In a sentenceThe sheep manage perfectly well without dialogue; the pop songs could have taken the hint
Shaun (Justin Fletcher) finds his farmyard routine interrupted by an alien visitor, Lu-La (Amalia Vitale). Bitzer and the Farmer (both voiced by John Sparkes) are among the familiar inhabitants, while Agent Red (Kate Harbour) joins the adventure. Everyday farmyard mischief gives way to science-fiction encounters as Shaun and Lu-La share the screen. The characters communicate through noises and gestures rather than spoken dialogue, with signs, pictures and physical mishaps carrying the story. Shaun’s fellow sheep include Timmy (Justin Fletcher), Nuts (Andy Nyman) and Shirley (Rich Webber).
Plays from YouTube when you press play; nothing loads from them until then.
Will Becher and Richard Phelan’s sheep-and-alien adventure is funny, gentle and carefully made. The science-fiction story is familiar and the songs sometimes intrude, but the incidental jokes make this an easy family recommendation.
Will Becher and Richard Phelan make A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon a funny, kindly family adventure, with enough care in the small jokes to justify the familiar science-fiction story. We recommend it, provided a fresh plot is not the evening’s main requirement. The pleasure is in watching stop-motion characters get a laugh without stopping to explain themselves. The farmyard business remains the strongest material, even when the film offers a larger adventure. At 87 minutes, it has the good sense not to make too much of the occasion.
The wordless storytelling gives the performers an unusual job. Justin Fletcher’s Shaun and Amalia Vitale’s Lu-La have to be understood through sounds and movement, with John Sparkes voicing both the Farmer and Bitzer. The vocal performances leave room for the animation, rather than trying to do all the work themselves. We laughed most at the small background gags, because the film lets us notice them without pausing the main action to demand applause. That restraint makes it worth looking around the frame instead of simply waiting for the next large mishap.
Charles Copping’s cinematography makes the stop-motion figures feel solid and keeps their movements easy to read. Matt Perry’s production design rewards attention to the surroundings, where incidental jokes can compete with the main business. The handmade detail matters because it makes this unlikely company feel settled in a shared place. There is enough to look at without the frame becoming exhausting, and enough space for a small movement to register. The science-fiction material receives the same care, though the farm has more personality.
Sim Evan-Jones’s editing gives the slapstick time to register before moving on, and the jokes benefit from that patience. Physical comedy needs us to understand what is happening, then gives us a moment to anticipate the trouble. Here, the cutting generally respects both steps, which helps keep the action accessible without making it sluggish. Tom Howe supplies the score, but the pop-song passages are less welcome: the montages briefly replace comic development with a ready-made burst of cheer. The film is cheerful enough without being prompted by a song.
Mark Burton and Jon Brown’s screenplay is less persuasive when it leans on familiar science-fiction references. Recognising a borrowed idea provides a small pleasure, but it does not necessarily produce a joke, and some of these nods feel easier than the farmyard comedy. Lu-La is appealing company without becoming a particularly substantial character. That limits how much feeling the adventure can gather around her, even when the animation is working hard. The story stays pleasant and predictable, with the finer invention happening in the incidental business.
Against the usual demands of a family comedy, the film gets the important things right: clear action, distinct personalities and enough visual humour to work across ages. It is particularly good at allowing adults and children to enjoy the same joke, rather than alternating between audiences. The gentle tone leaves plenty of room for silliness. We would choose it for a shared evening when nobody wants a film that talks at them. Keep an eye on the background.
Most critics find Farmageddon a warm, funny family adventure, with praise centred on the painstaking stop-motion animation and precisely timed visual comedy. The reviews repeatedly single out small background gags, tactile detail and wordless storytelling that works across ages and languages. Its science-fiction references are generally welcomed as a playful addition to Shaun’s farmyard routines, with the Spielberg homages drawing particular approval.
The reservations concern familiarity and character more than craftsmanship, with responses ranging from enthusiastic to mildly disappointed rather than hostile. /Film finds the science-fiction parody predictable, while Vulture considers the character details more routine and the sequel less memorable than its predecessor. Several reviews also question the music cues or find that musical montages interrupt the pace. Even among the less persuaded critics, the animation and sight gags retain admirers; the disagreement is chiefly over how much invention supports them.
Nugent finds the film a sweet, effortlessly likeable, reliably enjoyable adventure. He especially praises its stop-motion craft, visual gags, sci-fi references and witty wordplay.
Read the full review →Lodge finds the sequel delightful and cheerfully offbeat, with its gentle sci-fi twist refreshing Shaun’s familiar farmyard antics. He especially praises the stop-motion slapstick, comic timing, and witty incidental gags, though the pop-heavy soundtrack feels out of place.
Read the full review →Ehrlich praises the film as charming, funny, and appealing across generations, calling it a delightful continuation of Aardman’s handcrafted style. He particularly singles out the tactile stop-motion detail and Spielberg homages, though music montages briefly disrupt the story’s momentum.
Read the full review →Johnston finds the film a warm, amusing success, with enough gags to entertain across generations. He praises the beautifully timed slapstick and the carefully crafted stop-motion details.
Read the full review →The review finds the sequel cheerful and successful, carrying forward the series’ jolliness and English eccentricity. It especially praises the Spielbergian sci-fi twist, delivered with characteristic Aardman charm.
Read the full review →Clarke finds it a charming, daft family adventure that successfully raises the stakes with a Spielbergian sci-fi story. She praises the frequent sight gags, though she feels some of Shaun’s world loses personality in the sci-fi setting.
Read the full review →
The Wrong Trousers · not reviewed yetMore tightly wound stop-motion mischief, with household routines feeding an elaborate chase.
E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialA more emotionally involving alien friendship, with the same concern for getting along.
My Neighbour TotoroGentle encounters with strange creatures, where patient observation matters more than busy plotting.
A Town Called Panic · not reviewed yetFor anyone who would like the stop-motion household disorder considerably less restrained.
The Red Balloon · not reviewed yetAnother largely wordless friendship with an unlikely companion, told through movement and colour.
