Chicken Run MPAA Rating: G Entertainment: +3 Content: +3

On the Tweedy Chicken Farm, the chickens produce eggs, eggs, and more eggs. If they dont produce, they become next evenings meal. This prompts Ginger (voice of Julia Sawalha) to lead several escape attempts with other disgruntled chickens. But Ginger quickly finds that while one chicken may be able to escape, getting everyone safely out of the farm is nearly impossible. Thats where Rocky, the flying rooster (Mel Gibson), comes in. Rocky flies over the farm one night, but distracted, runs into the barn. With injured wings, he falls inside the coops walls. Ginger decides that when Rocky is healed, he can teach all of them to fly and they can all make their escape. But Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson) is quickly making changes around the farm to increase profits, which puts the lives of all the chickens at stake! CHICKEN RUN is a creative, unique story thats full of laughs and action for all ages. The clay animation is superb as the characters move fluidly through each scene. Look for this comedy to be one of the more successful of the summer season.

According to this movie, honesty is always the best policy. One chicken in particular misleads the others and, once found out, is not only reprimanded, but the effects of the lies are also seen. The other chickens are deeply saddened by the lies, and even give up on their escape plans. A scene early in the film implies the death of a chicken for not producing enough eggs. After shes taken into the chophouse, the other chickens and the audience see the shadow of a raised axe. The death implied by the sound of an axe hitting wood may disturb younger viewers. Its fairly traumatic for the other chickens in the coop as well. They spend the rest of the movie trying to avoid death, doing whatever it takes to escape the farm. One scene combines fear and humor as a chicken narrowly avoids being cooked into a pie. Several intense moments occur as the chicken navigates its way safely through the pie-producing machine. Other scenes show comical fighting and falling; most notably while the chickens practice their flying techniques. One mild sexual innuendo occurs as Rocky asks where hes going to sleep, and all of the hens invite him to sleep with them. No fowl language occurs anywhere in the movie, and even with the intense scenes and mild innuendo, Preview gladly recommends that you run out and catch CHICKEN RUN with the whole family.

Preview Reviewer: John Adair
Distributor: DreamWorks, 100 Universal Plaza, Bldg. 477, Universal City, CA 91608