Since the original Chicken Run movie a mere 23 years ago, a lot has happened with our favorite feathered friends. As one may say, the plot chickens. The long-awaited sequel, “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” was released to stream on Netflix on December 16, 2023.
Following the original “Chicken Run” movie, the sequel is about Ginger (Thandiwe Newton) and Rocky (Zachary Levi), who are now married and have a daughter named Molly (Bella Ramsey). After their escape in the last movie, Ginger and the freed chickens now live in a secluded sanctuary where they are safe from the risks of humans. As Molly grows older she becomes curious of what lies beyond their island, but Ginger is haunted by her past experiences and refuses to let her leave. Frustrated, Molly decides to sneak out one night.
On the mainland, Molly meets and befriends a chicken named Frizzle (Josie Sedgwick-Davies). The two get captured by a poultry truck driver and taken to a poultry farm. Meanwhile, Ginger, Rocky, Babs (Jane Horrocks), Bunty (Imelda Staunton), Mac (Lynn Ferguson) and Fowler (David Bradley) are on the mission to get Molly back and out of danger. The rescue team follows the poultry truck to the farm, where they discover the operation being planned by Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson), miraculously alive after falling to her death in the last movie, and her new husband, Dr. Fry (Nick Mohammed). Mrs. Tweedy uses brainwashing collars to force the chickens into submission, with the goal of turning them into chicken nuggets.
As many can attest to, I am a very big “Chicken Run” fan. These fictional chickens mean a lot to me, and the sequel’s release couldn’t come soon enough. Just like the first movie, “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” was funny, charming and entertaining. Even though I’m definitely older than the target audience of this movie, I could not stop smiling the entire time.
I didn’t find the plot of this movie to be quite as strong as the first one, and it seemed to be a bit all over the place, but it was still easy enough to follow. The chaotic and unpredictable energy made it more enjoyable in some way. The new characters were a nice addition to the story and they fit in well. The thing that I disliked the most was probably how Julia Sawalha (the original voice actress of Ginger) was recast after the first movie for sounding too old. I missed Ginger’s old voice, but I managed to get used to it as the movie went along.
This sequel was very playful and so fun. This was easily the most joy-inducing 101 minutes of my week. Aardman Animations never fails to create an amusing story for all ages.
Overall I would give this movie 4.5/5 stars. I found it very enjoyable to watch and I would recommend it to anyone, “Chicken Run” fan or not!
