• Latest
  • Trending
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Review

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Review – Egg on Aardman’s Face

JDM Japanese Drift Master Review

JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review – When Mechanics Meet Manga

M3GAN 2.0 Review

M3GAN 2.0 Review: When Silicon Valley Nightmares Meet Summer Blockbuster Ambitions

Trainwreck Poop Cruise Season 1 Review 1

Trainwreck: Poop Cruise Season 1 Review: Sensationalism on the High Seas

Head Over Heels Season 1 Review

Head Over Heels Season 1 Review: The Shaman and the Cursed Boy

Blood Bar Tycoon Review

Blood Bar Tycoon Review: A Bloody Good Idea, Poorly Executed

Pushers Review

Pushers Review: Weaponizing Invisibility for Laughs

Grenfell: Uncovered Review

Grenfell: Uncovered Review: The Human Cost of Calculated Neglect

Ironheart Review

Ironheart Review: Science vs. Magic in Marvel’s Moral Labyrinth

28 Years Later 1

Young Fathers Rewrite the Apocalypse With 28 Years Later Score

11 hours ago
Hitmakers Netflix

Netflix Tunes Up July Line-up With Songwriter Show ‘Hitmakers’

11 hours ago
Doctor Who

BBC Faces Backlash Over Early Doctor Who Drops

12 hours ago
The Pavilion

Sarajevo Picks Mustafić’s Rebel Comedy ‘The Pavilion’ for Opening Night

12 hours ago
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Gazettely Review Guidelines
Thursday, June 26, 2025
GAZETTELY
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    28 Years Later 1

    Young Fathers Rewrite the Apocalypse With 28 Years Later Score

    Hitmakers Netflix

    Netflix Tunes Up July Line-up With Songwriter Show ‘Hitmakers’

    Doctor Who

    BBC Faces Backlash Over Early Doctor Who Drops

    The Pavilion

    Sarajevo Picks Mustafić’s Rebel Comedy ‘The Pavilion’ for Opening Night

    Thomas H. Brodek

    Producer Tom Brodek, Master of Stephen King Miniseries, Dies at 86

    BET Paramount

    BET Joins Paramount Layoff Wave as Cable Declines Deepen

    Roofman

    Channing Tatum Drills Into Oscar Season With Cianfrance’s ‘Roofman’

    Mindhunter

    David Fincher Weighs Mindhunter Revival as Film Trilogy

    How to Train Your Dragon

    ‘Elio’ Lands With a Thud as Pixar Records Its Worst Opening Weekend

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    M3GAN 2.0 Review

    M3GAN 2.0 Review: When Silicon Valley Nightmares Meet Summer Blockbuster Ambitions

    Trainwreck Poop Cruise Season 1 Review 1

    Trainwreck: Poop Cruise Season 1 Review: Sensationalism on the High Seas

    Head Over Heels Season 1 Review

    Head Over Heels Season 1 Review: The Shaman and the Cursed Boy

    Pushers Review

    Pushers Review: Weaponizing Invisibility for Laughs

    Grenfell: Uncovered Review

    Grenfell: Uncovered Review: The Human Cost of Calculated Neglect

    Ironheart Review

    Ironheart Review: Science vs. Magic in Marvel’s Moral Labyrinth

    Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project Review

    Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project Review: When Satire Suddenly Turns Sinister

    Semi-Soeter Review

    Semi-Soeter Review: Comedy in a Corporate Cradle

    KPop Demon Hunters Review

    KPop Demon Hunters Review: The Theology of the Bop

  • Game Reviews
    JDM Japanese Drift Master Review

    JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review – When Mechanics Meet Manga

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review: A Bloody Good Idea, Poorly Executed

    Ghost Frequency Review

    Ghost Frequency Review: All Atmosphere, No Conclusion

    Death Stranding 2 On the Beach Review 1

    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review – Kojima’s Outback Odyssey

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review: The Detective Who Couldn’t Investigate

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review – Revisiting a Sunken Legacy

