Early Man

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Early Man

PG,

2018,

1h 29m,

Kids & Family/

Comedy/

Adventure/

Animation

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80%

173 Reviews

Tomatometer

49%

1,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

173 Reviews

49%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

A plucky cave man named Dug, his sidekick Hognob and the rest of their tribe face a grave threat to their simple existence. Lord Nooth plans to take over their land and transform it into a giant mine, forcing Dug and his clan to dig for precious metals. Not ready to go down without a fight, Dug and Hognob must unite their people in an epic quest to defeat a mighty enemy -- the Bronze Age.

Critics Consensus

Early Man isn't quite as evolved as Aardman's best work, but still retains the unique visuals and sweet humor that have made the studio a favorite among animation enthusiasts.

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David Stratton

The Australian

Mar 30, 2018

3/5

A generally wholesome and entertaining confection. The animation is state-of-the-art, but the simple plot mechanics and often rather tired jokes could have benefited from some rewriting.

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

Mar 28, 2018

4/5

Aardman has always done this layering of humour, so that adults can enjoy their stories as much as children, but this one pushes the volume up to 11. The glee runneth over from the first shot.

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

Feb 22, 2018

The story is thin, allowing little room for imaginative engagement, and the comedy uninspired. Early Man contains a nice anti-sexism message, but delivers it half-heartedly.

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Jason Best

Movie Talk

May 26, 2026

Eddie Redmayne’s hero Dug and his chums can’t match Wallace and Gromit for eccentric charm, but the silly visual gags and groan-inducing puns (‘Jurassic Pork’) still come thick and fast.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Mar 14, 2022

3/4

The productions wit resides in its cultural distinction and commentary on football, and the restlessness of the children in the theater was not enough to dissuade me from appreciating the subtle humor of Early Man.

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Andrew Lim

Mediaversity Reviews

Nov 14, 2021

C-

Early Man's non-verbal warthog has more screen time than any female character.

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Ron W

Apr 26, 2019

Cute and family friendly football/soccer fun

Finn W

Apr 20, 2019

Zthis entire plot consisted of cliches that we've seen a million times in other movies. That's the whole movie. I had no creativity expect for the visuals.

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Han S

Jan 25, 2019

Typical children storyline with more girls nowaday. Plenty of physical comedy.

Harry G

Dec 24, 2018

Not super cleaver or ground breaking but great fun and not overly simple.

Leia R

Dec 15, 2018

Even when they're not at the top of their proverbial game, Aardman Animations is still delivering delightfully pleasant cinematic experiences for the whole family. As is the case with most Aardman films, "Early Man" rides high on its meticulously crafted stop-motion stylings and its kind-hearted comedic approach. This time around however, its the intangibles of the narrative that ultimately make this one of the lesser entries in the animation giant's oeuvre. Indeed, the cliched sports film beats and weaker thematic elements may ultimately render this out into something far less meaningful than desired, but that doesn't mean it's not a fun watch overall.

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Harry S

Dec 10, 2018

Early Man is another great entry for Aardman studios and it yet again boosts it's unique animation style. This film is not one of Aardman's best films but it is still a hilarious film with frequently funny British and football related humour, a silly but surprisingly interesting story and amazing voice work, especially from Tom Hiddleston. It lacks the substance brought to us by Nick Park in the past, e.g. Wallace and Gromit The Curse of The Ware-Rabbit and the film is actually really short but it is still worth checking out for the animation alone. Overall, Early Man is a fun and well made animated film and British footie fans will love this sweet little tale which is the most overlooked movie of the year.

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Nick Park

Director

Eddie Redmayne

Dug

Tom Hiddleston

Lord Nooth

Maisie Williams

Goona

Miriam Margolyes

Queen Oofeefa

Timothy Spall

Chief Bobnar

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Early Man: B-Roll

4:41

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Early Man: Final Trailer

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Early Man: Trailer 1

2:20

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Early Man: International Trailer 3

2:25

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Early Man: International Trailer 2

2:14

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Early Man: Teaser Trailer

2:29

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Early Man: International Trailer 1

2:23

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Early Man: International Teaser Trailer 1

1:10

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Synopsis

A plucky cave man named Dug, his sidekick Hognob and the rest of their tribe face a grave threat to their simple existence. Lord Nooth plans to take over their land and transform it into a giant mine, forcing Dug and his clan to dig for precious metals. Not ready to go down without a fight, Dug and Hognob must unite their people in an epic quest to defeat a mighty enemy -- the Bronze Age.

Director: Nick Park
Producer: Carla Shelley, Richard Beek, Peter Lord, Nick Park, David Sproxton
Screenwriter: Mark Burton, James Higginson
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: StudioCanal, Aardman Animations
Rating: PG (Rude Humor and Some Action)
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 15, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.2M
Runtime: 1h 29m
Sound Mix: DTS, Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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