Today’s quick review: Early Man. Dug (Eddie Redmayne) leads a simple existence as part of a rabbit-hunting Stone Age tribe. But their peaceful existence is threatened when Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston), the bronze-loving leader of a technologically developed city, takes over their valley for use in a mining operation. To win back their home, Dug and his tribe challenge the invaders’ champions to a game of their sacred sport: football.
Early Man is a stop-motion sports comedy from the creators of Wallace and Gromit. Early Man mashes up the unlikely subjects of cavemen and soccer in a family-friendly satire of modern living. The movie offers impressive stop-motion animation, a steady stream of slapstick, and feel-good British humor. However, it lacks the heart and wit of Aardman’s previous offerings, making it an enjoyable but insubstantial watch.
The one aspect of the movie that hurts it the most is its inability to keep a straight face. Almost every joke is accompanied by a reaction from one of the characters, usually a chuckle or a cringe. These cues are likely an attempt to make the movie easier for children to follow, but in practice they slow the movie down and undercut its delivery. Early Man also plays heavily on British football culture, a topic American audiences may not appreciate.
Early Man does deliver a number of good laughs. Dug’s harmless tribe opens up plenty of slapstick opportunities, their Flinstones-esque replacements for modern conveniences are good fun, and the story works well enough as a bare-bones version of the underdog sports comedy. Early Man would benefit from more memorable characters and a few more top-notch jokes, but what’s there is enough to make it an entertaining diversion.
Give Early Man a watch if you’re in the mood for something light and overtly silly. Aardman fans may be disappointed in the quality of its humor, but those who go in with an open mind will enjoy themselves nonetheless. Skip it if you’re looking for note-perfect humor or a moving plot. For an Aardman movie of similar quality, check out Flushed Away. For another sports comedy, check out Space Jam or Shaolin Soccer.
6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for good humor with mixed delivery.