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After so many years of animated movies you really have to wonder if they really are aimed at kids or just big kids (you know, adults...it's a nasty word I know :)
The Simpsons is a prime example of this.  What is it exactly that kids find funny about this show?  It's laced with more adult humour than any kid could possibly understand (at least one would hope they didn't understand :)

CGI may be taking off big time, with this technology being partly utilised for animated movies (like the excellent Titan A.E.) or in full as is the case with the upcoming Final Fantasy, but Chicken Run takes a totally different approach than CEL by using plastic/clay animation.  The Major benefit I can see for go clay animation is the ability to work within a real three Dimensional environment, the sets and characters need to be physically made. 

Unlike conventional stop motion, Peter Lord and Nick Park have developed near perfection in the seamless motion of characters and camera movement.  No wonder these guys win Oscars for their work..

They have most certainly created a wonderful world in the Chicken Coup on Tweedy's Farm.   Head Chicken Ginger (voiced by Ab Fab's Julia Sewahla) is determined for all the chickens to escape and is constantly working on ways to fly the coup with the aid of her chicken friends Mac (the brain - Lynn Ferguson), Bunty (the succulent plump one - Imelda staunton) and Babs (the dopey one - Jane Horrocks aka Bubbles from Ab Fab). But has to date botched every attempt.
Then out of the blue (well the sky actually)  comes a flying rooster ...Rocky the Red Island Rooster. (Mel Gibson).  He crash lands inside the chicken coup and damages is wing.  Ginger makes a deal with Rocky that once he's healed he must help them all fly out of Tweedy's Farm.

But between Mr Tweedy's (Tony Haygarth) paranoia that those chickens are up to something, and Mrs Tweedy's (Miranda Richardson) grand scheme for Chicken Pies, they don't have much time on their hands to hatch a new plan :)

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VIDEO
Simply stunning is the way to describe this Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer.
I had the opportunity to review this DVD through a Dreamvision DL500 Starlight DLP Projector, with the I-scan pro Line Doubler and was completely blown away by the realism it presented.  It was magnificent on all levels and I've never seen so much depth and detail from a DVD before.  Even at home via my Pioneer RPTV the picture is magnificent and maintains Reference quality for the duration of the picture
Directly compared to the excellent NTSC region 1 version, ours beats it hands down!

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AUDIO
For its Theatrical run, CR:1 came with a Dolby EX mix, and while this DVD is only encoded as a Dolby Digital 5.1 track (448kbps encoded) it still contains the EX surround back information. (manual switching to 6.1 is required however)
Sadly we are missing the superior DTS ES 6.1 Discrete mix which BOTH the USA and UK versions have. 
Dreamworks are really letting region 4 DVD with their DVDs not coming in Dual Audio Codecs {as they include on most their region 1 DVDs]  and I really hope they pick their game up shortly and start offering the superior DTS mixes, ESPECIALLY if they are DTS ES 6.1 Discrete mixes.

While CR:1 comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX mix, it's not used to the full of its extent throughout, but there are some sensational moments of EX-ness.  Most notably the Pie Machine sequence (chapter 15).  Surround back is in full force here with some great panning effects and over the shoulder sound effects.  (compared to the DTS ES 6.1 Discrete mix, our Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX track lacks the fullness of the DTS discrete back surround).

The Front soundstage is very nice, with the music score underplaying the onscreen action (it's perhaps a little too low for my liking).  Dialogue is always clear and intelligible with very good placement across the front, and LFE attack is not always obvious but when required goes very low (in fact there were a few bass moments that I didn't even notice on my system, but when demo-ing on the Dreamvision the Sunfire True sub which was part of this Homethreatre reveals some very low end bass (Mrs Tweedy's foot stomps in the Roll Call were well and truly under 25 Hz)

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EXTRAS
You're in for a treat here..

Directors Peter Lord and Nick Park have loaned their voices for a running commentary which offers some nice little movie tid-bits.   (pity you can't change to this track on the fly using your remote..you have to select the option from the special features menu).

The first of two Featurettes, Poultry in Motion is an excellent 20 minute of behind the scenes cast and crew interviews, etc. and is complimented by the 15 minute Hatching of Chicken Run. Oooh those chickens are evil Terminator looking creatures in their skeletal form :)

An interesting addition to the extras is a read along.  running well over 15 minutes this is a breakdown of Chicken run from go to whoa and is accompanied by on screen text for the narration ..not quite sure what they were getting at with this, but it's there just the same..

There are also 2 theatrical trailers which have the misfortune of NOT carrying Dolby 5.1 mixes as found on the region 1 version (these 5.1 mixes are awesome especially on the Chicken ": impossible trailer)

Cast and Crew Bios

and Last but not least, the PANIC BUTTON (very funny stuff)

The region 4 version does miss a few features, though there nothing too extreme, but would have been nice have included on our disc, Easter eggs.   Again, the region 1 version has lotsa little Easter eggs, some of Chicken Run Movie Trivia.  pity

It may well be missing the excellent DTS ES Discrete 6.1 mix, but that aside this is a tremendous DVD for all to enjoy.  Highly recommended (for all non DTS aficionados :)