Aardman Animations, the incredible animation studio that has brought us the likes of Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and a rat living it up in Kensington, turns 50 this year. To celebrate, and to provide some entertainment through the school summer holidays, Cineworld is bringing back some of Aardman's greats as a part of our £2 Family Films offer. Yes, all tickets cost just £2 each, including adults (though remember you have to be accompanied by at least one child to qualify).
To get you in the mood for some cheese and crackers, we've picked out some of our favourite scenes from these Aardman Animations, showcasing their whipsmart sense of humour and incredible stop motion creations.
Chicken Run (24th July)
Ginger and Rocky escape the pie machine
“I don’t want to be a pie!” Well, Ginger and Rocky nearly are as they attempt to escape the dreaded pie machine. There are so many close calls (or close shaves, if you’re a fan of Aardman’s other animations…), and the scene builds tension perfectly. What’s more, it depicts some seriously genius and mindblowing uses of stop motion.
The final escape and battle against Mrs Tweedy
When flying classes don’t work, why not create a giant wooden bird to fly a bunch of chickens over the fence? That’s exactly what Ginger, Rocky, and the gang do. It’s epic. Think little cycling chicken legs and a fairylight lit runway. Mrs Tweedy nearly hijacks it all, though, leaving Ginny in the firing line. Because, let’s face it, it was always going to be a face-off between the fiery escapist chicken and Mrs Tweedy.
Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (31st July)
The BunnyVac 6000 in action
The countdown to Tottington Hall’s annual giant vegetable competition is on and so the townspeople are conscious of keeping their prized vegetables safe from hungry rabbits. Cue Wallace and Gromit’s latest business venture, Anti-Pesto Humane Pest Control. And we get to see one of Wallace’s latest inventions in action when he’s called to Tottington Hall itself where its acres are covered in hundreds of rabbits.
BOOK CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT TICKETS
Flushed Away (7th August)
Flushed Away’s opening scene to the soundtrack of “Dancing with Myself”
There are so many great needledrop moments in Flushed Away, and it starts off so strong with the opening scene in which Roddy as a character is established. He’s a pet rat living a very privileged life in Kensington. When his owners go away, he takes advantage of having the whole place to himself. Cue a montage to “Dancing with Myself” by Billy Idol, in which we see Roddy get ready for his day, including going through his wardrobe which hold references to Wallace & Gromit and Early Man, some of Aardman’s other productions, and playing golf with frozen peas.
Roddy gets flushed down the toilet
Getting stuck in the U-bend, to catching a goldfish that asks, “Have you seen my dad?”, a reference to the Disney animation Finding Nemo. Then there’s Roddy holding onto a floating object for dear life, only to jump when he realises it might just be a poo – don’t worry, it turns out to be a chocolate bar.
The Pirates! In An Adventure with Scientists (14th August)
The Pirate of the Year Annual Awards is a great introduction to both the journey this film is about to go on, and some spectacular characters. We're particularly big fans of Peg-Leg Hastings and his leopard print pirate hat. Then there's Cutlass Liz, a woman pirate that is doing it for the ladies. And of course, lastly, there's Black Bellamy, who arrives by whale with shed loads of gold. How can the Pirate Captain possibly compete?
BOOK THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE TICKETS
Early Man (21st August)
How the game of football game to be
Early Man is full of silly humour, and we love it for that. Following a meteorite taking out the dinosaurs, cave men accidentally invent football – because of course they do. Picking up a smouldering hot rock from the centre of a crater – a rock coincidentally shaped like a football with its hexagonal pattern and all – it begins to burn his hands, leading him to drop it. Another cave man then picks it up, only to experience the same painful burning sensation. Falling at another’s feet, he kicks it away, and thus the game of football is born.
Shaun the Sheep (28th August)
The restaurant sequence
There are multiple instances where the sheep impersonate human beings throughout the Shaun the Sheep movie, and one of the most hilarious is when they’re in a restaurant. Given this film is almost entirely without dialogue, it’s a real testament to silent storytelling and how humour can still brilliantly shine through.
Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon (4th September)
Shaun meets Lu-La
Taking inspiration from Steven Spielberg's E.T., when Shaun meets alien Lu-La, it captures the same endearing curiosity and enchantment as he shares his pizza with the dog-like alien, while Lu-La mimics the noises and chuckles Shaun makes. The two have instant chemistry, which carries throughout the rest of the film.
BOOK SHAUN THE SHEEP: FARMAGEDDON TICKETS
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