Early Man

“Early Man’s lovable and non-verbal warthog has more screen time than any female character.”

Title: Early Man (2018)
Director: Nick Park 👨🏼🇬🇧
Writers: Screenplay by Mark Burton 👨🏼🇬🇧 and James Higginson 👨🏼🇬🇧 and story by Mark Burton 👨🏼🇬🇧 and Nick Park 👨🏼🇬🇧

Reviewed by Andrew 👨🏻🇺🇸🌈

Note: This review was commissioned by Lionsgate. The content and methodology remain 100% independent and in line with Mediaversity's non-commissioned reviews.

—SPOILERS AHEAD—

Technical: 4/5

Although Early Man harkens back to prehistory, any sense of historical accuracy flies out the window within the first 60 seconds of the film. Humans and dinosaurs live together in this world and the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs also somehow gives birth to the sport of football (or “soccer,” in American parlance). Writing this out, it sounds completely ludicrous. Then again, that’s what makes Early Man so charming.

As one of the latest films from stop motion animation giant Aardman Animations, the creators of Chicken Run (2000) and the beloved Wallace and Gromit series, Early Man is a decidedly British affair replete with silly sight gags and so, so many puns. While not the most subtle or sophisticated, it certainly entertains adults and children alike.

Set in what will be the outskirts of Manchester, England, sometime “ages ago,” Early Man is the light-hearted underdog tale of a Stone Age tribe. The tribe ends up forced from their paradise-like valley by the greedy governor, Lord Nooth (Tom Hiddleston), of a nearby queendom that has already progressed to the Bronze Age. While the Stone Agers still chase bunnies and live in nature, the Bronze Age city dwellers enjoy all the hustle and bustle of early medieval life, complete with wheels, currency, and metal tools. But rather than seek restorative justice through war, the Stone Age tribe, led by young Dug (Eddie Redmayne), challenges the Bronze Age premier league team to a match to decide who controls the valley. With some help from football enthusiast Goona (Maisie Williams), the Stone Age tribe triumphs against the odds to win their home back.

The story is simple and the ending, predictably happy. But along the way, we’re treated to a series of absurd jokes that make for an amusing 78 minutes of runtime, brought to life by animation as excellent as can be expected from the leading production house in stop motion. The big name cast do an acceptable job in their task to be silly characters, and for viewers who can appreciate British humor—or at least recognize some of its more niche references—no real complaints can be had.

Gender: 2/5
Does it pass the Bechdel Test? NOPE

Goona is the young football-loving hero of the Stone Age tribe. Barred from playing by the Bronze Age regime—apparently, gender roles are something humans picked up at the same time as metal tools—she takes on the role of coaching the rag-tag Stone Agers into a real team. She puts them through their paces and whips them into shape. And while there are frissons of attraction in the form of furtive glances and eye contact between Dug and Goona, the movie remains very much in G-rated territory. Goona stays firmly in the lovable hero category by her own merit, rather than ending up as just another perfunctory romantic interest who pairs up with the male lead.

Furthermore, the movie clearly attempts to make some statements about gender equality. While the Bronze Agers do not allow women to play, the Stone Age tribe features three women (and one warthog...?). In fact, women carry the Stone Age team during the match and it’s Goona who ties it up with an assist from Gravelle (Gina Yashere). When this happens, Lord Nooth protests loudly that Goona shouldn’t be allowed to play because she’s a girl. This seems to suggest that what humanity gained in technology came at the cost of our innate equality and camaraderie. However, this whiff of a moral lesson is never made any more explicit—a shame, because Early Man could have very well pulled off making a claymation version of Bend it Like Beckham’s (2002) “girl power” message.

But other than Goona’s standalone moments of “empowerment,” no other female character gets any serious play. Nor are any of their characters given any depth or nuance. Dug, unsurprisingly, gets the lion’s share. And it says a lot when Hognob (Nick Park), the Stone Age tribe’s lovable and non-verbal warthog, has more screen time than any other female character. Adding insult to injury, at no point do two female characters speak to each other, despite them sharing multiple scenes.

Race: 2/5

While Early Man takes place in England in late prehistory, plenty of diversity exists among the supporting cast. Gina Yashere and Richard Ayoade, two Black British actors, voice Stone Agers Gravelle and Treebor, respectively. Meanwhile, the Bronze Age city also boasts a diverse population with a wide range of skin tones and hair types. Showing both the more primitive Stone Age tribe and the more advanced Bronze Age civilization with equal levels of diversity at all levels of society is refreshing—a positive contrast to the way older films tend to depict more primitive societies as darker toned, equating dark skin with savagism.

However, aside from this secondary inclusion of non-white voice actors and onscreen characters, race and ethnicity hardly figures in the movie. At least, not unless you count some typically English cracks at stuck-up continentals.

Mediaversity Grade: C- 2.67/5

Early Man provides an entertaining and silly time. Conceptually, it conjures what I imagine to be the dreams of an English person after too many pints and a day visiting the Natural History Museum. What Early Man has in zaniness and football references, however, it lacks in any kind of thoughtful commentary on the troubles of life today, like sexism or racism in modern sport. We can perhaps blame it on the short run time and instead be thankful for a diverting, non-offensive way to pass the time.

Like Early Man? Try these other animated titles.

Grade: CLiJanuary 20, 2018