Chicken Run

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="04000500dvldtc.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Reel Movie Critic.com</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reel Movie Critic.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id235.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The 6th Day"><U>The 6th Day</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="28 Days"><U>28 Days</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id321.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="42 UP"><U>42 UP</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id687.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="102 Dalmatians "><U>102 Dalmatians </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Adventures of Felix"><U>Adventures of Felix</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id140.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle"><U>The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id933.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A.I. Artificial Intelligence"><U>A.I. Artificial Intelligence</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id535.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Alice Martin"><U>Alice & Martin</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1134.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="All over the Guy"><U>All over the Guy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id175.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="All The Pretty Horses"><U>All The Pretty Horses</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id573.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Almost Famous"><U>Almost Famous</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1228.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Amelie"><U>Amelie</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id934.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Americas Sweethearts"><U>America's Sweethearts</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1043.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="American Pie 2"><U>American Pie 2</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id160.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="American Pimp"><U>American Pimp</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id111.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="American Psycho"><U>American Psycho</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1176.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="An American Rhapsody"><U>An American Rhapsody</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id694.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Amores Perros "><U>Amores Perros     </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Angel Eyes"><U>Angel Eyes</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1090.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Anniversary Party"><U>The Anniversary Party</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id330.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Art of War"><U>Art of War</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id127.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Astronauts Wife"><U>The Astronaut's Wife</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id572.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bait"><U>Bait</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id617.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bamboozled"><U>Bamboozled</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Battlefield Earth"><U>Battlefield Earth</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id609.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Beautiful"><U>Beautiful</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id619.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Best In Show"><U>Best In Show</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id177.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bedazzled"><U>Bedazzled</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id946.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Before Night Falls"><U>Before Night Falls</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id126.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Big Kahuna"><U>The Big Kahuna</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Big Mommas House"><U>Big Momma's House</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id622.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Billy Elliot"><U>Billy Elliot</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id356.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blood Simple"><U>Blood Simple</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id234.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bless The Child"><U>Bless The Child</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id229.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Boiler Room"><U>Boiler Room</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id236.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bounce"><U>Bounce</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id328.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bring It On"><U>Bring It On</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1318.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Business of Strangers"><U>The Business of Strangers</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id340.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Butterfly"><U>Butterfly</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1036.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bye Bye Africa"><U>Bye Bye Africa</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1296.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bye Bye Babylon"><U>Bye Bye Babylon</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1028.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Calle 54"><U>Calle 54</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1130.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Captain Corellis Mandolin"><U>Captain Corelli's Mandolin</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id757.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cast Away"><U>Cast Away</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id359.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Catfish in Black Bean Sauce"><U>Catfish in Black Bean Sauce</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1041.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cats and Dogs"><U>Cats and Dogs</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id966.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cavemans Valentine"><U>Caveman's Valentine</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1264.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Celibidache"><U>Celibidache</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id163.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Cell"><U>The Cell</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1005.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Center of the World"><U>Center of the World</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id101.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Center Stage"><U>Center Stage</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1198.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Charcoal People"><U>The Charcoal People</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id688.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Charlies Angels "><U>Charlie's Angels </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id679.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chicago International Film Festival 2000"><U>Chicago International Film Festival 2000</U></A>   |   <B>Chicken Run</B>   |   <A HREF="id753.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chocolat"><U>Chocolat</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1073.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chopper"><U>Chopper</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id887.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chunhyang"><U>Chunhyang</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id557.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chuck Buck"><U>Chuck & Buck</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1014.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chutney Popcorn"><U>Chutney Popcorn</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id166.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Color of Paradise"><U>The Color of Paradise</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id614.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Contender"><U>The Contender</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id178.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Coyote Ugly"><U>Coyote Ugly</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id605.