Shaun The Sheep - A Woolly Good Time Parent Guide

A Woolly Good Time is bound to be had by all who watch this DVD release of six episodes from the TV series Shaun the Sheep. Based on a character introduced in the short film Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave, the mischievous mutton and his barnyard friends do a lot of playing while the Farmer’s away—or otherwise distracted.

The sheepish shenanigans include mucking with the laundry (Washday), doing dentist duty with things you have lying about the house (Tooth Fairy) and clowning around when the circus comes to town (Big Top Timmy). Then there are plucky solutions for perplexing problems like amusing troublesome tikes (The Farmer’s Niece), silencing a loud sleeper (Snore-Worn Shaun) and tackling technology (Helping Hound).

While slapstick antics abound, there is little to offend even the youngest of viewers. A few characters occasionally find themselves in peril (a baby lamb walking a tight rope causes more danger to his rescuers than to himself, and protecting a child from harm while babysitting results in more injuries to the “sitters” than the “baby”). Language is never an issue, as none of the characters actually speak. Instead they communicate in murmurs and gestures. (Have no fear—you’ll understand every word!) Aside from that, there are some boxer shorts that get loose from the line and a few squeamish moments when the helpful animals try to remove an abscessed tooth. Yet it is all in good fun and the fleece will be sure to fly again in the next adventure.

Meanwhile, anyone familiar with the Studio’s other work is sure to enjoy some of the similarities between former productions and these shorts. For instance, the robot the Farmer introduces to round up the sheep is reminiscent of Wallace’s Techno-trousers and Bitzer the Dog shows the same kind of impatient patience as Gromit. And as in the past, fans are likely to be delighted once more by the imaginative clay creatures that have become a trademark of the folks at Aardman Animation.

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Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.