This film is a U, was released on October 18th 2019, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS
With the arrival of an alien named Lu-La on Mossy Bottom Farm, its up to Shaun, Bitzer and the rest of the gang to get them home before they're caught. I love Aardman, and there's something wonderful about their films because I can always count on them to make me smile and laugh, two things that I love to do. With this film, they had me sold on the fact that it was Aardman, but then I was double-sold on the fact that it was another Shaun the Sheep movie, and then triple-sold when I heard it was called 'Farmageddon' - a genius title. So, there was no way I could miss this, especially combined with the fact that I adore stop motion and want to support it forever and ever. So, I had very high hopes.
It didn't take me long to be smiling and laughing away, this film just further proves how terrific Aardman and their work is. The jokes in this film are just brilliant. After seeing any comedy film, I always feel like just listing off every single thing that made me laugh, but I am not giving away any jokes here because that'd spoil the film largely. To keep it vague, the jokes range from being excellent slapstick, to really clever word-y jokes, to small details in the background, and just plain silliness. All of it works really well, and even the jokes that don't work can still be appreciated, and they don't leave a sour taste as it doesn't take long for a funnier one to come up. The animation is also up to the usual Aardman standard, with brilliant attention to detail and a great job with colour and character design. But, the key attribute of the animation here is that it used to tell the story, because the film has a lack of decipherable dialogue for the most part. This visual storytelling is really commendable and the 'show don't tell' mentality needs to be adopted by other filmmakers, even outside of animation.
In terms of negatives, there are very few. My biggest issue is that the film is quite predictable, but that didn't ruin the experience, it just slightly bugged me. Also, the film used pop songs a little too much for my taste, it isn't particularly new or original as many plot points are borrowed from other films, even if they're used well, and, like Aardman's previous films, it is generally harmless and thus not anything that'll leave you thinking nor something that has interesting themes.
It is plain, it isn't boundary-pushing, but who cares? A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, is a delightful time at the cinema with absolutely hilarious jokes, exquisite animation, and wonderful use of silent cinema. It is really just as good, if not better, than the first one. I highly advise you go and see this because it will cheer up you as well as your whole family, and going to see it will mean that more great things will come our way. Aardman have never let me down and I doubt that they ever will. So yeah, it's terrific, and there's not much else to be said.
I'm going to give A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon an 8/10
Also, I was planning on ranking every Aardman film ever made to coincide with the release of this film, but I didn't because it was only when I began to write it that I realised everything I had to say about each film was essentially the same. So, here is a quick ranking of every Aardman film with their number rating next to them:
8. Flushed Away (7/10)
7. Early Man (8/10)
6. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (Not 'Band of Misfits' tut tut) (8/10)
5. Arthur Christmas (8/10)
4. Shaun the Sheep Movie (8/10)
3. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (8/10)
2. Chicken Run (9/10)
1. Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (10/10)
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