iTunes Exclusive Episode Early Man

If you're hearing the sound of my voice, it means the following conditions have been
met at least once in your life.
You have listened to the Clubhouse Podcast live every Sunday night, seven Eastern, four
Pacific, your one-stop shop for all things pop culture.
But it also means that you subscribe to our nice little show on your favorite podcast
app because it is time for iTunes exclusive number three fifty one.
Welcome.
My name is Rob.
I am the executive producer of the Clubhouse Podcast.
And in this particular episode, we're going to talk about a film that has many characters
that sound like that from London.
Now that that's out of the way.
Joining me in the co-host chair as he does as soon as he finishes shaking his head is
my co-host and a man that would like to congratulate you because that's now the 450,000th time
we've done that joke.
He is chat.
Welcome sir.
And it was old after the first one.
It's still not old, still great, still enjoyable.
Also enjoying this is the official fact checker of this show and a man that, you know what,
I'm not even going to tell the jokes.
It's the official fact checker of this show.
You may know him as fun, don't go.
It was mum and even Don Ford.
I'm going to calm Don Ford.
That's one thing.
Are you talking about his wife?
No, that's a movie line.
That's a movie line, don't you?
It's from Saving Silver Missed.
That's what Paul Rudd says.
I didn't know if you'd make a reference to him.
You mean forgetting Sarah Marshall?
Is it Sarah Marshall?
Yeah, Sarah Marshall.
It was the NBC series or something.
No, that was...
No, that Saving Silver was a film.
But that had Jason Biggs in it.
Yeah, forget it, it was that one thing.
But it's a line of Paul Rudd has.
He's talking to Russell Brandt.
I hope you're happy.
I'm just answering.
The man has questions.
I have to ask, I have to answer his questions.
Again, I blame you for this.
It's a, I'll take the blame because that's a genius bit.
All right.
Whatever we do one of these, it is to review something and this is no different.
The team behind Wallace and Grommet and Chicken Runner back Nick Park is directing a brand
new film and it's called Early Man.
Forced at this whole thing.
Yes, sir.
I think Julie Nierbein Slyfox.
Z-Nini.
Z-Nini.
Z-Nini.
Z-Nini.
Yes, sir.
We're so thankful for all of our vendors.
They give us the opportunity to see films early so that we can talk to you guys about them
and you can make the best decisions you can with your entertainment dollar.
So here's what you need to know.
This is that Claymation Wallace and Gromit style.
It is a family film runs right at an hour and a half and we'll address that here in a
minute.
Let me give you the official plot summary from the imdib.
Set at the, um, let's try it.
Oh, wait.
Get my trailer voice on, you ready?
Let's hear it.
Tuchu!
Set at the dawn of time, when prehistoric creatures and woolly mammoths roam the earth.
Only man tells the story of Doug, along with his sidekick Hagnob as they unite his tribe
against a mighty enemy lord, Nooth, and his bronze age city to save their home.
There you go.
You said trailer voice.
I thought you were talking about a chain train with the Tuchu trailer.
That's not a trailer.
I blame you again.
I blame you again.
No, I can't take credit for that.
I can't.
That's, that's his own brain doing what it does, frappuccino free, that's so brain free.
I'm not even going to bury the lead.
I love this movie.
Did you?
I loved this movie.
I loved everything about this movie.
I loved things about this movie that I probably didn't even catch.
That's how much I love this movie.
Because there's something that the trailers don't tell you and that that synopsis doesn't
tell you.
I wonder why.
That is kind of weird that they don't address.
There's a huge piece of this plot and I've been going back and forth since we've seen
this.
It's been about three days now and I don't know if I want to address it or not.
I know.
It's like I'm almost afraid that if we do, we'll be kind of spilling the tea.
You know what?
We're going to make sure we're done.
We're going to let Don be the deciding factor.
We're not doing major spoilers.
No.
But spoiler.
We're going to say it.
Three.
One.
Hold on.
Okay.
I didn't say you were making the decision.
He says a decider.
I was asking your input.
Yeah.
We should say it.
Why not?
Is it about a circus?
Because nobody else has.
That's the thing.
Yeah.
I mean, that's my whole point.
Yeah.
Let's do it.
Let's be daring on this one.
Because it's a major point.
There is a contest.
Let's just say that.
Okay.
How's that?
I'm good with that.
Don, we're free.
It has two, it goes by two names.
Definitely.
Yeah.
That's perfect.
I like that.
I like that.
I like that.
Some agree with it.
And some don't agree with it.
And Vic kindly tells a great story about it.
Yeah.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Yeah.
That's what I want to do.
That's what I want to do.
I want to do that.
It's a good thing that I want to go on to this film.
Because number one, I, first of all let me say I'm very excited that we can see family films that are back to what I want to have.
Let's get back to that place.
Secondly.
I was just, I was just kind of like like I liked chicken run.
I didn't love chicken run.
What are you saying?
