Aardman’s first full-length theatrical feature film was produced with DreamWorks Animation and Pathé and directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park. Released in June 2000, it still remains the highest-grossing stop motion animation film of all time. An impressive voice cast is led by Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha and Miranda Richardson.

All is not well on Tweedy's chicken farm. Led by the plucky Ginger and ably abetted by American interloper Rocky, the chickens are on the verge of a revolution - because the evil Mrs Tweedy is planning to turn them all into pies! This good-natured animated film tips its hat to several classic escape movies, most obviously The Great Escape, but ploughs a furrow all its own in which chickens knit, fly planes, hatch plans and eventually make their longed-for exit. Cracking stuff.

Into Film age recommendation: 5+