I hadn’t heard of Early Man until recently. But I guess not many people did, as it did poorly at the box office. It’s a film by Nick Park, who is behind the Wallace and Gromit series of clay-animation and other movies/tv shows. But I decided to give it a try, as I typically like (but never quite love) his work.

The story is set during a heavily fictionalized version of the bronze age. Though people like the caveman tribe, do not use bronze as neither tools, armor, or weapons. They prefer their rocks and primitive ways to hunt and gather. However a “kingdom” of sorts annexes their lands and sends them fleeing to a volcanic area. Most of them really preferred their nice green valley, and one of them, named Dug tries to get it back.

But his main nemesis appears to be Lord Nooth. He serves a mostly absent Queen, but he likes to run the show. He’s very vain, selfish, and quite evil. He thinks everything is going quite well until a soccer/football match is stopped due to Dug the caveman posing as the champion team’s goalie. Everyone isn’t very happy.

Dug comes up with an idea. He makes a bargain with Lord Nooth. If his tribe can beat the soccer champions, then’ll they’ll get their lands back. But should they lose this great game, then they’ll be forced to work in the mines until their last day on Earth. Do they even have a hope of winning this challenge?

Overall I liked Early Man, it’s a decent animated movie. I heard it did well with critics, but with regular folks, only about half actually liked the movie. But since the movie flopped at the movie theaters, I hope nobody was hoping for a sequel. I’m sure it’s chances are now as extinct as the Neanderthals.

Score: B-