Early Man (2018)

Set in the Stone Age, Early man tells the tale of young Dug’s mission to save his tribe’s home, after Lord Nooth tries to take over their valley to mine.

This film really is as basic as that, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just means that there wasn’t much to work with because of how the script was written. Unlike other recent animated films, this film doesn’t really have a message… Like Pixar’s Coco for example, this attempts to teach children that your family are important, and this is strong throughout the film. With Early Man we get a glimpse at the end that you will do anything you can for what is important to you. Regardless, if this is the case, you aren’t constantly reminded throughout.

The story was a bit lacklustre, and honestly – I couldn’t believe that the whole thing was about football. I genuinely had no idea, which I guess is good that this much wasn’t given away before hand. Even though I don’t care about football – it was a surprise. 

The comedy in this film was average. I definitely heard some children laughing throughout, but there wasn't much in the way of original comedy. The comedy that was present was very clever, and incorporated the time period well, but it was a bit hit and miss. That doesn't mean it wasn't entertaining, but again it was something that was average in this script. 

Similarly, the score was perfectly fine. To be honest, there wasn't much that could have been done differently here. It was simple, and it worked. It suited the era that this film is set in, and it creation enough tension, sadness, excitement, or joy, as it was needed.

As with all animated films – it’s hard to judge the acting. Voice acting you get what you’re given sometimes and it’s fine. I was happy with the choices for this though, and I couldn’t really imagine another person taking on these roles. Although I could hear that Eddie Redmayne was the voice of Dug, he managed to adapt his voice to make it suit his role. The same goes for Timothy Spall, and Tom Hiddleston, I had no idea which character he was playing before seeing this, and his voice worked perfectly. The accent that was created for Lord Nooth was a chunk of strange genius. Richard Ayoade’s voice is the perfect voice for a childish cave man, and Johnny Vegas certainly knows how to make someone sound dumb.

The star of the show though is the animation itself. Aardman animations have a special place in my heart, not only from growing up watching Wallace and Gromit, Angry Kid, Creature Comforts, and continually watching Chicken Run. But also, being from Bristol, I’m rooting for those guys! The team must be full of patience and passion, and it really shows in the editing. I found myself paying attention to each individual hair on Hognob’s body, the movements of each character’s eyes, and the intricate details of the animals.

                                     

As a film, it wasn’t bad. As a kid’s film, it was probably better. From an artistic point of view, it was impressive.

5/10

CINEMATES - S