A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

 I must make a few apologies. 

First is for something in my Early Man review. A trailer for this about to be reviewed film played during that movie in 2018. I erroneously thought it didn't have a clear title. But it did: A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon. It didn't register as a title for some reason. 

Anyway, the second apology is for not seeing this sooner (it debuted on Netflix in February of last year). It's a real breather from the heavy dramas about to pile up my schedule.

Our hero is Shaun the Sheep, a bit character from the Wallace and Gromit shorts that got his own franchise. He had his own movie once (which I never saw in theaters) and it got an Oscar nomination. This is his second movie, which debuted in UK Cinemas in 2019. And it got a BAFTA nomination. Fortunately, it's still eligible for an Oscar nomination, one of 27 films eligible this protracted year.

This time, Shaun gets a surprise visitor to his farm: an alien puppy named Lu-la. Lu-la took her parents' spaceship for a ride and got stuck on Earth. She needs Shaun's help to find her ship's remote so she can get home. But  Agent Red of the Ministry of Alien Detection (MAD) wants to make Lu-la's stay permanent. But her hazmat goons mistake Bitzer the Dog for an alien and they go after him.

Meanwhile, Shaun's Farmer decides to take advantage of the UFO-craze in their town. He plans to make an alien theme park called Farmageddon. That's where they meet for their final slapstick confrontation.

Slapstick moves the plot along. The cast communicates in grunts and grumbles. The only intelligible name is the one in the title. But you'll understand who's who in terms of story role. The plasticine characters have such lively personalities. You don't need to be familiar with the franchise to understand this plot. There are some sci-fi homages that need some familiarity, though. It's a goofy and fun romp that keeps things going for 87 minutes. Its ending was nice, too.

And for the technicals. Lu-la and her race are appealing alien life. Who wouldn't want a plush of her? There's some cool CGI to visualize her weird powers. An impressive display is a burp so loud it's heard in Africa. There's also some great CGI to visualize outer space. Watch it on the biggest TV you can find. Tom Howe's lively score fits the slapstick perfectly; it's also majestic when conveying Lu-la's powers and outer space.

It's been almost a year and Farmageddon is still on Netflix. Anyone looking for a light home matinee will get their money's worth. It's sure to entertain kids and adults alike. It may even motivate one to seek out the Shaun the Sheep TV series, the earlier film or any of the Wallace and Gromit toons. And levity is always needed for times like this.