Film Review: "Early Man" is dependably warm, but held back by convention
Movie magic is never more visible than when a story is literally crafted before your eyes by its creators hands. Aardman Animations, the people behind Wallace & Grommit and Chicken Run, have gifted us with the stop motion animated feature Early Man, a witty and charismatic film that’s held back by a story so old it predates mankind.
Four-time Academy Award Winner Nick Park and his Aardman Animations team painstakingly handcrafted Early Man and its goofy Neanderthals (a lovable ménage of British actors such as Eddie Redmayne and Richard Ayoade), who're coerced into a soccer match to save their perfect valley from the ever-expanding Bronze age and its imprudent dictator, Lord Nooth (voiced by an unrecognisable Tom Hiddleston).
The cast is stacked with veteran British actors, all of who add their own flare to the Aardman charm. Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams holds the films emotional message, voicing the under appreciated Goona, a wannabe sports star whose potential is held back by the patriarchy. British veteran Rob Brydon (star of The Trip trilogy) shines as a messenger pigeon for the queen, delivering disgruntled messages in the film's funniest sequences.
Early Man’s story is a classic underdog tale, a plot as ancient as its troglodyte leads. However the execution of the story is its main flaw - with no outstanding new twist or spins, the film rushes headfirst to a premeditated conclusion. Early Man is not a film that makes you think in the slightest, and some scenes hastily advance the plot often without a viable reason or catalyst for characters' actions. It is the scenes that don’t carry the plot that save the film from extinction.
Where Early Man excels is in its world-building, pun intended. The claymation sets and goofy creatures that roam the ancient landscapes, such as a giant menacing duck and freakish beetles, are always a joy to witness, finger prints and all.
Early Man caters to a far more specific audience than other Aardman features. Young sports fans should find the film irresistible and hilarious, whilst older audiences will find the tiresome story held up by Aardman’s signature charm, a fair few chuckles and a good- natured spirit. Important messages about inclusion, sexism, prejudice and sportsmanship alongside impressive and charming visuals allow the film to perhaps survive the next ice age.
