Barnyard Review

Barnyard

Release Date: 21st September 2006 - Australia


Production Companies
Paramount Pictures

Nickelodeon Movies
O Entertainment

Kumar Mobiliengesellschaft mbH & Co. Projekt Nr. 2 KG

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Animation/Family/

Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 90 minutes

Budget: $51,000,000

Box Office Gross: $116,755,080 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

When the farmer is not around, the animals begin to party as they play, sing and dance in their free time. Eventually, someone has to step in and keep things in order around the farm, and that responsibility falls to a carefree cow named Otis.

Voice Cast

Kevin James - Otis the Cow
David Koechner - Dag the Coyote

Jeff Garcia - Pip the Mouse
Courteney Cox - Daisy the Cow
Wanda Sykes - Bessy the Cow

Sam Elliott - Ben the Cow
Danny Glover - Miles the Mule
Rob Paulsen - Peck the Rooster/

Gopher/Pizza Twin #1
Tino Insana - Pig the Pig
Cam Clarke - Freddy the
Ferret
Dom Irrera - Duke the Dog
Andie MacDowell - Etta the Hen
Madeline Lovejoy - Maddy the Chick

Earthquake - Root the Rooster

S. Scott Bullock - Eddy the Cow
Maurice LaMarche - Igg the Cow
John DiMaggio - Bud the Cow/

Officer O'Hanlen
Maria Bamford - Mrs. Beady

Steve Oedekerk - Snotty

Boy/Mr. Beady/Snotty Boy's Father
Fred Tatasciore - Farmer

Peter Stenstrom - Skunk

Jill Talley - Snotty Boy's Mother

Laraine Newman - Snotty Boy's Friend

Katie Leigh - Snotty Boy's Friend/Additional Voices

North Mississippi Allstars - Barn Boys

Crew

Writer/Producer/Director -
Steve Oedekerk

Associate Producer/Cow Designer -

Mark Beam
Executive Producers - Julia Pistor,

Aaron Parry and A.K. Madhavan

Producers - Pam Marsden

and Paul Marshal

Production Designer/Art Director -

Phillip A. Cruden

Lead Character Designer - Bill Schwab
Character Designers - Dale Hendrickson,

Jim Clark and Jerry Mahoney

Additional Character Designer -

Andre Medina

Head Sequence Director - Jeff Siergey

Sequence Directors - Anthony Bell,

Frank Marino and Jeff McGrath

Lead Animation Supervisor - David Andrews

Animation Supervisors - T.J Sullivan,

Steve Baker and Richard Bazley

Lead Character Modelling/Animation Supervisor -

Todd Grimes

CG Supervisors - Graham D. Clark

and Tom Capizzi
Background Animation Supervisor - Alastair McLeod

Lead Technical Supervisor - Jason Barlow

Layout Supervisor - Steve Kolbe
Visual Effects Supervisor - Martin Lauzon

Film Editors - Billy Weber and

Paul D. Calder

Additional Editor - Bret Marnell

Assistant Editors - Danik Thomas

and Craig Paulsen

Sound Designer - Odin Benitez

Sound Designer/Effects Editor - Yann Depulch

Supervising Sound Editor - Michael Hilkene

Production Sound Mixer - Devon Bowman

Re-Recording Mixers - David E. Fluhr

and Myron Nettinga

Foley Artists - Robin Harlan and

Sarah Monat

Music - John Debney

Executive Music Producer - Karyn Rachtman


Review

BARNYARD is a weird kiddie-loose comedy created by the same makers that did Jimmy Neutron. I found BARNYARD to be a product of shame from the network and a disappointment for the film's creators. Throughout the movie's 90-minute duration, several aspects let this film down. The computer animation is so low-budget and makes you wonder why the creator wanted the male cows to have udders to be funny since it's not in their biology. It has unoriginal storytelling. Some of its themes are cut or taken from Disney's The Lion King. For example, its overarching theme is to grow up and be more responsible; the main character's (Otis) carefree lifestyle is similar to Simba's. This film was an uninteresting comedy with a most unconvincing set of jokes (save for some, like the part where the cows do "boy tipping").

I almost didn't recognise some of the film's characters, but now I know Kevin James, Danny Glover, and Sam Elliott were among the voice talents. I already knew Wanda Sykes was in the film; this was her third voice role. How unfortunate that it could not have been a more successful animated comedy. 

I recommend you watch this film only once if you have high expectations, as it does not come close. It's full of a younger audience appeal, and you must bury the movie under a haystack. I have not watched the TV show. But after seeing this movie, I saw a few of its episodes.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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