I was never a huge Walnett grommett guy.
ball. I mean, so far I'm good, you know. Gina Yasherai, who is a stand-up
comedian who's very, very funny. Luke Walton, not that Luke. And he would be
who, Don. Okay, so let's just let's kick to the people that people know and not
necessarily just because we're gonna throw names out there. Okay, let me
repeat what I just said. Okay, stay with me now. She, Miriam's done voice like
several major, but still voice over roles in the back. The point remains. A strong
voice cast in this. Now, one of the things I can say that I do like is the fact
that the villains in this all have franchise, which not such a subtle dig
there. Especially Hiddleston playing the bad guy playing Lord Newt, he's
brilliant in this. He's, he choose up every scene. Oh, my goodness, he does. I
loved everything about this. And one thing I really, really, really, really,
really, really enjoyed about this. I was gonna say that I really dug within that
would have been a horrible pun. Oh, God. Oh, yeah, that man has a point. Is we've
had so many family films in the last couple of years that we've seen.
That feel this need to shoehorn in adult humor to try to keep the adults
attention as much as the kids. Now, and there is very little to none of that in
this film. Well, I mean, you say adult humor. I know, I know you don't mean that
in its purest form. No, humor that adults would get. Yes, yeah. And there's very
little, if at all any of that in this film, all of the humor is right there on
front street. And it's humor that everybody can enjoy. But the little kids would
get like the parodies of the. Talk right into the microphone. The little kids
are not there. The little kids are not get the parodies of the announcers and
stuff like that. Right. But, but, but still, but see, but see, even some of those
references I didn't get. Yeah, but there weren't for the kids. Right. But what I'm
saying is that wasn't, I mean, I would almost guarantee you that kids in Europe
would get those right. I was about to say I would almost guarantee that. I think
it's different with you on that one. So, but so it's not like references that
adults would get. It's maybe references that non-American audiences would get.
There may be a couple, but not big. Right. That's what I'm saying. It's not like we've seen
in other films recently, which was really refreshing for me because, excuse me, we could
just go and enjoy stupid humor for an hour and a half. And I even said this, your wife
was of British descent. Indeed. So, she got, she probably got more of the references
in this film than I did because there are some very specific, there were moments when
I was like, I bet if I knew what that was, that would be really funny. I mean, there's
something to that. But I have not heard her giggle that much in a film in a very, very
long time to the point where you even said on our weekly show that we did this past Sunday
that you were at one point, you were looking for a place to hide. She was, she was giddy
as a schoolgirl. And whenever I heard about this film initially, because I mean, she grew
up in the culture where, where Wallace and Gromit were practically demigods. And, you know,
that's, she's been in that wheelhouse for a long time. And given the nature of the plot
point that we actually would find out later was a thing. Yeah. God knows she's a, you
know, she's into that as well. So, it was, it was a perfect blend for her. And I was really
glad that she got to see it because I know she appreciated it probably more than any of
us combined in more ways than one. What did the fabulous faith fourth think of it, sir?
She liked it. She really did. I really like this. There's one thing that kind of
irks me in this film. Okay. We may disagree. Not, but I love a lot of the characters. And
like you're saying the comedy one is I have to give is the message bird. That character. Oh,
yes. Well, plates are basically, they kind of borrow from, they borrow from the Flintstones
plot device of animals being basically electronics. And one of the, they have a messenger bird that
is being who's going back and forth from the queen to Lord Newt. And basically, and you know
who Rob Riden is. Yeah. He's a couple characters on this, but he's from the trip. Yeah.
From the, yeah, the trip movies that we saw recently. Yeah, like the road trip to Italy.
Oh, yes. He's the other guy. Oh, he's the other guy. I still intend him and Cougan doing
dueling Michael Cain. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. But so he's recording,
but then he's recording at the wrong times. And it's just, oh, my goodness. I love the
bunny too. That bunny. Yeah, the bunny was funny. The bunny was very, very funny. If I have one
we're going to disagree on this. Sure. That's fine. That's what we're here for.
Is the accents, the English accents of the caveman. When I think of caveman, I don't think
you're a proper. Yeah. But that's the, that's the thing of wall. That's that, that's our
Ardman Studios' thing. They're whole, everybody they work with is British. So that's the bit.
But my thing is like the walls and all those other films. That's fine that you have English accent
people. But when I think of caveman, I think of people talking in my fatality. But what didn't
have been, but what nots these people that have an education of a doctorate in talking in that
English voice that's so perfectly matched when they're in this. But would it have been as fun
if it was though? I think I think that having, for me, that was a turn off. Having those accents
added to it, especially knowing, and I will just say two words that I could, when you know what
I'm talking about, I could watch this on a loop. Two words. Instant reply.
