Review of “Barnyard”
Animated farms can be fun, especially once the farmer’s left for the day. Then the chewing and the mooing can stop, and the party can begin. And the biggest party animal in Barnyard is Otis the Cow, (voice of Kevin James) who is son and heir to the over-conscientious farmyard leader Ben the Cow (voice of Sam Elliot). Now when I say cow, I should technically say bull – as these characters are male. However, for some inexplicable reason, all the cows in this animated film – male and female – have udders. Very noticeable udders. Especially given that, once the humans are out of sight, all the animals walk upright. Which means you get to notice the udders. A lot.
Back to the story. Whilst the generation-Y, attention-seeking Otis is dancing and singing with the other farm animals all night in the barn (it instantly converts to a throbbing, pumping dancehall), Ben is carefully watching at the edge of the farm for signs of the nasty coyotes who are threatening to kill the chickens. Ben is worried that his son isn’t ready to take on the responsibility of leadership. Otis isn’t worried about anything; he’s too busy making moves on Daisy the Cow (voice of Courtney Cox), who is a newcomer to the farm, and who is also widowed and pregnant. But when the coyotes, led by Dag (voice of David Koechner) do attack, Otis realises its up to him to save the farm, and perhaps grow up in the process.
The plot strolls through this mostly familiar territory, borrowing heavily from The Lion King, although the evil coyotes are rather darker and nastier than most bad guys you’ll find in films aimed at this age group. This makes them far more interesting than the bland Daisy, and the conflict they generate makes up for the lackluster love story. The animation is high quality and the humour consistent, with the best gags depending upon the introduction of a wonderfully appalling collection of humans with whom the animals have to interact without giving away their “secret”. There are a host of other animal characters to keep Writer/Director Steve Oedekerk’s script flowing, and Danny Glover steals the show as Miles the Mule with his gravelly voice, accurate kick, and spirited insights into animal behaviour. Overall, it’s a bit like lite-milk: smooth and wholesome, but with no oomph. Oh, and too many udders.
Rating:
I don’t comment on many blogs but after reading a few of your posts I thought I would just say thanks and keep up the good work.
on June 17th, 2009 at 5:38 am |