It's no secret I'm a fan of well-done animated programs. Whether they were done in the 1940s or in just the last few years, it really doesn't matter so long as they are fun and tell a good story. The style is less important, though I tend to enjoy good old two-dimensional hand-drawn animation and classic stop-motion more than computer-generated "pixel fests." With a good story and passionate people working to bring that story to life, a great team can do almost anything with animation in any style.
That said, I am also a fan of old-school humor. Slapstick from artists like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, and even the Three Stooges can be used not only to entertain audiences with wild physical antics, but can also offer social commentary in a non-confrontational way. The greats didn't even need dialogue, just exaggerated facial and physical expressions to show action and emotion.
When you mix great animation, storytelling, and slapstick humor together, you can end up with something very special. Shaun the Sheep is one of those projects from Aardman Animation, the same folks who brought Wallace & Gromit to life. Using stop-motion, claymation techniques these brilliant folks bring an entire farmyard to life with a flock of sheep, three naughty pigs, a barnyard dog, and a clueless farmer. Without any speech at all beyond the lyrics of the theme song, each five minute episode tells a complete story with humor suitable for both kids and adults.
The latest DVD, Shaun the Sheep - The Big Chase, pulls together seven episodes of fun mayhem on Shaun's farm. The episodes include everything from a runaway sheep on an ATV and a monster from the swamp to a runaway boat and rare migrating zebra ducks.
One of my favorites was the title episode for the DVD - "The Big Chase," in which Timmy (the baby sheep of the flock) went for a joy ride on the Farmer's new toy - a four-wheel ATV. Bitzer, the Farmer's faithful dog, was supposed to be guarding it but Timmy was sneaky. And once he got the motor started, it was off to the races! Bitzer and Shaun tried to catch the ATV after stealing a motorcycle from a pizza delivery guy. The pigs tore off in a convertible to cause more chaos. And we got to see town nearby the farm for the first time I can remember. After they finally stopped the ATV, the Farmer, dressed in his finest riding leathers and helmet, gave it a spin and didn't do nearly as well as the baby sheep!
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