Early Man was a pleasing film to watch. It tailors more to a younger audience but an adult could find the joy in much of the humor. The animation was as to be expected and the the voice actors brought plenty of energy to the film.
There’s no telling what exactly happened during the earliest forms of human existence, but Nick Park tries to explain everything in his most recent animated film, Early Man. Take yourself back to the Stone Age in this humorous take on early human society. Frankly, I enjoyed this film. As a 22 year old, I had doubts about watching a film created by the same people who made Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit, two films I had enjoyed when I was a child. Early Man isn’t exactly a “kids” movie, though. While it has many jokes that would appeal to children, an older generation should be able to relate to at least some of the humor in the film. I think this is something that can be admired in an animated comedy.
The film begins with a dramatic, but humorous, introduction of Earth in the Neo-Pleistocene age. The opening shot presents the planet as it was thousands of years ago. Human civilization is still starting off and we get a glimpse of what we can assume is the last of the dinosaurs. In the midst of the natural geological chaos, a meteor strikes the earth, leaving nothing but a small spherical object in inside the crater. The cavemen, curious of what caused this destruction, investigate the crater, only to discover one of the greatest sports of all time… soccer. This is more or less a history lesson that sets the stage for the rest of the film.
The scene continues just a few ages later in the same valley where the meteor hit. Time has allowed for life in this area to grow and flourish as plants, animals, and humans are living peacefully together in a thriving environment. We are introduced first to our protagonist, Dug, a curious and determined caveman. We are also introduced to the rest of caveman society who appear as though they have been living in this area all their lives, not knowing anything outside of the valley. This act shows us how a normal day in the life of a caveman goes. Unfortunately, their day is quickly interrupted by the Antagonist, Lord Nooth and his technologically advanced army. Nooth’s plan is to mine the valley and all the surrounding areas for their natural resources so that he may divide and conquer. Because of this, the cavemen are driven out of the Valley and forced to retreat to the surrounding desolate area known as the badlands. Dug, being the brave soul that he is, decides to stay and defend his home. His plan is unintentionally interrupted by one of the metal machines and Dug is knocked out and thrown into a carriage that takes him to the Bronze Age City. As Dug experiences this new civilization, he is unknowingly thrown into a soccer game with the cities best team, known as the Champions. It is no surprise that he is quickly caught and sentenced to death. The act wraps up with Dug bargaining with Nooth. Dug challenges the Champions to a game of soccer where the winner gets the Valley and the loser has to leave it alone.
The first act presents who we will be seeing throughout the film as well as the conflict needing to be overcome. These scenes are perfect for character introduction as we get a great look at who Dug is and how he stands out from the rest of the cavemen. We also get a look at who Lord Nooth is and how powerful he is. I’d also like to add how well Park executes the humor in this first act. While some of the scenes had a darker tone, they were made lighter with subtle jokes. Overall, the first act did a great job of introducing the characters, places and theme of the film.
The second act begins with Dug returning to the cavemen and explaining what he saw and how they are going to get their home back. This sparks the beginning of the cavemen training do defeat the Champions in a game of soccer. While their training commences, Lord Nooth receives a message from the queen who is not too happy about the bargain he has made with Dug. This is bad news for Nooth as losing this game could be his downfall. Goona, upset with the city for not letting women play soccer, decides to help Dug and the cavemen defeat the Champions. With her help and the resources provided by the badlands, the cavemen are developed into a decent team.
This act does a good job of showing the rise of the underdogs and the dangers presented to the antagonist. The scenes were split up nicely as we go back and forth between the cavemen and Lord Nooth. It’s also a great introduction to Goona. Yes, we got to see her for a short scene in the first act but now we are getting to see her as a stronger, more important, character.
The third act, as you can probably guess, begins at the beginning of the soccer match between the cavemen and the Champions. Will the cavemen defeat the champions and regain their home or will Lord Nooth prevail and keep the Valley for himself? You’ll have to watch the film yourself to know for sure.
All in all this was an enjoyable family film that does a nice job of teaching a lesson on teamwork and good sportsmanship without pandering to it’s younger audience. It was well put together, very original, and puts a humorous spin on the early caveman history. After viewing Early Man, I can personally say that I’m looking forward to the next Nick Park production.
Special Features:
If you’re into behind the scenes extra’s and how-its-made content, then these special features are for you. The Early Man special features include content ranging from early development of the film to the final production. In the “Before the Beginning of Time: Crafting Early Man” special feature, the filmmakers and voice actors describe how the film was made. Another special feature titled, “Nick Park: Messaging the Funny” shows how much work Nick Park put into the film. Other special features include how specific scenes were created and the daily life at Ardman Studios.
