Much like Disney's once-prestigious animation company, it's difficult to overstate how huge Aardman Studios was in the 2000s, and how disappointing it is to see both studios now in the rut of belated sequels punctuated by undercooked original films. I still think Aardman is faring better than Pixar today-- -- -- they're less pretentious, less concerned with appealing to movie critics, their animation is more interesting. But Dawn of the Nugget is not a step in the right direction. It contains a few good visual gags (the 'employee eye-pad' is a funny reminder of the kind of loony wit Aardman excels at) but the overall story and barrage of jokes contain more misses than hits and mostly dissolve into a noisy chaotic blur, broken up by inane emotional moments Just give us something bonkers like the first half of Pirates, you Brits!
Obviously the recasting seems to be the most common criticism. They didn't bring back Mel Gibson (cowards) but perhaps it's just as well, since the Rocky character is reduced to the stereotypical 'bumbling idiot dad' trope popularized by Disney. Zachary Levi is better for that sort of thing. Despite Julia Sawalha being told she was too old to return as Ginger, they kept the Mrs. Tweedy actress who is ten years older. Questionable. (However, it is worth noting that the return of Mrs. Tweedy is the only reason to see this film, and her gruesome fate shows that Aardman at least hasn't lost its penchant for over-the-top cartoon violence)
Overall I'm hoping Aardman can pull itself back into relevance, but while being stuck with Netflix it's not likely. They have a new Wallace and Gromit coming out soon with Nick Park returning, but how many people will care by that point? And what will the studio do afterwards?
Obviously the recasting seems to be the most common criticism. They didn't bring back Mel Gibson (cowards) but perhaps it's just as well, since the Rocky character is reduced to the stereotypical 'bumbling idiot dad' trope popularized by Disney. Zachary Levi is better for that sort of thing. Despite Julia Sawalha being told she was too old to return as Ginger, they kept the Mrs. Tweedy actress who is ten years older. Questionable. (However, it is worth noting that the return of Mrs. Tweedy is the only reason to see this film, and her gruesome fate shows that Aardman at least hasn't lost its penchant for over-the-top cartoon violence)
Overall I'm hoping Aardman can pull itself back into relevance, but while being stuck with Netflix it's not likely. They have a new Wallace and Gromit coming out soon with Nick Park returning, but how many people will care by that point? And what will the studio do afterwards?