Sheer goofball sweetness is enough to make “Barnyard” a likable movie, although in this summer glutted with animated movies, it might need more than sweetness to find its audience.
The basic premise of this movie is that animals are not the dumb, subservient creatures they appear to be. When humans turn their backs, they get up on two legs and start talking.
Down on this particular farm, the animals have a complex system of rules and regulations, and the man – er, beast – in charge is a cow named Ben (authoritatively voiced by Sam Elliott).
A note here: All the bovine animals in this movie have udders sticking out of their bellies, even the ones with male voices. So for the purposes of this review they’re all “cows.” But I’m a little worried about writer-director Steve Oedekerk.
The story, believe it or not, is something of a variation on Shakespeare’s “Henry IV,” although I have no idea whether Oedekerk knows it. Wise Ben is constantly exasperated by his adopted son, Otis (Kevin James), a party cow who would rather whoop it up with his buddies than be responsible like his dad.
Things change, and Otis must face the awkward business of growing up. But what will this mean for the barnyard?
Oedekerk, who made the “Ace Ventura” movies, has taken great care with the coming-of-age stuff. “Barnyard” wears its heart on its sleeve, despite the roster of wacky characters (including one hairy thing called Wild Mike, who exists only to flop around on the barn stage like a Tasmanian Devil unleashed).
Along with the general sweetness comes a threat, in the form of a pack of coyotes (led by the uncanny voice of David Koechner). They’re scary enough to merit the PG rating.
Other cows – female ones, in fact – are voiced by Courteney Cox and Wanda Sykes, and Danny Glover does duty as a philosophical mule who’s not above kicking the farmer in the head once in a while.
The animation is jokey and simple, but it’s not the point. The point is an old-fashioned story about a bratty kid coming to maturity, and it comes off rather nicely. Now about those udders. …
Otis has some fun behind the mail carrier’s back.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
