Movie Review: Early Man

Early Man, 2/16/18, 1hr 29min, PG

Early Man takes the audience on a journey back in time to when a big asteroid hit the earth.  That asteroid became a ball, and that was how “Football” or soccer was born.  Yes this is how the sport was really born.  Kicking a rock hard alien substance around and into a goal.

If nothing else that is a funny premise for a film.  The same animators who did Wallace and Gromit at Aardman studios ran with that premise and made an entertaining film for families. 

As the film progresses the hunters and gatherers are forced out of their valley by the more advanced and greedy people of the Bronze Age.  Dug (Eddie Redmayne) is curious as to where these people have come from and their technology.  He finds himself in a city and discovers more about his tribe than the people of the city. 

The story takes the little guys and pits them in a football match against a really good team of professionals.  You might see where this is going from here.  All the same there are some funny jokes and gags as the story moves on and you do want to root for the little guys.  I did find the duck gag to be funny, can’t say more than that or I’ll ruin it.. 

Some of the humor is considered crude as a bird poops on a man and the backside of a man is seen in a shower. Plus there is some humor based upon flatulence.  The violence in the film is played for comic effect so there are not many serious injuries.

Early Man is rated PG and can be enjoyed by the whole family.  I am giving it a B grade.