Has anyone seen this? I think Jonno said he had and thought it was good. Anyone else?

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2000

Answers

My 7-y-o Expert Summariser thought it was brilliant but then she's a movie nut.

I thought it was good, well worth seeing, but not in the "essential" category. I found myself admiring the cleverness of the way it is made and the cleverness of the Great Escape references, rather than enjoying it particularly for it's own sake. Best joke for me is when they have assembled the chicken pie machine and are about to test it out. Mrs Tweedie's numbskull husband enquires, "What is it?"

"It's a pie machine. Chickens go in here and pies come out here"

"Pies? What sort of pies?"

"Apple" snorts Mrs Tweedie with considerable contempt.

Tara's favourite bit is when the chicken's plane is about to take off (I don't think it's a true story) and advice is being given to the passengers.

"In the likely event of an emergency, place your head between your legs -"

"And kiss your bum goodbye" comes the interruption. In fact this has been Tara's fave joke for some weeks now and she shows little sign of tiring of telling it. (-;

My favourite kids movie this year so far is The Tigger Movie followed by Toy Story 2 and then Stuart Little. My Expert Summariser will watch any of these at the drop of a full carton of popcorn (large).

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2000

Thumbs up here, I think I enjoyed it more than the bairns but at aged 2 & 4, I think some of the pathos of the plot was lost, they are more into the slapstick of Muppets in Space. The Tigger Movie did not disappoint but Disney will never re-capture the innocence of the original "Silly ol bear". Toy Story 2 every bit as good as the 1st. Stuart Little - brilliant but I shouldn't have to tell my kids I have something in my eye every 5 mins.

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2000

I quite enjoyed Chicken Run..but then I'm just a big kid anyway. I knew there were alot of references to old war movies, but as I've not really watched them I didn't get those subleties. I did love the cleverness of it and how they could bring clay to life so well. I was also the only one in the theatre laughing at many places cause some of the Brit humour went right over the heads of an early afternoon suburban American audience. The line a friend and I uttered at each other for weeks afterwards was "But I don't want to be a pie!". Worth a see, Dougal. :-)

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2000

I thought it was great Dougal......first third was a bit slow at times but overall definetly worth seeing. Loved the bit when Ginger was in the piemaking machine!

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2000

Thanks all - am going to go and see it this evening after these testimonials.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2000