I think Shaun the Sheep happens to be a good example of some of the qualities that a movie that everyone loves usually has:
1. The storyline is simple and easy to accept
no matter how unusual the protagonist is The cuteness can't hide the fact that the main story line of "Shaun the Sheep" is actually very ordinary: the traditional story mode of partners working together to show their magical powers, fighting wits and courage with bullies, and finally defeating evil, ushering in a happy ending of unity and friendship. However, the simple dualistic values and stereotyped characters just make it easy for the audience to accept it from old age at least. The absence of lines also eliminates the problems that language may bring: difficult to understand, or easy to complain, etc., which is equivalent to further reducing the difficulty of acceptance.
However, a film with a simple plot is likely to be bland (there are too many examples of this), but the other aspects of Shaun the Sheep are enough to support the simple plot, thus avoiding the dryness and thinness of the plot.
2. Well-made and ingenious in the details.
So what are the aspects that enrich this animation? First of all, the picture is beautiful and vivid, not broken, and there is not a single shot that was treated badly from beginning to end. The windows that Sean drew on the walls of the animal prison with chalk can be as real as the real ones, which is also a visual effect that can only be presented in animation.
The second is the soundtrack and attentiveness. For example, every time the sheepdog sees a bone, there will be an electronic dance music-style background music; every time Trumper appears, he will bring his own rock-style BGM; there are whistles, harmony, and the appearance of Scottish flute sounds full of national characteristics. And so on, which greatly enriched the connotation of the film.
Furthermore, there are a lot of jokes in the film, based on British humor; there are also many cultural symbols, such as Abbey Road, Elvis, Wolverine, Fish & Chips, etc. (although not all British stalks). These details buried in the film make the audience who have a certain pursuit of the film's connotation have room to chew it carefully. At first glance, "Shaun the Sheep" is a cute animation that does not match the British's coldness and amusing, but in fact, it borrows the profound skills of British culture.
In addition, the most talked about, not to mention the cuteness of the characters. Sheep is a kind of creature with its own cute attributes; in the film, the sheep's mouth can move left and right, and it is a creative and cute setting. Even the wild dog on the side of the road, which is not very different, took the route of being ugly to the depths and naturally cute.
All of the above have jointly helped to shape the overall atmosphere of the film. The laughs are not vulgar and the sensation is not excessive. The scene where the sheep sing and evoke ripples in the heart of the amnesiac owner. The bald and sloppy man looks out of the window, which is stained with warm colors because of the setting sun. He is a little melancholy. The singing awakens the yearning for a peaceful home, and the feelings naturally emerge. , no need to show off. It is also worth mentioning that the length of the film is moderate and there is a degree of relaxation. If you compare the current blockbusters with various special effects to the fast-food fried chicken that is rich in fat but insufferable, films like Shaun the Sheep are not high-cold French dishes or flavored specialties, but are more like cooking. Just right, with balanced ingredients, a bowl of golden egg fried rice that can satisfy everyone's stomach.
3. Return to nature, return to nature
In addition to the simple, brisk, and easy-to-follow story, another important reason for "Shaun the Sheep" is that the entire film is rendered as a yearning for a natural and peaceful rural life: life on the ranch is peaceful, while " "Metropolis" life, with dangerous animal hunters, icy hospitals, pretentious restaurants, and pompous pursuit of inexplicable fashionable hairstyles... The contrast between rural and urban life created by the film also expresses some tendency. Although at the beginning of the film, the lambs are tired and bored by the same routine and routine, but after experiencing the nowhere to go in the big city, and returning to their homeland after defeating difficult opponents together, there is quite a kind of "drinking fine wine in the world, only to find out." The vicissitudes of life of Baishui's longest love".
In addition to being cute, the protagonists of the film are also brave, resourceful and versatile. Singing, painting, and even physics and chemistry are all perfect and omnipotent. Such a character, if replaced by a human, would probably become another boring all-around hero. However, when replaced with animals with their own cute attributes, their natural attributes weaken the weight of these settings, and they do not turn the protagonist into an unattainable genius or hero, but make the audience feel close and close the distance. . This is an extra bonus that can be obtained from film and television works that use animals as the protagonists. Shaun the Sheep undoubtedly utilizes this feature, which is a brilliant point that live-action movies cannot match. And Aardman's insistence on making clay animations adds a sense of down-to-earth simplicity to the film.
It is neither refined nor unconventional, it caters to and persists, is digestible and nutritious, the delicate balance of "Shaun the Sheep" skillfully won the public's taste, and it can also win a high score for it.
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