A flock of sheep have fun around their farm.

Not hilarious like other Aardman shows (like Creature Comforts), but funny. Much better than most recent cartoons in the Cute Wholesome genre. ( )

Eight animated shorts chronicle the adventures of Shaun the Sheep and his flock on a small English farm. Fans of the Wallace & Gromit franchise will likely remember Shaun from A Close Shave, though these shorts do standalone and viewers do not have to be familiar with Wallace & Gromit to enjoy them. Each six-minute short pits Shaun and his flock against some new challenge, such as learning how to play soccer with a cabbage, vanquishing a hoard of angry honeybees and outsmarting the farmer to avoid getting sheered. Ingenious gags abound as the sheep find clever ways to use the objects they find around farm, and much of the humor comes from this unexpected cleverness mixed with an over-the-top, cartoonish sense of reality. The animation – more properly styled claymation since it features stop-motion animation of clay characters – is absolutely faultless, and its handmade quality is an endearing trademark of the Aardman studios. The lack of dialogue may remind some viewers of silent films and make these shorts especially appealing to young children who tend to appreciate physical humor above all else. Recommended for viewers of all ages. ( )