Chicken Run Still Flies High: Why Mel Gibson‘s Strangest Role Remains a Stop-Motion Masterpiece
By David Harrison, World-Today-News.com
Mel Gibson is a name synonymous with 80s and 90s action cinema. From the Lethal weapon franchise to historical epics like Braveheart and The Patriot, and his defining role in Mad Max, Gibson cemented himself as a global superstar.But arguably one of his most memorable – and unexpected – performances came in 2000, when he lent his voice to Rocky, a flamboyant, flying rooster in Chicken Run.
Now streaming on Netflix, the Aardman Animations classic – a delightful stop-motion parody of The Great Escape – continues to captivate audiences and remains the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time, a quarter-century after its release.
Chicken Run expertly blends the quintessentially British humor of Wallace and gromit with a high-stakes narrative set on a chicken farm that chillingly resembles a World War II prisoner-of-war camp. Creators Peter Lord and Nick Park cleverly transform this absurd premise into a desperate fight for survival when the farm’s owners,the ruthless Tweedys,decide chickens are more valuable as pies than egg-layers.
Enter Rocky (voiced by Gibson), a charismatic rooster who promises the hens the impractical: he claims he can teach them to fly to freedom.
Of course,chickens can’t fly. Rocky is, knowingly, leading them on. But Gibson’s performance is so captivating, and the script so sharp, that audiences can’t help but root for the audacious rooster and the resolute hens. in fact, Chicken Run stands as one of Gibson’s finest roles, a testament to his vocal range and comedic timing – and a poignant reminder of the career trajectory he regrettably took a decade later.
Beyond the witty writing and compelling characters, Chicken Run is a visual marvel. Stop-motion animation is a notoriously painstaking art form, demanding immense patience and precision.A single minute of footage required a full week of work within Aardman’s sprawling studio, which housed 30 meticulously crafted sets and a dedicated team of 80 animators.
A 30-minute behind-the-scenes short, originally released on the DVD, offers a fascinating glimpse into the process, detailing the intricacies of animating everything from individual chicken beaks and feathers to ensuring seamless continuity across the expansive sets.
Chicken Run isn’t just a nostalgic trip for those who grew up with it; it’s a masterclass in animation, storytelling, and comedic timing. It’s a film that continues to resonate with audiences of all ages, proving that even a seemingly
