Early Man – Steinzeit bereit (2018)

Early Man – Steinzeit bereit: Directed by Nick Park. With Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Timothy Spall. Set at the dawn of time, when prehistoric creatures and woolly mammoths roamed the earth, Early Man tells the story of Dug, along with sidekick Hognob as they unite his tribe against a mighty enemy Lord Nooth and his Bronze Age City to save their home.

“Nick Parku0026#39;s claymation creations always manage to put a smile on my face. While it doesnu0026#39;t quite reach the heights of their u0026#39;Wallace u0026amp; Gromitu0026#39; franchise, u0026#39;Early Man (2018)u0026#39; is a consistently clever and chuckle-worthy affair with plenty of laughs to be had at its typically home-spun humour that just gets better the longer you think about it. The beautifully tangible animation is compounded by awesomely ostentatious vocal work and a wonderfully written script, crafting a fully formed world just one-step removed from our own. It is also far and away the best football film Iu0026#39;ve seen. Though Iu0026#39;m not a huge fan of the sport and always find the formula of its features rather dull, the piece has me both riveted and grinning ear-to-ear during its ball-to-boots sequences with its wisecracking yet respectful, satirical wit which remains good-natured and suitably subtle even when taking the easiest, or sometimes most obscure, of hits. 7/10”