Early Man (2018)

Director: Nick Park
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams
Runtime: 89 minutes

Synopsis: A tribe of cavemen must defend their valley in a game of football against a more advanced civilization. 

Animation: 6/10

Performances: 5/10
Screenplay: 2/10
Editing: 6/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 3/10

Verdict: This is the first time I watch an Aardman film, who is most known for their stop-motion animated films ("Wallace and Gromit", "Chicken Run"). And I won't be running to see the next one. I'm a huge fan of stop-motion animation which I feel is the perfect blend of animation and live action, but this particular project, while having okay clay work, didn't feel as genuine as some other movies I have watched that fall in the same category. The whole film was targetted for a younger demographic, of which I don't really belong in, and is filled with childish and safe jokes that will probably satisfy children watching. Other than that, the whole story felt a bit cheesy and not really aimed at adults. It doesn't take any risks and uses a lot of clichés that I found distracting, such as the pet of the main character acting like a dog for some reason despite being a hog. It also follows the same formula of every sports movie involving an outsider and a clear favorite. There are much better stop-motion animated films out there that I'd recommend over this one, such as "Fantastic Mr. Fox" or "Anomalisa", but "Early Man" is the movie to watch if your children are looking for a light film that will keep them entertained for an hour and a half.

Final Grade: 4/10