Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is cute and harmless

In the seemingly never-ending series of “wait, did we really need a sequel?” comes Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the follow-up to the Aardman Animations cult classic from two decades ago. If you’ve desperately spent those years wondering what happened after happily ever after, you’re in luck. If, like the rest of us, you almost forgot the original was even a thing, you’ll probably still be mildly amused by this harmless and decidedly by-the-numbers retread.

After the events of Chicken Run, the escaped chickens have settled into a happy life of ease on a remote island somewhere in the British countryside. Rocket and Ginger spawn a kid, the headstrong and curious Molly, who ventures out into the great yonder, and stumbles into yet another chicken farm, run by the same bad guy as in the first film.

What follows is more of the same, first in reverse, as the chickens have to break into the farm, and then out again. Most of the jokes are callbacks to the first film, which feels like a baffling choice considering how long it’s been between movies. I watched the first one before the sequel, and most of the time the second round of gags only reminded me of just how much better the early 2000s film landed in every respect.

The animation is still gorgeous, the characters are lively, and there are a few standout slapstick moments that work. But it’s all very timid and feels focus-grouped to its limits. There’s none of the anarchic zaniness of other Aardman productions, and by the time it finally wraps up, the whole thing feels like it would be better off as a short film.

Much of the original voice cast returns, save for the recasting of Rocky and Ginger. In the original, Rocky was voiced by Mel Gibson, so even though Zachary Levi is a major downgrade, it’s fully understandable why Gibson wasn’t asked to return. More baffling is the recasting of Julia Sawalha as Ginger. According to Aardman Animations, Sawalha’s voice now sounds “too old”, whatever that means. Instead, Thandiwe Newton takes the helm, delivering a decent imitation of Sawalha’s performance. Newton is four years younger than Sawalha, so go figure.

But most viewers won’t care of the behind-the-scenes kerfuffle, and most probably won’t even notice the change. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is so passable in every way that it could be voiced entirely by one person, and it would still be entirely watchable. It won’t offend, surprise, or inspire in any way, but it isn’t boring, either.

Like a McDonald’s nugget, it just is, and you shouldn’t be disappointed. You knew what you were getting the moment you picked it.