Early Man

"Nick Park returns to stop-motion animation, directing a preposterous prehistoric family adventure full of goofy fun. Charming in its irreverent silliness, it’ll likely appeal more to younger kids than adults expecting Wallace & Gromit layers of satirical appeal. The nutty narrative has cave-dweller Dug (Eddie Redmayne) and Hognob (voiced by Park himself) try to save their Stone Age tribe’s valley from the Bronze Age expansion plans of the villainous Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston in full-tilt fun mode)."

"British auteur Nick Park, a four-time Oscar winner best-known as the creator of Wallace and Gromit, has directed three feature films to date: Chicken Run (co-directed with Peter Lord), The Curse of The Were-Rabbit and now Early Man. Any of these movies could be played with the sound off and little would be lost in translation. They are told with a visual clarity that never really ages."

"Early Man is as charming as they come, bursting with the kind of daffy humor and off-kilter characters that have earned the company a worldwide following."

"It seems a strange thing to say about a film featuring a giant man-eating mallard, but a bit more eccentricity wouldn't have gone amiss."

"Sadly, tragically, Early Man is just not very good."

"Early Man does little to move things on, in evolutionary terms, but - for younger viewers especially - its straightforward storytelling and gentle humour still work a treat."

"Glee runneth over as Aardman go back to the Bronze Age."

"A ball-tearing, net-busting crowdpleaser, Early Man offers plenty of fun for the whole family."

"The marketable Aardman spark of madcap inventiveness is slightly diluted here. Still, it's a very likeable film which should delight younger audiences."

"Given this is the company that brought us the never-less-than-brilliant Wallace and Gromit, the wonderful Shaun the Sheep film, it does pale in comparison."

"Early Man, the latest animated feature from the Aardman studio's star director Nick Park, is about as warming, homey and distinctly British as a mug of hot, sweet, milky tea on a rainy day."

"An often amusing reimagining of Bronze Age history that, while it doesn't quite match the best of Aardman, is still solid family entertainment."