There is something charming and entertaining about Nick Park's latest offering, Early Man. Set in prehistoric times, this cinematic experience begins with a short scene retelling the story of how dinosaurs became extinct, leading to the creation of football, or soccer as I mainly know the game. This triumph is heavily detailed on caves and rocks, which assists with the later part of the movie.
Fast forward to the bronze age, where Dug (Eddie Redmayne) and his tribesman are living the life in lush green surroundings, blissfully unaware of what the detailed drawings on their caves indicate. Displaced by an advanced civilisation, led by Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston) and banished to the "bad lands. Dug challenges the invader's football team, Real Bronzio, to a match in a battle to win back their land and not be sent to the mines. Watch as misadventure after misadventure occurs while a group of football novices try to learn the game in record time so they can return home and claim victory.
Early Man moves along with plenty of laughs and even some adult humour to keep things interesting. The harshest critic (my young boy) who exclaimed at the completion of the movie, "can we take this home mum, to watch again", surely makes this a movie worth watching.
Early Man – a non-stop ride of laughs, fun and the classic battle of the underdog.