Shaun the Sheep Movie shares some DNA with the work of David Wain, specifically in its propensity for significant plot developments to transpire in an absurdly short time frame. After a conk on the head causes the Farmer to forget his identity, his skills for shearing lead him to believe he is a renowned stylist, and he soon becomes the talk of the Big City. This is a process that one would assume would take months, or at least weeks. Maybe days. Meanwhile, Shaun and the rest of the flock track him down to return him home and restore his memory. Their run-ins with the overzealous animal-control worker and the rest of the Big City could not possibly be taking place over more than a couple of days, based on what is presented. Thus, the Farmer becomes the new celebrity stylist “Mr. X” literally overnight. This time compression deserves to be considered as prominently as the whimsically crafted slapstick set pieces, such as the sheep attempting to mimic the human behavior of restaurant patrons or their transporting an elaborate fake horse disguise (whose butt the animal-control guy gets adorably stuck in).
Jeff Malone is a voracious entertainment consumer and entertainment creator. He currently resides in New York City, where he received his Master’s in Media Studies at The New School. In addition to his pieces on TMRzoo.com and StarPulse.com, you can check out his blog (jmunney.wordpress.com), where he provides regular coverage of Community and Saturday Night Live, as well as other television, film, music, and the rest of pop culture.
