Aardman is the creator of stop-motion classics Wallace and Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep.
Early Man is cute, but not a classic and the same level as their other work.
Early Man exists in a fantasy world where most of the world has not survived the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. But some people survived inside a valley where the asteroid that destroyed the dinosaur, not only do they seem to survive but thrive with lush vegetation and food. While outside still exists with volcanoes and scorched land.
And here is the crux of the movie, the asteroid that destroyed the earth, ends up being the very first football/soccer ball, along with the first football/soccer game. Sorry, you’ll just have to see the movie to understand this silliness. (I’m American, my daughter asked why they called it a football. I had to explain the whole American Football/soccer thing…)
Fast forward a few ages, we are introduced to the rabbit hunting tribe led by Chief Bobnar, voiced by Timothy Spall. Chief Bobnar is encouraged by a young member of the tribe Cub, voiced by Eddie Raymane, to begin hunting mammoths instead of rabbits.
During the debate the tribe is pushed out of the valley by a bronze using tribe and their leader Lord Nooth, voice by Tom Hiddleson. Dug and his pet hog, Hognob, get left behind. Dug valiantly tries to attack the invaders but is accidentally captured. Once inside the Lord Nooth’s walled village Dug escapes and finds himself inside a soccer/football game.
Dug quickly negotiates a game between his tribe and the Bronze tribe. If they win they get their valley back. If they lose their tribe will be forced into the mines where Lord Nooth gets his bronze.
So let’s review.
The movie is set in prehistoric time, where tribes exist that are separated by thousands of years, and it comes down to a football game.
Yes, this is the plot of Early Man.
Dug makes friends with Goona, voiced by Maisie Williams, who wants to play football as well, but isn’t allowed on the field, excuse me pitch, because she’s a girl. Goona joins Dug’s tribe since they need someone to teach them how to play football.
But there’s more. Dug realizes that his tribe was the original football tribe. It was their tribe that invented football all those ages ago. So he is convinced that his tribe can win.
So let’s review once more, the story is based on a hunter-gather tribe playing a bronze-age town, in a game of football.
I admit, I like this level of silliness in a plot. But the silliness does not translate to the level of magicalness that Aardman’s other productions reach with Wallance and Gromit, and my favorite Shaun the Sheep.
Final Thoughts
I don’t think there is a need to catch this one in the theater. If you need to catch it at a maitnee or in a second run theater. But I would recommend catching it on Netflix when it becomes available in a few months.