A SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE: FARMAGEDDON: A Disappointing Aardman Adventure

When a blockbuster franchise runs out of ideas, it normally does one of two things; take the characters on a vacation to switch up the tired formula, or propel the characters into space. For the sequel to 2015’s delightful Shaun the Sheep Movie, Aardman have opted for the latter option, crafting a slapstick sci-fi romp that mostly trades spending time on the farm for an E.T indebted adventure – complete with a plethora of gags nodding to sci-fi classics, ranging from Close Encounters to Arrival.

Far-Meh-Geddon

The film has all the distinctively British charm we’ve come to expect from the Bristolian animation studio, but the high rate of inspired gags from the previous farmyard outing aren’t carried over here. Instead, for what is only the second entry in this franchise, there are already signs of confusion as to where to take the simple, child-friendly premise of animals causing mayhem on the farm.

The story is mostly constructed via overt references to classic sci-fi blockbusters, and even those loving nods feel devised as an afterthought. Nothing in the film detracts from my assumption that somebody at the studio coined the term “Farmageddon” as a gag, and the team started racing to reverse engineer a story that would fit that title. As a result, Aardman’s latest is less Farmageddon, more Far-meh-geddon.

Shaun and his pals on the farm are causing havoc for sheepdog Bitzer, taking part in prohibited activities like firing each other from canons and archery, instead of being obedient sheep. One evening, Shaun breaks into the farmer’s house to order pizza – and unbeknownst to him, a UFO has landed in the forest next to the pizza restaurant.

An alien known as Lu-La hides in the delivery, and finds itself waking up on Shaun’s farm, with Shaun taking it upon himself to take the alien back across town to its spaceship, evading the capture of a Men in Black-style team investigating UFO sightings. Meanwhile, the whole town has gone UFO crazy, with the farmer aiming to cash in by turning his farm into an alien themed carnival named “Farmageddon”.

One of the film’s central issues is that the subplot is funnier and more inspired that the main story, an E.T parody that has been done to death in the decades since Spielberg’s film was released. The farmer’s get rich quick scheme of transforming his farm into an alien inspired theme park leads to the best slapstick gags – and the best pop culture reference of all, a sustained chase set piece that reveals itself to be nothing more than the build up to a simple but effective punchline nodding to M. Night Shymalan’s Signs.

But this more oddball subplot barely features, with a primary focus on Shawn’s hijinks trying to get Lu-La back its spaceship. This uninspired narrative thread offers a lesser variation on the farm animals in the big city romp done much better in the previous outing, as well as numerous recycled plot beats that have been regurgitated by many a Spielberg imitator since the early 80’s.

Only for the youngest audiences

It should be noted that, whereas the Buster Keaton channelling silent slapstick of the previous film offered laughs for young and old, the inclusion of alien sidekick Lu-La marks this sequel as strictly for younger audiences. None of the characters in the Shaun-a-verse speak, communicating entirely through barnyard noises and grunts, and Lu-La mostly follows suit – with the exception of repeatedly screaming “vroom vroom” whenever it witnesses an object resembling its spaceship.

Lu-La is a grating sidekick that nobody asked for, the closest Aardman has ever come to creating its own Poochie figure. Older audience members that don’t buy into the cuteness of the character (which is designed in a way that makes it appear like a children’s toy first and foremost) will likely be hoping that Lu-La will also make its way back to its home planet, never to be seen again.

The appeal of the first Shaun the Sheep Movie boiled down to the high gag rate, taking a low concept premise (overworked farm animals rebel so they can take a day off) and mining comedic gold from it, as the farmyard gang caused untold destruction both in their home and beyond. But that same simplicity of premise is notably absent here, with the film repeatedly breaking the “hat on a hat” rule – applying too many outlandish scenarios on top of the other, to the detriment of a straightforward Spielberg-aping premise. Children may still be as entertained as they were with Shaun’s debut cinema outing, but parents may become easily irritable, even with the 86 minute runtime (seven minutes longer than the previous film, and you can feel every second).

Farmageddon: Conclusion

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon has some funny jokes, an overriding sense of quaint British charm, and the same high standard of gorgeous stop motion animation we’ve come to expect from Aardman. Unfortunately, the film frequently gives the impression that the punning title was conceived long before a story that could act as a worthy sequel was penned, with the whole project messily reverse engineered from there.

Watch A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon