefonix), Shaun the Sheep is a beloved cartoon classic for children and adults alike for its enormous creativity and heartfelt animation.

Shaun (Justin Fletcher) is an above-average intelligence sheep with a lot on his imaginative mind. Shaun is no ordinary sheep and won’t simply accept being a sheeple. Shaun lives a sweet life at the Mossy Bottom Farm. Mossy Bottom Farm is a nice and idyllic English farm – the kind one can dream for – cherishing every moment.

Despite the beautiful locale of the farm countryside, the farm is also a dull bore and it’s up to imaginative Shaun the Sheep and co to keep things interesting there. Meet sheepdog Bitzer (John Sparkes), Shirley (Richard Webber), the sweet and giant sheep of the pack – the largest of the entire flock, and the “leader” of the farm herd: the Farmer (John Sparks). As Shaun and friends live out their days at the farm, misadventures follow as the entire group find themselves going on exciting and fun missions – sometimes to their own surprise (even while duking it out with the pigs and sometimes encountering other obstacles on the way to a pizza dinner).

The series is such a charmer because of the animation. The stop-motion animation is at the heart of the series and one of the central reasons it became such a cult favorite with audiences. Shaun the Sheep features art direction by Kitty Clay (Creature Comforts), Helen Javes (The Epic Adventures of Morph), Alan Barrett, and Sylvia Bull. The art style is superb throughout the production and there is a lot to appreciate.

The background animation is more detailed than on most children’s television and the production certainly feels more creative artistically than one might expect to find on a series aimed predominately at a younger audience. The animators clearly understand that there is a fanbase of viewers who aren’t in the target demographic (such as fans who grew up loving the classic Wallace and Gromit shorts) and as a result watch Shaun the Sheep as well. A wonderful element of the series is that it walks a line between a simplicity of the animation and the complexities of it.

At first glance, Shaun the Sheep is deceptively simple but to even create something as thoughtful and creative with stop-motion animation is an entirely laborious effort and something that is a result of a labor-of-love on the part of the team of animators working on the production. Stop-motion animation is one of the most complex forms of animation and there is something truly exceptional about the craft of stop- motion and the way the animated art-form can be used to help tell a story. There is something immensely beautiful about it: animation made by hand and with a sense of creativity that is almost unparalleled.

The cinematography by Charles Copping (Shaun the Sheep Movie, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon) and Dave Alex Riddett (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers) is one of the reasons the animation flourishes so well. The series style shines with the cinematography and the series provides a bright and airy style that makes things even more charming.

Edited by Dan Williamson (Tee and Mo, Counterfeit Cat), Jane Hicks (Bob the Builder, Pingu), Andrew Ward (The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti, Angry Birds Toons), Shaun the Sheep is briskly paced and well edited. The production is always capable of finding charm in the quietest wonders of the story. An essential part of the series and something that keeps the comedy well-timed.

The score composed by Mark Thomas (Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas, Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London) is one of the highlights of Shan the Sheep. The score is charming and it adds a wondrous element of creativity to the backdrop of the production. The music heightens the series comedy and sense of adventure. Composer Thomas has fun with the storytelling universe of Shaun the Sheep and clearly enjoys playing in the sandbox.

The series was developed for television by a team including David Fine (Bob and Margaret, Ricky Sprocket: Showbiz Boy), Nick Park (Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out, Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers), Alison Snowden (Bob and Margaret, Peppa Pig), and Richard Starzak (Rex the Runt), who helped oversee the writing of the series and the creative direction of the production. The team is responsible for not only helping to supervise the series development but the writing process, too. Despite seemingly simple stories and concepts, involving moments of whimsy on the farm, the storytelling is fun, comedic, and has the right splash of British comedy requisite for the series.

Shaun the Sheep showcases chief direction by Richard Starzak (Shaun the Sheep Movie, Creature Comforts), Christopher Sadler (Rex the Runt, Angry Birds Toons), Jay Grace (So You Want to Be a Pirate! , Moominvalley), and Lee Wilton (Shaun the Sheep: Championsheeps). The directing team understands the series balance of heart and comedy. The stop-motion animated hit became such a big success by being entertaining audiences with charming characters and zany situations. Shaun the Sheep is all the more special as a result.

