Chicken Run

Directed by: Peter Lord, Nick Park
Screenplay by: Karey Kirkpatrick
Story by: Peter Lord, Nick Park
Produced By: Peter Lord, David Sproxton, Nick Park
Starring: Phil Daniels. Lynn Ferguson. Mel Gibson. Tony Haygarth. Jane Horrocks. Miranda Richardson. Julia Sawalha. Timothy Spall. Imelda Staunton. Benjamin Whitrow
Music by: John Powell, Harry Gregson-Williams
Production Company: Aardman Animations, DreamWorks Animation, Allied Filmmakers (uncredited), Pathé
Release date: 23 June 2000 (United States), 30 June 2000 (United Kingdom)

Plot: A group of British anthropomorphic chickens live on an egg farm set up like a World War II Nazi German Concentration Camp. The farm is run by the cruel Mrs. Tweedy and her oafish-but-smarter husband Mr. Tweedy, who kill and eat any chicken that is no longer able to lay eggs. The chickens try to escape frequently, but are always caught. Frustrated at the minuscule and declining profits that the farm generates, Mrs. Tweedy gets an idea of converting the farm to automated production and having a machine turn the chickens into meat pies. Mr. Tweedy suspects the chickens’ sapience and wonders if they are plotting something, but Mrs. Tweedy dismisses his theories.

One day, the chickens' leader, Ginger, witnesses an American rooster named Rocky Rhodes crash-land in the farm's coop; the chickens put his damaged wing in a cast and hide him from the Tweedys. Interested in Rocky's apparent flying abilities, Ginger begs him to help teach her and the chickens to fly. Rocky gives them training lessons while Mr. Tweedy builds the pie machine. Later that night, Rocky holds a dance party when his wing is healed; Ginger insists he demonstrates flying the next day, but Mr. Tweedy finishes the pie machine and puts Ginger in it for a test run. Rocky saves her and inadvertently sabotages the machine, buying them time to warn the chickens and plan an escape from the farm. The next day, Ginger finds Rocky has left, leaving behind part of a poster revealing him as a former cannon stunt actor who is unable to fly, depressing her and the others. Elderly rooster Fowler tries to cheer them up by telling stories of his time in the Royal Air Force, giving Ginger the idea to create a plane to flee the farm.

Review: With a combined determination to avoid ending up in a pie and wanting to be free; the chickens build a plane. The escape and the challenges to make it work are all part of the films classic ending. They even ask the age old question, which came first the chicken or the egg. This is a feel good movie. One that has good moralisitc messages about self confidence in the face of adversity. The whole family should enjoy it.