 |
What really happens on the farm when the farmer isn't looking? In director Steve Oedekerk's (KUNG POW: ENTER THE FIST, ACE VENTURA: WHEN NATURE CALLS) computer-generated animation feature, the farm animals can do everything humans do. They talk, walk upright, buy human contraband from a "gray market" run by the gophers, and even turn the barn into a nightclub. Of course, they do all of this in secret. The biggest party animal is Otis (voiced by Kevin James), a happy-go-lucky cow. (Yes, the movie is full of male cows, complete with udders....) The animals know they can always count on him for a kooky stunt or a practical joke. But Otis' carefree attitude doesn't sit well with his father, Ben (Sam Neill), the barnyard patriarch and protector. Ben loves his slacker son, but thinks Otis needs to learn more responsibility, especially because he hopes to leave a legacy to care for the barnyard.
When the dangerous coyote season arrives and Ben is suddenly no longer able to serve as barnyard security, mayhem immediately ensues and the barnyard looks more like an amusement park then a farm...until Otis steps up to fill his father's shoes. But is he really ready to take the lead, or would he prefer to be wooing Daisy (Courtney Cox), the pretty new cow on the farm, and partying with his friends? And when push comes to shove, will Otis be able to stand up to the coyotes and protect the barnyard? This coming-of-age tale is bolstered by the human antics of the animals and genuine laugh-out-loud moments for all ages. Wanda Sykes voices Bessy, Daisy's cynical cow friend, and Danny Glover voices Miles the Mule, a sage elder on the farm. Songs by Tom Petty and Peter Gabriel, as well as other artists, elevate the soundtrack above the typical children's film.
|
