A review of the Barnyard movie

At first glance, Barnyard might seem like just another talking animals movie, and in some ways it is. But a few charming details and a spark for original comic set-pieces raise this 2006 Nichelodeon film above the crowd.

The basics

Set on a small South American farm, Barnyard tells the story of the bull Otis as he is forced to take over as the new leader of the animals. Otis has previously lived a wild life and always avoided responsibilities as he was in favour of partying and pulling elaborate pranks. However, when the local coyotes threaten the farm and his friends find themselves in danger, he learns that sometimes, one has to do the right thing.

The original party animals

The barnyard animals of the film's title are mostly predictable archetypes fit for their species. Pig is greedy and loud, Bessy is a black cow with attitude, Dag is an evil coyote and Miles is a wise old mule. However, However, in this mess, there are some nice surprises. Freddy is a ferret who, though he has sworn of meat to be allowed to live at the farm, continually has to fight the urge to devour the resident chickens. Also, the Beadys, a human couple living near the farm, provide some of the better verbal jokes. In one line definitely aimed at the parents, we discover that the paranoid Mrs Beady is 'medicated for a chemical imbalance'.

Yay or Neigh?

Barnyard is a movie that cannot be pitched anywhere. Obviously, a family film should play to both adult and child and this one clearly tries to, but the division in the humour and style means that both audiences are intermittently lost. That said, it does have some fantastic moments, both comedic [the repeated concussing of the old farmer to cover up the animal's secret double life] and genuinely touching [the death of Otis' father and his subsequent revenge mission]. Also, for such a visually childish film, the Barnyard soundtrack is conversely rather mature. Peter Gabriel and Aerosmith both feature in the soundtrack and a version of Tom Petty's I Won't Back Down is sung by Otis' dad, Ben, as he sits guard against the coyotes. The only truly unforgivable thing sits on the front of our hero's belly, a patently female set of udders.

The TV adaptation

The film's made-for-TV feel made its transition to the small screen all but seamless. In fact, some viewers were not even aware of Back at the Barnyard's origins. If you enjoyed the film but found it lacking, check out this more compact adaptation. The world of Barnyard feels more suited to this Sunday morning format than the feature length.