    TRON: Catalyst Review

    TRON: Catalyst Review: More Style Than Substance

    FBC: Firebreak Review

    FBC: Firebreak Review: Corporate Chaos and Cooperative Action

    Date Everything Review 1

    Date Everything! Review: You’ll Never Look at Your Toaster the Same Way

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    28 Years Later 1

    Young Fathers Rewrite the Apocalypse With 28 Years Later Score

    Hitmakers Netflix

    Netflix Tunes Up July Line-up With Songwriter Show ‘Hitmakers’

    Doctor Who

    BBC Faces Backlash Over Early Doctor Who Drops

    The Pavilion

    Sarajevo Picks Mustafić’s Rebel Comedy ‘The Pavilion’ for Opening Night

    Thomas H. Brodek

    Producer Tom Brodek, Master of Stephen King Miniseries, Dies at 86

    BET Paramount

    BET Joins Paramount Layoff Wave as Cable Declines Deepen

    Roofman

    Channing Tatum Drills Into Oscar Season With Cianfrance’s ‘Roofman’

    Mindhunter

    David Fincher Weighs Mindhunter Revival as Film Trilogy

    How to Train Your Dragon

    ‘Elio’ Lands With a Thud as Pixar Records Its Worst Opening Weekend

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    M3GAN 2.0 Review

    M3GAN 2.0 Review: When Silicon Valley Nightmares Meet Summer Blockbuster Ambitions

    Trainwreck Poop Cruise Season 1 Review 1

    Trainwreck: Poop Cruise Season 1 Review: Sensationalism on the High Seas

    Head Over Heels Season 1 Review

    Head Over Heels Season 1 Review: The Shaman and the Cursed Boy

    Pushers Review

    Pushers Review: Weaponizing Invisibility for Laughs

    Grenfell: Uncovered Review

    Grenfell: Uncovered Review: The Human Cost of Calculated Neglect

    Ironheart Review

    Ironheart Review: Science vs. Magic in Marvel’s Moral Labyrinth

    Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project Review

    Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project Review: When Satire Suddenly Turns Sinister

    Semi-Soeter Review

    Semi-Soeter Review: Comedy in a Corporate Cradle

    KPop Demon Hunters Review

    KPop Demon Hunters Review: The Theology of the Bop

  • Game Reviews
    JDM Japanese Drift Master Review

    JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review – When Mechanics Meet Manga

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review: A Bloody Good Idea, Poorly Executed

    Ghost Frequency Review

    Ghost Frequency Review: All Atmosphere, No Conclusion

    Death Stranding 2 On the Beach Review 1

    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review – Kojima’s Outback Odyssey

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review: The Detective Who Couldn’t Investigate

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review – Revisiting a Sunken Legacy

    TRON: Catalyst Review

    TRON: Catalyst Review: More Style Than Substance

    FBC: Firebreak Review

    FBC: Firebreak Review: Corporate Chaos and Cooperative Action

    Date Everything Review 1

    Date Everything! Review: You’ll Never Look at Your Toaster the Same Way

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
GAZETTELY
No Result
View All Result
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Review

The Oath Review: Mormon Origins Tale Lacks Conviction

Poor Things Review: Deliciously Bonkers Tale of Female Liberation

Home Entertainment Movies

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Review – Egg on Aardman’s Face

Long-Awaited Sequel Entertains Kids But Lacks Original's Crackling Wit and Creative Courage

Arash Nahandian by Arash Nahandian
1 year ago
in Entertainment, Movies, Reviews
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on PinterestShare on WhatsAppShare on Telegram

It’s been over two decades since moviegoers first fell in love with Ginger, Rocky, and the rest of the plucky pullets from Aardman Animation’s barnyard classic, Chicken Run. Upon its initial 2000 release, the stop-motion film wowed critics with its infectious humor, inspired claymation, and clever riffs on old-school POW adventures like The Great Escape. Raking in over $224 million globally, Chicken Run became the highest grossing stop-motion animated film ever at the time.

Now, after 23 long years roosting on their laurels, Aardman’s birds are finally flying back to roost with a sequel exclusive to Netflix, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. With such an esteemed animation studio behind it, helmed by many of the same creative talents, the follow-up arrives saddled with sky-high expectations from fans eager to recapture the magic of the original.

