By Emilio Frenk.
Director: Nick Park
Cast (Voice): Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Timothy Spall, Richard Ayoade, Selina Griffiths, Johnny Vegas, Mark Williams, Kayvan Novak, Gina Yashere and Nick Park.
Rating: Very Good.
Nick Park, creator of “Wallace and Gromit” brings “Early Man”, another clay animated film under his belt that again delivers very fun results.
Set in the Stone Age the movie tells the story of Dug (Eddie Redmayne) a young caveman who lives in a tribe that is ruled by Chief Bobnar (Timothy Spall).
One night their tribe is invaded by the Leader of the Bronze Age City Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston) who wants to control the mines of the tribe.
The following day in a soccer match, Dug challenges Lord Nooth to a game. If Dug´s team wins they will have their valley back, but if they loose they will work in the mines under Nooth´s rule forever.
Now Dug has to prepare his tribe to play the game of their lives and they will do it with the help of local resident Goona (Maisie Williams) who dreams of playing the sport. This game it will represent the future of Dug´s village since if they loose they will be history.
One of the things that I really liked in “Early Man” was the comedy that had in it and you can tell that this movie has the touch of Nick Park in it.
The screenplay written by Mark Burton and James Higginson, who both worked with Park in “Shaun of the Sheep” was very original and the fact that we see one of the most popular sports set in the stone age makes it even more original.
Like most of the movies that he has done in his career, Nick Park used his british humor in it and has very good elements like the acceptance to other and never giving up, which is one of the powerful messages that this movie has.
The quality of the animation is very good and Nick Park is a master of doing this kind of movies. Since he created “Wallace and Gromit” he has been very consistent with the material he creates and every time that a movie like this one is released I am excited to see it since there are the greatest example of spending a good time.
Eddie Redmayne is very good as Dug and at the beginning I didn´t recognize his voice until later in the film; Tom Hiddleston is very funny in this film as Lord Nooth. He puts all his wit into this clumsy villain and it´s very fun to see.
There were moments that I felt the movie was a little bit repetive and that´s one of the reasons why I didn´t give it a bigger rating. Still the movie works and I had a blast watching this movie.
For fans of “Wallace and Gromit” and movies of this genre I think you are going to have a great time and it´s the ideal movie to watch it with the family.
That being said “Early Man” is a very fun and entertaining film and I highly recommend it.