There are effectively two types of Aardman Production. The slightly more commercially inclined stop motion comedy. Or the classically wholesome all-ages adventure. These two tones represent the core of what put Aardman on the map. This writer is glad to report that the studio’s new Christmas musical short Robin Robin ( the first release under a new partnership with Netflix) falls into the latter category. This simple story of a Robin raised by mice trying to find her place in the world has all the hallmarks of classically inclined Aardman. Simple but never basic. Gentle all-ages humour. Every frame oozes craftsmanship and detail however never drawing attention to this in a pretentious way. Strong voice work throughout ( look out for Richard E Grant as a magpie and Gillian Anderson as a villainous cat.)
A new addition to this short is the gorgeous felt character designs. They blend seamlessly with the stop motion. The very best Aardman material can be hard to discuss. Their strengths are so universal there can be very little to criticise. Some older viewers that don’t get swept along by all the fine detail might find things a little bit too basic. That said it’s final products like this that showcase how Aardman has become such a staple Of UK animation and creative productions ( even if most of that is down to the ubiquity of their earlier work ) Hopefully the deal with Netflix finally results in getting them a slightly more global audience. They certainly deserve it. It’s gorgeous work like this that will make Aardmans legacy last
9/10.
A Little Bit Of Everything 