(Literal) Animal House for Kids
5
By HenryDavid13
Let’s get this review started! Now, I’m no biology expert, but I am a film fan, and I saw this movie ten years ago at a drive-in, and it’s still fun, but I do notice a flaw or two! Anyway, Barnyard opens up with a nice, country vibe song playing, establishing the tone and setting. We meet the farmer (Fred Tatasciore) tending to his farm (which he seems to do little throughout), and when he heads out to the fields, the animals start walking and talking. It’s not like other movies where we’re just perceiving their communications in a way we can understand, they are literally walking and talking, and apparently have to keep it a secret, which would make perfect sense considering the ramifications this would imply. If you suspend your disbelief (in a big way), you will enjoy this movie more, just letting you know, there are minor things like a seemingly negligent farmer, and cows that are male and not bulls (research bovine biology on your own time). Quite simply, remember these points: it is a universe where animals can walk and talk like us, but choose to keep it secret, and also, this is aimed at kids! It’s not as smart as Pixar, and it doesn’t have to be. When you let go, you’ll enjoy a story about how Otis (Kevin James) must take charge when his adoptive father (Sam Elliot) is no longer able to lead the barnyard animals in their secret lives of walking, talking, and partying. The animation is a little more cartoonish than other studios, but there’s still some ultra-realistic fur on the coyotes like Dag (David Koechner), which makes them look like the imposing threat they are to Otis and his friends, from Pip the mouse (Jeff Garcia), Freddy the weasel (Cam Clarke), Pip the rooster (Rob Paulsen), and Pig (Tino Insana). While each of them gets a fun moment, and every barn animal under the barn roof is given a moment, the real focus is Otis, and they all come off as one-dimensional. The character development is poor, but you will like Otis. All of this moves at a pace that will stay in a child’s attention span, and give adults something quick and fun (if you watched this growing up), or outright confusing if you don’t think too deeply about it. If you want something to take your mind off of that, try using the soundtrack, which has hits like Boombastic and several other songs, mostly with country vibes, with a score done by John Debney, conveying the appropriate emotions, and being there when the story needs it (Like Otis’ dad for the farm). Barnyard is not the kind of movie with deep, subtle references, but it is a fun flick that will amuse children and adults who grew up with it or are willing to overlook some biological inaccuracies (if you think Otis should have been a bull, explain how you’d have made this movie with biological accuracy); nice soundtrack with lots of cool songs, acceptable animation, a linear plot, a relatable protagonist with under-developed sidekicks, and lots of humor derived from animals being animals with the ability to walk and talk like us humans, whether sheep follow like sheep, dogs chase the ball, etc. It’s a fine, compelling-enough Nickelodeon movie.