Can this unlikely flock soar to new heights or will Dawn of the Nugget turn out to be nothing more than chicken feed? One thing’s for certain – for a studio known to serve up cracking entertainment, this sequel has some sizable egg shoes to fill.

Fowl Play on Funland Farms

When we reunite with Ginger, Rocky and the rest of the chickens from the first film, the scrappy flock seems to have found their own version of bird paradise. Safely ensconced on a cozy island sanctuary devoid of humans, our feathers are ruffled when we meet Molly, the teen daughter of Ginger and Rocky. Clearly inheriting her mother’s fiery independent streak, Molly bristles at the confines of island life and strikes out with a friend to explore the possibilities of the mainland against her parent’s wishes.

Lured by promises of rainbow feed and fairground rides at a place called Funland Farms, Molly discovers things are not as sunny as they seem in this chicken nirvana. Run by the nefarious Mrs Tweedy of the original film, Funland is revealed to be a high-tech prison for poultry, brainwashing chickens with hypnotic devices into blank-eyed happiness before efficiently converting them into chicken nuggets.

When Ginger and Rocky twig to Tweedy’s twisted designs for their daughter, they rally the old gang for one last daring rescue mission. Will our plucky chicken heroes save Molly and put an end to Tweedy’s nugget-izing operation before they end up as fast food themselves? One thing’s for sure, this fowl-tempered villain has more than just egg on her face this time.

Lessons From the Coop

At its core, Dawn of the Nugget tackles the timeless coming-of-age theme of adolescent rebellion butting up against parental overprotection. We watch Molly stretch her wings into maturity, driven by youthful curiosity towards peril her parents wish to shield her from. Though the peril turns out to be very real in the form of Mrs. Tweedy’s twisted designs, Molly’s courage and resourcefulness ultimately play a key part in saving the flock.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Review

Beyond this central tension between independence and security, the film also touches on sobering environmentalist messaging. The horror of Tweedy’s chicken-to-nugget factory serves as an unsubtle metaphor for the real-life mass commodification of animals in factory farming. Like its predecessor, the sequel may inspire more vegetarian-friendly dining habits in impressionable young viewers.

Finally, DotN trades heavily on nostalgia for old-school animation while highlighting Aardman’s artisanal approach to stop-motion. In an era dominated by slick CGI animations pumped out like Chicken Run nuggets, the meticulous attention and hand-crafted texture of the studio’s work feels like a treasured artefact from another time. The film celebrates the warm, squashy aesthetic appeal that first defined Aardman while suggesting the creative idiosyncrasies of stop-motion may be vital in resisting AI-enabled content fatigue.

A Step Down in Craft

Without viewing the final film, it’s challenging to fully assess and compare the animation against the beloved original Chicken Run. However, based on critical consensus, DotN represents something of a step down in Aardman’s traditionally meticulous attention to detail and inspired artistry.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Review

Reviewers note the use of CGI in the sequel, praising the slickness it brings in early scenes but lamenting how it detracts from Aardman’s handmade charm later on. The integration of computer animation seems to have created a disconnect between the studio’s signature style and the final aesthetics. Additionally, critics highlight unimaginative framing and camera work compared to Aardman’s usual flair.

The pacing and tonal shifts receive mixed marks, with some pointing to frictionless scene transitions while others suggest DotN ambles along predictably without clear narrative drive. As for comedic highlights, many reviews reference the dearth of original wit and inspired gags that defined Chicken Run, though singular moments like the gear shift bit shine through.

Finally, on a positive note, strong vocal performances provide sparks of energy and fun even where the surrounding craft falls flat. But broadly speaking, the sequel does little to celebrate the visual richness so central to Aardman’s legacy. For better and worse, DotN reflects the increasing challenge of meeting expectations when revisiting beloved properties.

