OVP: Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)

Film: Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)
Stars: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Omid Djalili
Director: Mark Burton and Richard Starzak
Oscar History: 1 nomination (Best Animated Feature)
Snap Judgment Ranking: 4/5 stars

Ahh, we've already kicked off the 2015 OVP, and I just noticed I still have a 2015 Oscar nominee sitting on my "to be reviewed" pile in my drafts, so we're quickly going to be getting this out.  I will also point out that you're going to be seeing a lot of reviews, some particularly late (from 2016 in particular) in the coming weeks as I attempt to get through this backlog of movies in my "to do" bucket.  I will try, to stay relevant, to bump any movies that are currently in theaters or in the news ahead in the queue, but if you're thinking "how is it that John hasn't reviewed that yet?" know that this is a question I've been asking myself, and trying to make right in the meantime.

(Spoilers Ahead) But enough about my process-it's high time we get to Shaun the Sheep, the forgotten 2015 Oscar-nominated film that I never got around to on this blog.  The movie takes place with no dialogue (there's lots of auditory sounds from the character, but no spoken words), and is in the classic vein of Aardman Animation, as it features very smart animals trying to stop greedy human characters, though in a nice twist they're doing so to save their farmer who has gone missing due to an accident involving his camper.

The picture is a series of capers, and since it has little dialogue, is really more a feast for the eyes than anything else, but one of Nick Park's finest characters doesn't disappoint as the movie itself is a visual delight.  Honestly-it's impossible not to laugh at the picture, where even some cliches of animation (such as animals dressing as humans and having the one decked as a lady get flirted with), still are a source of great fun.  The movie's opening scenes, involving the farmer's routine, are also a highlight, as is any time the sheep band together to try and create a prank or stunt.  Visual humor is an essential part of animation, but it's rarely done as well as Aardman continually achieves.  Yes, it relies a bit too much on body humor (I don't know how many times burping is going to be part of the "instant comedy" well for cartoons, but it's definitely alive-and-well here), but by-and-large the comedic set pieces work in the movie.

That being said, the film's lack of dialogue means that some of the limitations that are apparent in Nick Park's films, particularly a lack of gradual growth for most characters (visual humor relying on characters being consistent), is evident, and this doesn't remotely approach the genius of Aardman's finest work, Chicken Run, a movie that is still just as funny as when you first saw it.  I wish the house would challenge itself a bit more to make something so clever and inventive as they're clearly capable of a masterpiece, combining a witty script with a packed, beautiful stop-motion, but B+ pictures like Shaun the Sheep are hardly worth sneezing at, particularly when other once glorious animation houses (I'm looking at you Pixar) continually phone in their pictures.

Those are my thoughts on this twee but delightful little movie-how about yours?  Anyone want to defend this as one of Aardman's best, or do you think (like me), that it's more in the middle of the pack?  Do you think they'll have equal success with Early Man next year (and considering the dearth of animated contenders for Oscar this year, do you think they should have tried to give it a qualifying run)?  Share your thoughts below!