It’s been over two decades since Rocky and Ginger decided to fly the coop on Chicken Run, but it looks like their troubles with the Tweedys aren’t over yet. The sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is set to premiere on Friday December 15, in a new stop-motion animation adventure that will see the chickens taking action to ensure they don’t end up on someone’s plate. Critics had the opportunity to screen the movie ahead of its release, and while their overall impressions are mixed, they all seem to agree it fails to recreate the magic of 2000’s Chicken Run.
While a few members of the original voice cast are returning — including Miranda Richardson as Mrs. Tweedy — the winged main characters have seen change-ups, as Shazam!’s Zachary Levi replaces Mel Gibson as Rocky, and Thandiwe Newton has stepped in for Julia Sawalha as his now-wife Ginger. So let’s see what the critics are saying about Dawn of the Nugget. Neel Bhatt of Next Best Picture rates it a 7 out of 10, saying that while the sequel doesn't quite meet the quality of the original, it's a valiant attempt at creating something just as memorable. Bhatt writes:
It’s evident Chicken: Run Dawn of the Nugget was made by artists who love film, but most importantly, the original Chicken Run. Director Sam Fell… uses his experience and talent to create a new world for the chickens to conquer by working together, which is hugely entertaining and heartwarming. Some may have been worried that with such a large gap between the release of these films, some of the Aardman magic would have been lost. However, the special stop-motion practices they are known for are front and center.
Manuel São Bento of FandomWire also gives Dawn of the Nugget a 7 out of 10, noting that it retains the charm, sarcasm and impact of the beloved 2000 flick. It does, however, take a while to get going, and it repeats much of Chicken Run’s fundamental structure, the critic says. In his words:
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is a satisfying sequel that should please its target audience. The new cast bears the responsibility of successfully keeping the iconic characters recognizable while maintaining the unique charm of the original film. It takes time to get into the right rhythm and lacks greater narrative creativity, but the hilarious physical comedy and one-liners, stupendous animation, and unforgettable score remain intact elements in a world much larger than the previous chicken farm. Whether adults or children, nostalgic fans of the original or not, it’s an excellent family flick to watch during this Christmas season.
Sophie Monks Kaufman of IndieWire praises Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget for its visual innovation, but that’s about where it ends. The movie “falls fowl” of some standard sequel traps, and the pressure to live up to the previous movie permeates the atmosphere. Kaufman continues:
Dawn of the Nugget tees up universal questions on whether parenthood makes traumatized hypocrites out of us all, only to bench them in favor of a jamboree of slapstick larks and visual homages to other franchises — the joke being: those were live-action humans and here are some clay hens. While director Sam Fell continues the stop-motion brilliance of Peter Lord and Nick Park’s original, set pieces and winking homages are given primacy over character stakes leading to a somewhat grating emotional ride.
Jordan Hoffman of The Messenger, feels the movie is inevitably lacking that certain something that made its predecessor such a hit. But while there’s certainly more dazzling options for animated entertainment these days, it would be a shame for this movie to get overlooked. The critic rates it 6.6 out of 10, writing:
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is not essential cinema, or even generation-defining animation. It's more Penguins of Madagascar than Inside Out. But it is funny and under 90 minutes, and you probably already pay for Netflix.
Emma Kiely of Collider rates it a 5 out of 10, saying the movie panders to a universal yet childish audience, with no sharp quips or genuinely funny jokes. Especially when comparing it to the original, Dawn of the Nugget is not emblematic of what viewers expect from Aardman Animations. Kiely writes:
The style, tone, heart, and comedy of Aardman deserve better than Dawn of the Nugget’s formulaic story which doesn’t hold a candle to the original. If you’ve never seen Chicken Run and have no frame of reference, you and the kids will probably have a grand old hour and 40 minutes with this. For my fellow real ones out there who know that Aardman’s animation and these iconic characters deserve a story way better than this, it’s as unappetizing as dry chicken.
When it comes to excellent stop motion animated movies, Chicken Run is hard to beat, and the critics all seem to agree that Dawn of the Nugget doesn’t quite live up to the movie that blew everyone away in 2000. However, they also had great things to say about the production design, and many agree it’s still worth the watch. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget can be streamed with a Netflix subscription starting Friday, December 15, and check out what other movies are new and coming soon to Netflix.
