What happens when a bunch of chickens decides quite literally to fly the coop and break out of their prison-like farm? The result is a high-flying adventure full of heart, warmth, jokes, laughter, and a conclusion that may or may not leave your feathers ruffled. To date, Chicken Run remains the most successful stop-frame films of all time, having made $224 million. This widely surpasses its closest comparison, The Nightmare Before Christmas, which only made around $88 million.

Comparing Chicken Run and The Nightmare Before Christmas together is like comparing apples and oranges, though, as both are two very different types of animated films. Yet, it’s easy to see why Chicken Run was so successful. After all, what’s not to love about a bunch of bumbling chickens running around (like chickens with their heads cut off) as they hatch a daring escape plan? In addition to its success, Chicken Run is overall just a great movie perfect for adults and kids alike. Here are five reasons why it’s one of the best stop-motion movies of all time.

British Humor at Its Best, Expertly Delivered by Chickens

The Chickens in Chicken Run
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Among the darker, intense moments in Chicken Run, there are some scenes of great humor sprinkled throughout the film. The humor is what gives the movie heart and distracts the viewers from the harsh reality of the chickens and their plight of living in captivity to the cruel Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy. Specifically, the character, or rather, chicken of Babs exists to create lighthearted moments. It seems she is at the heart of every joke and isn’t afraid to speak her mind, no matter how clueless she truly is. For example:

Babs: “Morning, Ginger. Back from holiday?”Ginger: I wasn’t on holiday, Babs. I was in solitary confinement.Babs: “Oh, it’s nice to get a bit of time to yourself, isn’t it?”

Ginger: “Listen. We’ll either die free chickens or we die trying.”Babs: “Are those the only choices?”

In addition to the jokes, the chickens are themselves hilarious in their attempts at outsmarting their cruel owners. The chickens are rather large and awkward as they bumble about. Throughout the film, we witness them exercising, dancing, and trying to fly. Plus, we can’t forget about those impressive anthropomorphic sets of teeth. The teeth, a fanciful and unrealistic inclusion, made the chickens look happy as it looked like they were always smiling, and allowed for the characters to have more expressive and comical features.

Chicken Run Gives Its Viewers a Positive Message: Believe in Yourself

Ginger holding a poster in Chicken Run
Aardman Animations

The film’s main message is to believe in yourself, and almost anything then becomes possible. The chickens can escape due to their hard work, dedication, determination, and courage, all as a result of believing in themselves as well as each other (and having sentient self-awareness).

Related: Here Are Mel Gibson's Best Performances, RankedThroughout the film, Fowler, the sole male rooster (until Rocky the American Rooster arrives) talks about his days back when he was enlisted in the Royal Air Force. It’s implied that he was once a great pilot. However, towards the end of the film when Ginger asks Fowler to take the wheel and fly their aircraft, he admits that he was never a pilot; he is a chicken, and chickens weren’t allowed to pilot. Ginger tries to coax him into taking the lead, but it isn’t until another chicken tells him that he can do it that Fowler truly begins to believe in himself. Now, equipped with his newfound strength, Fowler has the confidence to lead the chickens to success.

Never Ever Give Up on Your Dreams

The chickens smiling in a group in Chicken Run
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Another one of the film’s positive messages is to never give up on your dreams. Throughout the film, the chickens hatch escape plan after escape plan, only to have each one fail. As a result, Ginger spends countless days locked in solitary confinement. Yet, does that stop her? No, instead, it only makes her want to try harder by attempting something extremely difficult: going over the fence instead of under. Even when the odds are nearly impossible, Ginger still holds out hope.

Bunty: “In all my life, I’ve never heard such a fantastic... load of TRIPE! Oh, face the facts, ducks. The chances of us getting out of here are a million to one!”Ginger: "Then there’s still a chance."

Excitement and Teeth-Clenching

A Hatching Egg in Chicken Run
Aardman Animations

While the chickens themselves do quite a bit of teeth-clenching, viewers may also feel themselves on the edge of their seats. That’s because Chicken Run is jam-packed with exciting action sequences. These include moments such as Ginger and Rocky narrowly avoiding becoming pies, and Ginger avoiding a beheading as she tries to literally cut ties with Mrs. Tweedy once and for all.

A Fresh Spin on Classic World War II Escape Films

Chicken Run
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Part of that excitement exists because, ultimately, Chicken Run is a fun and kid-friendly variation of the classic prison escape drama, while retaining the suspense and excitement of that genre. If Chicken Run feels familiar, it may be because it mirrors films like these, such as the classic World War II escape picture The Great Escape. Both films are about trying to escape from a prison-like setting.

Related: These Are Some of the Most Historically Inaccurate Movies Ever MadeThe chicken yard itself closely resembles Stalag Luft III, which was the real-life German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II. An escape from Stalag Luft III inspired Paul Brickhill’s 1950 non-fiction book The Great Escape, which was later adapted into a film with the same name. Another reference is when Ginger is locked in solitary confinement and throws a ball at a wall, just like Hilts, the main protagonist in The Great Escape. However, perhaps the most obvious reference is Chicken Run’s soundtrack, which heavily utilizes drums and trumpets and other musical motifs consistent with the World War II era. Besides World War II references, Chicken Run salutes many other films like Star Trek and Psycho.

A Squawking Sequel?

Chickens Running in Chicken Run
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

If you loved Chicken Run and are dying to see what the chickens have been up to these days, then you’re in luck because a sequel is in the works. Chicken Run 2 is set to be released on November 10th of 2023 with the title Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. This sequel follows Ginger and her family of chickens as they embark on a new quest that involves breaking into an island sanctuary.

While it looks like all the original characters will be returning, Mel Gibson won't be returning, along with other members of the cast. Instead, the film will feature the voices of Thandiwe Newton as Ginger and Zachary Levi as Rocky. However, we will be hearing some familiar voices, as Jane Horrocks will be returning to voice Babs, as well as Imelda Staunton, who voices Bunty. In addition, several of the original writers who helped create the first film have also played a part in its sequel, including Karey Kirkpatrick, Peter Lord, John O’Farrell, and Nick Park. With so many of the original team on board, this sequel is sure to be a squawking success.