Summary

• Aardman Animation is known for its unique stop-motion animation style, creating unforgettable stories and characters.
• Some of Aardman's films have had a bigger impact on audiences, earning high scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Aardman's highest-grossing film, Chicken Run, holds the record as the highest-grossing stop-motion film in history.

Aardman Animation has released many quality family films, with some standing out amongst the others. The animation company is known for its unique stop-motion animation style, which sets it apart in the world of children's films. Through the power of stop-motion, they have managed to create many unforgettable stories and characters, all of which take months of painstaking work to bring to life. Of course, this is always worth it, as each Aardman film is a masterpiece in its own right. However, some have impacted audiences more than others.

Aardman Animation was founded in 1972 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton. By the late 80s, Aardman had broken through the mainstream and garnered much attention from their excellent claymation short films, such as Creature Comforts and A Grand Day Out. After exclusively doing shorts for many years, Aardman released Chicken Run—the company's first full-length film. From there, Aardman's works have continued to delight audiences of all ages, with several having earned Certified Fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes. There hasn't been a single critical dud, though some have stacked up a little higher in the realm of public opinion.

Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas

Released in 2021

Aardman's latest outing in its Shaun the Sheep franchise is Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas, a splendidly charming Christmas special that is sure to put even the biggest Grinch in a joyful mood. The special follows Shaun and the gang on the hunt for bigger stockings for Christmas when suddenly young Timmy disappears, and it's up to the gang to find him. Though The Flight Before Christmas is far from a flop, it's one of Aardman's lowest-rated films on Rotten Tomatoes, only managing a 76 percent critic score. This likely has a lot to do with the holiday special lacking the originality of fresher projects.

Early Man

Released in 2018

Released in 2018, Early Man is one of Aardman's more recent efforts and is a very charming one at that. Set in a fantastical era where dinosaurs and mammoths are roaming among the early days of humankind, the film sports a creative story and cast of likable characters. Early Man has the lowest box office numbers of any Aardman film, only grossing $8 million domestically, and has only a fair score of 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, the film is an impressive reflection of what Aardman can do with stop-motion.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Released in 2012

The Pirates! Band of Misfits is a total charmer. Telling the story of a quirky pirate captain and his misfit crew as they seek to earn the coveted title of "Pirate of the Year," the film boasts some of Aardman's finest work in stop-motion animation. Every scene is dripping in detail and personality, never making for a dull moment in its entire runtime. The backdrops and sceneries of this film are possibly Aardman's most vibrant to date in terms of its use of color and detail. The film also boasts a terrific cast (including Love Actually star Hugh Grant), $31 million at the domestic box office, and an 86 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget

Released in 2023

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is the sequel that took 23 years to become a reality. It directly follows up on Aardman's top-grossing Chicken Run and tells the story of Rocky and Ginger's daughter Molly, who, having never been held captive by humans, doesn't understand the value of the freedom her parents earned her. It's a hilarious and ironic heist film at its finest and entirely worth the wait Aardman put audiences through since it's so much larger in scale than past films from the company. Dawn of the Nugget's massive set still doesn't allow it to hold up to its predecessor, but the triumphant return of these beloved characters makes it an instant Aardman classic.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget released exclusively on Netflix on December 15, 2023.

Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

Released in 2019

Shaun the Sheep's second feature film outing is a delightful piece of animated fun. Based on the animated series of the same name, Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon follows the titular lovable sheep and his flock of friends as they have an extraterrestrial encounter in their small town. It's a classic tale in the same vein as films like Steven Spielberg's E.T. with all the heart where it may lack originality. As another in Aardman's Shaun the Sheep franchise, the film never hit US theaters (instead releasing on Netflix like Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget). Still, Farmageddon caught critics' attention, earning itself an impressive 96 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Arthur Christmas

Released in 2011

Aardman's Arthur Christmas truly feels like a Christmas classic. It's such a warm, inviting film with a wonderful message behind it for kids as well as adults. The film tells the story of Arthur, one of Santa's sons, who must deliver a present to the one child Santa accidentally skipped on Christmas Eve, locking Arthur into a race against time as Christmas Day rapidly approaches. It's a tender film with stellar animation and a lovable protagonist in Arthur, who is voiced by X-Men's James McAvoy. It's also Aardman's only film that uses entirely CG animation, which was almost a disappointing shift for the company. Still, it performed well at the box office, bringing in $46 million domestically.

Flushed Away

Released in 2006

Flushed Away is an endlessly watchable adventure. It has possibly the most creative premise of all of Aardman's films and a unique world filled with likable characters and plenty of great details. As well as being a great story, Flushed Away boasts an outstanding cast, with Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, and Ian McKellen among those leading the way. Unfortunately, the film's performance saw contradictory results. Flushed Away has a rather low Rotten Tomatoes score of 73 percent but is Aardman's second-highest-grossing film at the box office (at $65 million domestic). Ultimately, this places the classy rat's story closer to the middle of the Aardman pack.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Released in 2005

Wallace & Gromit's first-ever feature film delivers everything a fan of these characters could ask for. In the movie, Wallace and his pet dog, Gromit, start a pest control business and are tasked with stopping a giant rabbit from eating the town's crops. The two titular characters make a smooth transition to the big screen with stellar animation and a fun little story to boot. It's perhaps not Wallace and Gromit's best outing, but it treats its plucky characters with care, and it's always fun to follow them on their zany adventures. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is Aardman's third highest-grossing film ($56 million), and as the film version of the studio's best characters, it always deserves a place of honor.

Chicken Run

Released in 2000

Aardman's first animated feature still ranks high among some of their finest achievements to date. Chicken Run is a simple but enjoyable adventure and tells the story of chickens whose purpose in life seems one-note until a new addition shows the others how they can escape their mundane lives. From there, the chickens begin an urgent escape plan when a chicken-pie-making machine is installed. What makes Aardman's first film all the more impressive is that it is not only the company's highest-grossing film, but it holds the record as the highest-grossing stop-motion in history, beating out even Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Shaun the Sheep Movie

Released in 2015

Shaun the Sheep's first foray onto the big screen is a delightful romp. In the film, Shaun and his friends have to journey to the city to get the Farmer back after an attempt to get out of doing work backfires and leaves the farmer trapped in the city with memory loss. It's a properly antic-heavy adventure for Shaun and company, but it also has a big heart. The film is a delightful representation of all Aardman stands for in the world of children's animation, as reflected in Shaun the Sheep's near-perfect 99 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.