Chicken Run (2000)
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A group of chickens in an oppressive farm must find a way to escape before they are processed for food.
The story
Set in the countryside of Yorkshire, the film centers on a group of British anthropomorphic chickens living on an egg farm structured like a prisoner-of-war camp. The farm is run by the cruel Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy, who plan to slaughter any chicken no longer able to lay eggs. The chickens, led by the rebellious Ginger, are constantly devising ways to escape. Their situation becomes dire when they learn the Tweedys plan to convert the farm into a profitable pie-making factory. The chickens' only hope lies with Rocky Rhodes, an American rooster who possesses the ability to fly, and their desperate attempt to learn his secrets before they are slaughtered.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a Yorkshire egg farm run by the cruel Tweedys, a group of chickens led by Ginger seek escape. They find hope in Rocky Rhodes, an American rooster who can fly. After a failed attempt to use a machine to escape, the chickens learn they are being fattened for a pie-making factory. Following a series of events including a dance party and the discovery of Rocky's true identity, the chickens decide to build an airplane based on stories from an elderly rooster, Fowler. They construct the plane while the Tweedys prepare the machinery. In a final frantic escape, the chickens successfully launch the plane. Ginger and Rocky manage to escape together, while the Tweedys are caught in an explosion of their own making. The film ends with the chickens and the two roosters settling into a new life at an island bird sanctuary.
- First release year
- 2000
- Runtime (minutes)
- 84
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Peter Lord; Nick Park
- Writers
- Karey Kirkpatrick · screenplay; Peter Lord · story; Nick Park · story
- Cast and characters
- Julia Sawalha · Ginger; Mel Gibson · Rocky; Tony Haygarth · Mr Tweedy; Miranda Richardson · Mrs Tweedy; Benjamin Whitrow · Fowler; Timothy Spall · Nick; Phil Daniels · Fetcher; Jane Horrocks · Babs; Imelda Staunton · Bunty; Lynn Ferguson · Mac
- Genres
- adventure; comedy
- Themes
- feminism; revolution; Marxism; veganism; fascism
- Tone and mood
- slapstick; adventure
- Premise and plot tags
- prison; aviation; animal rights
- Source material / true-story basis
- Inspired by prison escape films like 1963's The Great Escape.
- Franchise connections
- Chicken Run
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film in history at the time.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 88 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Production trivia
- Aardman's first feature-length film; The film was inspired by the 1963 film The Great Escape; The film was the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film in history at the time.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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