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crime and Punishment in Suburbia"><U>Crime and Punishment in Suburbia</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id749.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"><U>Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id295.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Croupier"><U>Croupier</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id131.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Cup"><U>The Cup</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id595.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dancer In The Dark"><U>Dancer In The Dark</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id137.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Disneys The Kid"><U>Disney's The Kid</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id958.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Double Take"><U>Double Take</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id947.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Down To Earth"><U>Down To Earth</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1018.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dr. Doolittle 2"><U>Dr. Doolittle 2</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id616.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dr. T and The Women"><U>Dr. T and The Women</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id944.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dracula 2000"><U>Dracula 2000</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1170.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Dream Catcher"><U>The Dream Catcher</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dinosaur"><U>Dinosaur</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id962.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Driven"><U>Driven</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id251.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Drowning Mona"><U>Drowning Mona</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id333.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Duets"><U>Duets</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id977.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="An Everlasting Piece"><U>An Everlasting Piece</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id755.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Family Man"><U>Family Man</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id809.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Finding Forrester"><U>Finding Forrester</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="041d2c00dvldtc.png"> <div> <B>Home Pages For</B></div> <div> <B>                </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/"><U><B>Movies</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>                    </B><A HREF="http://www.newbookdiscounts.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.newbookdiscounts.com/"><U><B>Books</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>                       </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id364.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Travel</B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id361.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Great Web Sites</B></U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0f18fda0.png" border=0 width="143" height="218" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> Chicken Run</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="501" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 146 WIDTH="495"><div> <IMG SRC="1266658c0.jpg" border=0 width="101" height="140" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00003CXJ4/reelmoviecriticc">Buy DVD from Amazon.com</A>  </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="491" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="487"><div> ***1/2 (G)   </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="487"><div> Reviewed By George O. Singleton</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="487"><div> <I><B>The Patriot is a Chicken</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ROWS" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Rocky: Mel Gibson</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Mrs. Tweedy: Miranda Richardson</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Ginger: Julie Sawalha</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Mr. Tweedy: Tony Haygarth</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Director: Peter Lord and Nick Park</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="304" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: Using a cartoon format, with chicken characters made of realistic looking 3D clay, this film puts us in the hen house with chickens that want to escape from a fenced in egg farm. This takes on a greater sense of urgency when the owners decide to change it to a farm that makes chicken pot pies!</div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> Ginger (Julie Sawalha) wants freedom for herself and her  friends so they can live the way they want, where they want. Things tend to be routine as long as the egg production is high. When it's not, that chicken is subject to become a meal for the farm managers, Mr. & Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson & Tony Haygarth). </div> <bR> <div> Mrs. Tweedy is a sour looking woman who goose steps like a Nazi, holds inspections military style, and in general is a mean person. She also keeps the books, and is unhappy about how little money they are making. Seeing an ad one day for farmers to make chicken pot pies, she orders machinery for the process.</div> <bR> <div> Mr. Tweedy is a dim wit, but the bulb burns bright enough for him to suspect that the chickens are not as dumb as Mrs. Tweedy believes. He thinks they have elaborate plans to escape, and he is right. As in a concentration camp of the 1940's, the "prisoners" use creative ways to not get caught. This is <I>Life is Beautiful </I>for kids.</div> <bR> <div> Ginger has tried to escape numerous times, but always gets captured, because her partners are not as astute as she is. She refuses to leave by herself. One day Rocky (Mel Gibson) is sailing through the sky and lands in the chicken coop. He is famous as the flying chicken, and Ginger recruits him to teach them all how to fly as their means of escape. Clearly there is the seed of a romantic relationship, but Ginger cares about others, and Rocky is all for himself. The final escape plan is creative and realistic, considering that we are talking about chickens.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: There is a different level of commitment between laying an egg, and making a chicken pot pie. One can be done many times, and the other only once.  The storytelling is strong and the animated scenes of the chicken pot pie machine are fascinating. <I>Chicken Run </I>is one of those rare films, like <I>Galaxy Quest, </I>where an adult sees one film and a child sees another. It's funny for kids and more serious for adults. </div> <bR> <div> These chickens want to escape more than anything in the world. They believe they can fly, when they follow Rocky in his boot camp training exercises and he says, "Pain is your friend". Meaningful sayings are heard such as " …ladies please…let's not loose our heads"; and,  "I want to die free or die trying." </div> <bR> <div> My hat is off to the directors for making a movie for kids that contains serious subject matter that parents can talk about with them after the show. </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="490" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="486"><div> G (animals in danger; chicken killed off screen)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="486"><div> George O. Singleton © 2000</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="486"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>George@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Mini Filmography </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ROWS" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Mel Gibson: "Payback"</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Miranda  Richardson: "Sleepy Hollow"</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Julie Sawalha: "Ain't  Misbehavin"- TV</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Tony Haygarth: "The Woodlanders"</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Peter Lord: "Wat's Pig"</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Nick Park: "Wallace & Gromit"</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="502" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="496"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="496" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="499" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="493"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="493" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>