DVD Review: Shaun the Sheep on the Loose
Aardman Animation Produces Claymation Shaun the Sheep
Jun 24, 2009
Another day, another barnyard-based animated series. However, Aardman Animation's Shaun the Sheep stands out for one simple reason: it's funny. Really, really funny.
Spun off from the accidentally-shorn sheep in the 1995 Wallace and Gromit short "A Close Shave," Shaun the Sheep depicts the mischievous ruminant raising hell on a farm, trying to out-wit The Farmer and his canine sidekick Bitzer, and contending with littering campers, naughty pigs and Shirley, a fellow sheep who will eat anything.
Aardman Animation/HiT Entertainment Release Shaun the Sheep: Sheep on the Loose
What makes Shaun the Sheep stand out in a field of kiddie-friendly animation? The sharply-observed characters are a major plus. Aardman takes the time to develop the show's characters, not simply caricatures. The little details – pigs with a horror of pork sausages, Timmy's pacifier, Bitzer's fondness for tea and sandwiches – make a huge difference in helping the audience identify with these characters.
It helps that the slapstick is good-natured, and Shaun is mischievous, not cruel. Bitzer may often be the antagonist in these shorts, but Shaun ends up teaming up with the super-organized canine on more than a few occasions.
Pacing – an under-appreciated element in slapstick comedy – is another element of Shaun's success. Unlike other shows, which take a Gatling Gun approach (if you throw enough jokes at the screen, one of them will make people laugh), Shaun the Sheep is more careful about setting up their gags, holding off a little for a more satisfying pay-off. Gotta love the occasional shout-outs to adults, such as the Airplane! referencing gag in "Saturday Night Shaun" or the Jaws riff in "If You Can't Stand the Heat." Like many jokes, a little reference humour goes a long way.
If there is a criticism of this DVD, it's that there are serious volume issues, especially between the trailers and the episodes. Parents will want to keep a hand on the remote control to (a) be able to hear the various sound effects, and (b) avoid blasting eardrums when the levels unexpectedly jump.
DVD Extras
Other than those unavoidable trailers for other HiT and Aardman shows, there are two featurettes included with Sheep on the Loose.
"The Mini-Making of Shaun" gives a behind-the-scenes look at how Aardman animates the series. Despite (or perhaps, because of) the child-friendly slant of this featurette, it's highly informative, explaining the ins-and-outs of creating stop-motion animation, whether it's showing armatures (the skeleton of a stop-motion character) or showing how many frames of animation go into a second of film.
FYI: there are 12 frames of film per second in an Aardman production. It's small wonder that the feature film Wallace and Gromit in Curse of the Were-Rabbit took 5 years to make.
In "Building a Pig," Aardman model maker Harriet Thomas demonstrates for a group of pre-schoolers how to make a pig out of plasticine.
The Final Analysis
If you're a fan of Wallace and Gromit, or Aardman Animation's idea of funny, then Shaun the Sheep: Sheep on the Loose is a no-brainer. Even though it's aimed at the 4 - 7 year old age group, adults will find themselves laughing at the brilliant animation and slapstick comedy. It's that rare DVD that's a laugh riot for both children and their parents.
Shaun the Sheep: Sheep on the Loose gets a 9/10.
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