Critics Have Seen Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget. While Reviews Are Mixed, They All Seem To Agree On One Thing
The sequel hits Netflix on December 15.
It’s been over two decades since Rocky and Ginger decided to fly the coop on Chicken Run, but it looks like their troubles with the Tweedys aren’t over yet. The sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is set to premiere on Friday December 15, in a new stop-motion animation adventure that will see the chickens taking action to ensure they don’t end up on someone’s plate. Critics had the opportunity to screen the movie ahead of its release, and while their overall impressions are mixed, they all seem to agree it fails to recreate the magic of 2000’s Chicken Run.
While a few members of the original voice cast are returning — including Miranda Richardson as Mrs. Tweedy — the winged main characters have seen change-ups, as Shazam!’s Zachary Levi replaces Mel Gibson as Rocky, and Thandiwe Newton has stepped in for Julia Sawalha as his now-wife Ginger. So let’s see what the critics are saying about Dawn of the Nugget. Neel Bhatt of Next Best Picture rates it a 7 out of 10, saying that while the sequel doesn't quite meet the quality of the original, it's a valiant attempt at creating something just as memorable. Bhatt writes:
Manuel São Bento of FandomWire also gives Dawn of the Nugget a 7 out of 10, noting that it retains the charm, sarcasm and impact of the beloved 2000 flick. It does, however, take a while to get going, and it repeats much of Chicken Run’s fundamental structure, the critic says. In his words:
Sophie Monks Kaufman of IndieWire praises Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget for its visual innovation, but that’s about where it ends. The movie “falls fowl” of some standard sequel traps, and the pressure to live up to the previous movie permeates the atmosphere. Kaufman continues:
Jordan Hoffman of The Messenger, feels the movie is inevitably lacking that certain something that made its predecessor such a hit. But while there’s certainly more dazzling options for animated entertainment these days, it would be a shame for this movie to get overlooked. The critic rates it 6.6 out of 10, writing:
Emma Kiely of Collider rates it a 5 out of 10, saying the movie panders to a universal yet childish audience, with no sharp quips or genuinely funny jokes. Especially when comparing it to the original, Dawn of the Nugget is not emblematic of what viewers expect from Aardman Animations. Kiely writes:
When it comes to excellent stop motion animated movies, Chicken Run is hard to beat, and the critics all seem to agree that Dawn of the Nugget doesn’t quite live up to the movie that blew everyone away in 2000. However, they also had great things to say about the production design, and many agree it’s still worth the watch. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget can be streamed with a Netflix subscription starting Friday, December 15, and check out what other movies are new and coming soon to Netflix.
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Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.