Chicken Run

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Chicken Run ★★★½ 2000 (G)

It's a prisoner-of-war escape movie with chickens. This Claymation wonder is a comedy set on a failing 1950s Yorkshire chicken farm, where the hens realize their necks are literally on the chopping block when greedy farm wife, Mrs. Tweedy (Richardson), decides to go into the chicken pie business. So chicken leader, Ginger (Sawalha), tries to find a workable mass escape plan. And then daredevil Yankee rooster Rocky (Gibson) literally drops into the barnyard and Ginger believes he can teach all the hens to fly out. Chickens are just funny and you'll be amazed at what the animators have managed to make them do and how expressive they are. 86m/C VHS, DVD . GBD: Nick Park, Peter Lord; W: Karey Kirkpatrick; M: John Powell, Harry Gregson-Williams; V: Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Miranda Richardson, Jane Hor-rocks, Tony Haygarth, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, Phil Daniels, Benjamin Whitrow, Lynn Ferguson.