Having pulled off an escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger has found a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new threat, and Ginger and her team decide to break in.
Chuck says:
It’s astonishing how stiff “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” is. I’m not just talking about the lack of fluidity to its Claymation figures, but rather its story. Dull as a beige wedding dress, the film is an exercise in the mundane, a production that literally and figuratively just goes through the motions, its story a simple rehash, its humor obvious and non-existent. This film is so inert and labored, I doubt even children will give it the time of day.
A quick recap gets those who missed “Chicken Run,” which is quite probable as it was released 23 years ago, up to speed. Many years ago, an escape was engineered by the hen Ginger (voice by Thandiwe Newton) in which she, her husband Rocky (Zachry Levi) and all their feathered friends flew the coop, leaving the oppressive chicken farm run by the maniacal Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson) behind. Turns out they found an island paradise where they have flourished, their refuge sitting in the middle of a river. (How it is tropical in nature is not to be questioned.)
All appears well, Rocky and Ginger now the parents of the precocious Molly (Bella Ramsey) which keeps them on their toes, night and day. However, the young girl is curious and can’t help but wonder what the world outside their island home contains. Her curiosity is piqued when she spies a van driving down the coast of the mainland advertising “Fun-Land Farm – Where Chickens Find Their Happy Endings.” The promise of a happy ending in a land her imagination has convinced her is full of delight proves too much for Molly and before you know it, she’s off to chase her destiny. Rocky, Ginger and some of their fowl friends set off to bring her back.
Of course, we all know that one person’s culinary happy ending often results in a clucker’s demise and that’s just what Fun-Land supplies, chickens killed in a more humane, stressless environment which ensures it will taste better and be less tough once it hits a diner’s plate. (I didn’t see Temple Grandin cited as a consultant in the end credits, but no matter…) The farm is a garish amusement park atop an elaborate lair any Bond villain would feel at home in. The bad guy in question is Dr. Fry (Nick Mohammed) and his assistant is, of course, Mrs. Tweedy.
There are a couple of sight gags that are somewhat amusing and the more you know about the Bond movies, the more you appreciate the few allusions made to those films. But these flashes of brilliance are just that, flashes, and they are much too few and far between. Though it runs only a little over 100 minutes, this feels just as bloated as any superhero epic. Every single thing in the story is woefully predictable, not a single surprise to be found in the by-the-numbers script, which somehow needed three writers to pen. Sitting in traffic on the 405 outside Los Angeles would be considered an off-the-hook good time compared to sitting through this sluggish exercise.
And while the Claymation process is impressive, what with its labor-intensive nature, it’s lost some of its charm and wonder. It probably isn’t fair to compare this unique aesthetic to the slick look of modern digital effects but there’s no escaping the dated look of the film or its out-of-step humor. “Chicken Run” and the films from Aardman studios once held a great deal of charm but if “Nugget” is any indication, these sorts of movies are well past their sell-by date.
1 1/2 Stars
