A large part of Shaun The Sheep Movie’s charm lies in the fact that this is practically a silent comedy. Though there’s a busy soundtrack of bleats, bangs, thuds, barks, howls and mumbles, there is no actual dialogue. The comedy is visual, rendered in Aardman’s signature stop-motion style, blending puppets with animated, sometimes actual backgrounds.

Shaun the Sheep has a fun story that subtly extols the virtues of a simple life and appreciating what you have rather than craving the greener grass on the other side. It also touches on themes of loyalty and compassion. A heartwarming, fun, smart experience is kneaded into a simple, delightful and insightful story.

Overall, this film will literally appeal to the whole family. While the children will giggle and enjoy the antics, the adult audiences will be awestruck by the finer nuances of the characters and the homage paid to some older films. A definite holiday weekend treat for the younger ones!

Shaun the Sheep Movie is, without exaggeration, as close to perfection as an animated comedy can get. And it works because everything from the storyline to the character delineation to the animation technique retains an elemental simplicity that marks a throwback to a lost age of innocence in filmmaking history.

After 130 seven-minute television episodes, starting eight years ago, Shaun the Sheep has made it to the big screen. Despite the size and the scale (85 minutes), and the transition to the big city, directors-screenwriters Mark Burton and Richard Starzak retain the innocence about a flock of sheep and their beloved farmer, down to the no-frills stop-motion animation and the no-words story but for some baas and murmurs.

Richly detailed, the dialogue-free adventure serves as a tribute to the visual ingenuity of silent cinema. Even though it tends to lurch about at times, the script manages to convey a cavalcade of emotions through expressive character design and a clever use of bleats, growls and mumbles.

Take your kid to this one or watch it to relive the time you were a kid and enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. And yes, don’t miss the end credits!

‘Shaun the Sheep’ ultimately is a reminder that the simplest form of storytelling is the most attention grabbing and satisfying. Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’ proved that a children’s film can also be incredibly smart and cerebral, ‘Shaun the Sheep’ on the other hand proves smart filmmaking is all one needs to deliver a very good film. Whether you have kids or not, this one is a must watch. ‘Inside Out’ has serious competition at the Oscars this year.

Watch this with your kids over the weekend for the goofy antics of Shaun and his crew. They will love it! Crisp and genuine, Shaun The Sheep is a sweet film, and quite unlike the usual animation comedies we get these days.

There are a few clever messages slipped into the story. Such as the subtle impart that (in Shaun’s case) with freedom comes responsibility. There are other poignant moments, like a scene where stray animals are put up for adoption, and we see via their actions just how keen they are to be welcomed into a new home. All in all, fun viewing for kids.