Shaun the Sheep: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, Shaun the Sheep is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release is provided in both upscaled and native high-definition – with episodes 1-40 in the box-set having a upscaled presentation (sourced from a lower-res source) while episodes 41-170 are provided in a native high-definition presentation (alongside the television specials and the shorts).

The earlier episodes have lower fidelity video and the transfers show signs of standard-definition material upscaled with aliasing and jaggies. These early episodes have a somewhat less robust color range and the animation looks a tad less colorful and engaging. The later series episodes are thankfully much more robust looking with a beautiful native high-definition presentation quality. The animation is more vibrant and the colors certainly pop with a lot more robust hues and detail in the later season episodes. The score reflects an average between the lower quality early episodes and the higher presentation quality provided to the later episodes.

Shaun the Sheep: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo for episodes 1-40 and in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound for episodes 41-170 and the television specials and the shorts. The earlier episodes have a more simplistic audio design with 2.0 stereo and the soundstage sounds a little less refined and more basic on the sound mix. The later episodes are crisper sounding and a little bit more enveloping with the addition of surround sound. The later episodes do seem to exhibit more spaciousness in the sound mixing and the results are clear and satisfactory.

Shaun the Sheep: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Though the release does not include the two theatrical feature-films Shaun the Sheep Movie and A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, the release contains the entire television series run and an outstanding bevy of short-form animation to round out the package. The release is arguably jam-packed with content as a result and will sit nicely on a shelf next to the Shaun the Sheep feature films (available on Blu-ray separately).

Specials:

1. The Farmer's Llamas (HD, 29:19)
2. The Flight Before Christmas (HD, 31:18)

Mossy Bottom Shorts:

1. The Picnic (HD, 1:18)
2. Penalty!/Five A Side (HD, 1:18)
3. Babysitting Timmy (HD, 1:18)
4. Bitzer Over Easy (HD, 1:18)
5. The Art Class/Duck Drawing (HD, 1:18)
6. Sprout-Shooters (HD, 1:18)
7. Members Only/Blaze Maze (HD, 1:18)
8. Down The Loo (HD, 1:18)
9. Story Time/Lights Out (HD, 1:18)
10. Kite/Fly A Kite (HD, 1:18)
11. Shaun Goes Old-School/Video Arcade (HD, 1:18)
12. Shaun's Bale Out/Hay Bale (HD, 1:18)
13. Sheep Shoot Hoops/Basketball (HD, 1:18)
14. Beware! Sheep Crossing/Stand Off (HD, 1:18)
15. Lamb Salsa/Stomp (HD, 1:22)

Shaun the Sheep Championsheeps:

1. Relay (HD, 1:13)
2. Shot Put (HD, 1:13)
3. Synchronised Swimming (HD, 1:13)
4. Ping Pong (HD, 1:13)
5. Diving (HD, 1:13)
6. Fencing (HD, 1:13)
7. Gymnastics (HD, 1:13)
8. Archery (HD, 1:13)
9. Weightlifting (HD, 1:13)
10. Steeplechase (HD, 1:13)
11. Beach Volleyball (HD, 1:13)
12. Hockey (HD, 1:13)
13. Swimming (HD, 1:13)
14. 100 Metre Dash (HD, 1:13)
15. BMX (HD, 1:13)
16. Rings (HD, 1:13)
17. Hammer (HD, 1:13)
18. Trampoline (HD, 1:13)
19. Judo (HD, 1:13)
20. Ribbon (HD, 1:13)
21. Pole Vault (HD, 1:13)

Shaun the Sheep: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Shaun the Sheep is an enormously charming stop-motion animation series. Fans of Wallace and Gromit will love the animated spin-off and the delightful cast of characters. The production gained a following for its winning formula of animated hijinks and memorable characters. The Blu-ray release includes the complete television series. The release also includes an excellent selection of supplemental features, including the complete Mossy Bottom shorts, the Shaun the Sheep Championsheeps shorts, and the television specials The Farmer's Llamas and The Flight Before Christmas. The Blu-ray release is well worth owning for any Shaun the Sheep fan. Highly recommended.