Barnyard: The Original Party Animals
Rated PG for some mild peril and rude humor.
reviewed by Steven Harrell
Ever wonder what animals do when you’re not looking? When you leave the room, does your dog walk around on two legs and drink tea? Are cows are capable of riding motorcycles? “Barnyard” is built on the premise that when the farmer is away the animals don’t just play, they downright party.
Story
Otis (Kevin James) is a cow who loves to hang out with his friends, have fun, and not worry about anything. His father Ben (Sam Elliot), on the other hand, is the leader of the farm. Ben longs for his adopted son to grow up and accept responsibility so that someday he too can be the farm’s boss and protector. Otis doesn’t see the point in the whole thing, and regularly flirts with trouble by playing tricks on humans.
One night, Otis passes his look-out duty off on his dad so he can attend the nightly barn party with his friends. While he is singing and dancing, a band of coyotes sneak through the fence and attempt to attack a group of hens. Ben, the alpha-cow, manages to save the hens but is mortally wounded in the process. Wracked with guilt, Otis is voted in as the reluctant new leader of the farm. In order to protect the other animals, he has to learn to be a leader before the coyotes attack again.
Verdict
“Barnyard” is a pretty good film, despite the fact that all of the male cows (usually known as bulls) have udders. It’s an anatomic mistake that, while it doesn’t ruin the film, certainly made me wonder if the closest writer/director Steve Oedekerk (“Ace Ventura,” “Bruce Almighty”) has ever come to a farm is snacing on fries and special sauce. The movie itself manages to be pretty funny, although many of the gags are familiar and forgettable. A few too many musical numbers break out, and most of those fall flat.
What raises “Barnyard” past its hit-and-miss humor is the heart in the story. I really liked the way Oedekerk wrote Otis and Ben’s relationship. In spite of the tension between father and son, the two cows are still able to have a loving relationship that is surprisingly believable. The interaction between them is meaningful and heartfelt, but it almost never feels too sugary sweet. That relationship makes the rest of the movie work, as Otis tries to follow in his father’s hoof prints and learn what it means to be a leader.
The relationship that didn’t work for me was the one between Otis and his love interest cow Daisy (Courtney Cox). It’s not developed enough to add any depth to the story, but I felt like it was supposed to somehow be meaningful to Otis’s development. The voice talents of Kevin James and Courtney Cox are fine but nothing special. Sam Elliot, however, does an exceptional job as the voice of Ben.
There’s no objectionable content most parents would take offense at, although the action scenes are surprisingly intense for a Nickelodeon toon.
Worldview:
In one late night discussion, Ben tells Otis what separates leaders and followers. He says that, “A strong man stands up for himself, but a stronger man stands up for others.” Otis gets an example of this when Ben gives his own life in order to protect the hens of the farm. Otis then tries to follow his dad’s example by learning to put aside his own desires for fun and parties in order to stand up for the animals his father died to protect.
As Christians, we’ve also been given an example to follow. At the last supper before Jesus’ crucifixion, Jesus got down on His hands and knees and washed His disciples’ feet. After that act of service He said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:14-15) After that night Christ went on to do His greatest act of love, laying down his life in order for all of us to be saved.
Jesus’ life shows us there’s a mutual relationship between service and leadership. You can’t have one without the other. It is true that our lives are most significant when we devote ourselves to serving each other, even when that requires great sacrifice. It’s the kind of man that Ben, even with his udders, describes, and it’s the kind of example he sets for his son to follow.
Questions:
• Did you buy the relationship between Ben and Otis? Is it similar to your relationship with your own father?
• How do you think director Steve Oedekerk did with an animated flick compared to his live action movies?
• Who in your life do you consider to be a leader like Ben?
• What do you think are qualities of a good leader? Do you consider yourself a leader?
• What do you think about the idea that serving others leads to significance? Can you think of other instances where the Bible talks about the relationship between service and leadership?
