Aardman studio has had a good run, dating back to Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Chicken Run. That all comes to an abrupt thudding halt with Early Man.
The main concept of Early Man seems like it should be ripe for concepts of plots. Set as one tribe of Stone Age cavemen are being replaced with new Bronze Age humans, there should be a story here that could be told humourously. Nick Park and Aardman Studios decide to tell this story through football (soccer). In and of itself, this wouldn't be a problem, except that whole 90 minute movie is dedicated to the soccer theme. Early Man is gifted football from the heavens, Bronze Age man plays football to line the coffers of the local emissary of the queen, Stone age man must learn how to play football, etc, etc. It's basically a sports movie, but without any of the uplifting themes of sports movies.
The humour also falls flat most of the time. Some stuff early on gave some chuckles, but as the movie kept dragging along, small little jokes become eyerolling, instead of guffaws.
The positives here is the animation. As ever, the Claymation look is excellent, and obviously done with love.
In the end, however, Early Man is a rare miss from a studio that had done great work previously.
The main concept of Early Man seems like it should be ripe for concepts of plots. Set as one tribe of Stone Age cavemen are being replaced with new Bronze Age humans, there should be a story here that could be told humourously. Nick Park and Aardman Studios decide to tell this story through football (soccer). In and of itself, this wouldn't be a problem, except that whole 90 minute movie is dedicated to the soccer theme. Early Man is gifted football from the heavens, Bronze Age man plays football to line the coffers of the local emissary of the queen, Stone age man must learn how to play football, etc, etc. It's basically a sports movie, but without any of the uplifting themes of sports movies.
The humour also falls flat most of the time. Some stuff early on gave some chuckles, but as the movie kept dragging along, small little jokes become eyerolling, instead of guffaws.
The positives here is the animation. As ever, the Claymation look is excellent, and obviously done with love.
In the end, however, Early Man is a rare miss from a studio that had done great work previously.