Closing the Coop

While critical consensus marks Dawn of the Nugget as a disappointment given Aardman’s soaring pedigree, the sequel still provides a reasonably entertaining continuation to the much-loved Chicken Run franchise. Flaws aside, parents seeking a family-friendly streaming option may find it satisfies children unfamiliar with the studio’s richer back catalog.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Review

For adult fans eagerly awaiting the follow-up though, DotN mainly highlights precisely what made the original film–and Aardman classics like Wallace & Gromit or Shaun the Sheep–feel so magical. The intricate world-building, uniquely British wit, and lovingly textured aesthetic that has defined the studio got a bit lost in translation this second time around the coop.

In that sense, the film speaks to the wider struggles facing animated sequels in the era of streaming content saturation. With none of the narrative risks but all of the expectations that accompany revisiting cherished properties, capturing bottled lightning twice poses substantial creative challenges even for pedigree studios like Aardman.

Yet despair not chicken lovers, for our feathered friends find the formula once before. With some lessons learned from this cracked attempt, perhaps Ginger, Rocky and co still have some golden eggs left to lay. As doting fans, we can only hope Aardman lets this flock fly free-range into more courageously original adventures next time around. Wherever the birds land though, movie lovers will always have a roosting spot for these plucky chickens in our hearts.

The Review

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

5 Score

Though it flaps gallantly to recapture the magic, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget ultimately fails to fly as high as its beloved predecessor. Overly familiar themes and derivative storytelling feel out of step with Aardman’s trademark wit and inspired artistry. While the sequel may momentarily entertain children, it leaves adult fans wishfully reminiscing about the studio’s past heights.

PROS

  • Strong vocal performances provide highlights
  • Entertaining enough for children and families
  • Serves as a satisfactory franchise continuation
  • Moments of signature Aardman charm and humor

CONS

  • Lacks originality and wit of first Chicken Run
  • Story and themes feel derivative and familiar
  • Animation less inspired than Aardman's standards
  • Fails to meet high expectations from fans

Review Breakdown

  • Overall 0
Tags: AdvantureAnimationChicken Run: Dawn of the NuggetComedyFeaturedSam FellThandiwe NewtonZachary LeviBella Ramsey
Previous Post

The Oath Review: Mormon Origins Tale Lacks Conviction

Next Post

Poor Things Review: Deliciously Bonkers Tale of Female Liberation

Try AI Movie Recommender

Gazettely AI Movie Recommender

This Week's Top Reads

  • Marshmallow Review

    Marshmallow Review: These Woods Hide Unexpected Secrets

    4 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Alma and the Wolf Review: Ethan Embry Shines in a Flawed Fever Dream

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boglands Review: Shadows and Whispers in the Irish Mist

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Mix Tape Review: A Story Told on Two Sides of a Cassette

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Smoke Review: The Year’s Most Unpredictable and Unsettling Show

    7 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 7 Biggest Station Wagons on the Market

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Outrageous Season 1 Review: Champagne and Cyanide

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Must Read Articles

M3GAN 2.0 Review
Entertainment

M3GAN 2.0 Review: When Silicon Valley Nightmares Meet Summer Blockbuster Ambitions

3 hours ago
Grenfell: Uncovered Review
Movies

Grenfell: Uncovered Review: The Human Cost of Calculated Neglect

10 hours ago
Ironheart Review
Entertainment

Ironheart Review: Science vs. Magic in Marvel’s Moral Labyrinth

10 hours ago
Semi-Soeter Review
Movies

Semi-Soeter Review: Comedy in a Corporate Cradle

14 hours ago
KPop Demon Hunters Review
Movies

KPop Demon Hunters Review: The Theology of the Bop

15 hours ago
Loading poll ...
Coming Soon
Who is the best director in the horror thriller genre?

Gazettely is your go-to destination for all things gaming, movies, and TV. With fresh reviews, trending articles, and editor picks, we help you stay informed and entertained.

© 2021-2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

What’s Inside

  • Movie & TV Reviews
  • Game Reviews
  • Featured Articles
  • Latest News
  • Editorial Picks

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About US
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Review Guidelines

Follow Us

Facebook X-twitter Youtube Instagram
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movies
  • Entertainment News
  • Movie and TV Reviews
  • TV Shows
  • Game News
  • Game Reviews
  • Contact Us

© 2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

Go to mobile version