Movie with Abe: Shaun the Sheep Movie (Capsule Review)

Shaun the Sheep Movie
Directed by Mark Burton and Richard Starzak
Released August 5, 2015

One of this year’s Golden Globe nominees for Best Animated Feature and a probable Oscar contender for the same prize is this rather random film whose title seems extremely foreign until it becomes clear that Shaun the Sheep is a character born from the “Wallace and Gromit” universe who also exists in stop-motion form. This fully entertaining 85-minute adventure contains no discernable dialogue and manages to remain enthralling and enjoyable for the whole of its runtime as it follows Shaun on a quest to right his wrongs and rescue his amnesiac farmer after his antics get him, his flock, and most crucially his farmer into trouble far from the farm they all knew so well. It may not have the universal appeal of “Inside Out,” but this animated film is a strong presentation of animation and a cool, great-looking way to tell a story that’s remarkably simple yet manages to captivate without a single understandable word.

B+