Based on the packed parking lot and the ten other people in the theater with me to see Early Man, I suspect Black Panther is making ALL the money. Early Man, for what it’s worth, opened against a juggernaut but I suspect it wouldn’t have made a ton of money even if it wasn’t being suicidal. Not that it’s a bad movie… it’s fine… but it’s another Aardman claymation British comedy and those haven’t been doing so great in the US lately. Certainly that it’s also a secret soccer movie probably doesn’t help.
The movie is about a stone age tribe which is surprised by the appearance of a Bronze Age city who wants their resources. They are run off and our dim-witted hero ventures to the city and learns about their sacred sport of football. He challenges them to a game to regain his home, has to teach his tribe the game, and then win the big game.
The humor in the movie is definitely British and football/soccer-obsessed. I suspect I was missing not a few jokes because I’m not a soccer-obsessed Englishman. Did I laugh when the title card said this was the stone age somewhere near Manchester? No… but I guess that, through osmosis, I know Manchester United is a big football team therefor it’s a funny joke. Joke analysis is always HI-larious.
But I did laugh enough and the movie is good-natured and cute. This is the third recent British animated comedy this year and probably the second or third best (with Paddington 2 being easily the best). This one is about as funny, and far more British, than Peter Rabbit. It’s fine. It’s passable. I’ll probably forget it in a week though.
Score: 75