And with the, I was, that killed me. But the thing was the, with the bronze people, I can
understand that you wish accent. But they were French. But they were French. Yeah. And you're okay
with that. Yeah, because they were in a different time period where they're not, are they
he say because they were more advanced? Yeah, more advanced people who were actually talking
instead of doing a, a, a, a, a, a, but wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. But how do we know what
cave people are? But, but the man here is a point. I wasn't there. I don't know what bronze age
people sound like. To me, it adds to the absurdist ridiculousness of the whole thing. That's what makes
it fun. Yeah, but that's my, but that's his opinion. And I get it. I get it. And that's my only real
gripe I had. And again, you're drilling down so far into this to find a criticism. It shows you
how great this movie is. To me, it just adds to the humor. And, and, and it just adds a layer of,
well, and this is also, this is also one of those films that you can go to without kids and not
feel weird because it's such a great movie for anyone, you know, eight to 80. This movie works on
every level. Great voice cast. Great comedy. Great comedy. Great visuals. As always, good plots,
you know, aren't going to be an amazing job. Right. Right in an hour and a half stick and move,
stick and move. Yeah, I mean, just, I don't know that I have a criticism. I thought that it was
paced really well. There was one plot device that, because you always have to have that,
the protagonist doubting himself, the plot device used for that. I thought was a little weak and it
resolved itself fairly quickly, a little too simply. Yeah. But I mean, again, I'm drilling so far
down into this thing for that kind of, kind of in a similar vein, just because I was such a fan of
Wallace and Gromit. And I thought the writing in it was so clever. And a lot of it was mainly
sight gags that I just don't think that I think that maybe Nick Park might have lost a step a
little bit as a, as a comedy. Well, this is the first time that he's directed a film by himself.
Is it? Because he directed all of the Wallace and Gromit short. This will mark the first feature film
of his directed by himself. I guess, uh, was it, what's his name? Box, uh, directed chicken run?
Uh, Peter Lord for chicken run and Steve Box with Curse of the Wear Rabbit.
Okay. Okay. For people out there who think this is going to be animated, keep in mind that
be warned that this is a clay. And there's some people may not know that going or think in,
not like that. So I mean, I'm just giving a warning to some people. And there's some really great
subtle bits in here too. Like they talk about on the imdib. There's a scene where Doug enters the
Bronze Age Village and there's a zebra belt in the road because it's a zebra crossing. I mean,
come on, man. I like it. I thought that was funny. This is, I love this movie so much. Yes.
The, the, uh, the Get Smart locking up door. I heard you giggle audibly on that one. It's just
good. Lord, that's excessive. Lock slam, lock slam, lock slam. It's just, it's so good. And it's
so much fun. Is there anything else we want to do before we put some uh, file analysis on this?
Do we, do we franchise this thing? No. One's enough. Let this one sit on its own. Would you be
upset if they did a part two? I wouldn't say I'd be upset, but I'd be a little bit more hesitant
because I think this works really well as a self-contained story. Okay. Because they've, I mean,
outside of Wallace and Gromit, they've never really gone back to the same well. And I will say this,
there's one of the players on the, on the opposing team has a very unstable name. So be prepared for
that. Remember we talked about that. I know, but you just, anyway, I said there will be a contest.
Um, I didn't say what the contest was. And there is a very cute little reference made during
the end credits that if you're, if you're kind of hardcore, oh, yeah, you'll get it. If you're,
yeah, Don was already gone by that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. If, if you're, if you're not a fan of stop
motion animation, you're probably not going to get the reference. But when you see it,
maybe like that. And I am told, and I have to go back and watch it again, but I am told that
there is an appearance by Wallace and Gromit. Really? I am being told that you there, they are in
a certain sequence, but you have to look for them. They're there, but you have to look for them.
All right. You guys ready? Yeah. Final analysis. The way we do this, we're not going to give you
thumbs up, thumbs down. We're not going to give you a letter grades numbers of Play-Doh dream
machines, anything like that. I don't know. They can't all be winners. They can't all be winners.
We're going to ask up to two questions. Question number one is, would we see this film again?
If the answer is no, then we're done here. But if the answer is yes, the follow-up question is
how far are we willing to go from the best of the best of the worst of the best here is the spectrum.
Full price at the theater, Twilight showing, Matinee showing early on the weekends,
second one at a dollar theater, down to leaving your house to get it from Red Box,
streaming it on Netflix, or seeing it on cable. Don, would you see this film again? Yeah,
how far are you willing to go? Um, Matinee. Okay, Chad? Yeah, I'd love to take my kid because she grew
up on a steady diet of all of the same problem. I think she'd get a huge. How far are you willing to go?
Somewhere between Twilight and Matinee. I would love to see this again,
but this is going to be a weird ranking. So stick with me. Okay. I am saying full price
because paying for it after dinner time you would be more apt to not have as much noise
going on in the theater if you know what I mean. Okay. You have more of an older audience involved.
I'd love to see what Alama would do with this. I should have a free show, especially the free show.
Excellent point. But again, take the whole family. Yeah, because there's, there's nothing, again,
we've talked about this before too. There's no material in this that you're going to be like, oh,
dear, this is a conversation I'm going to have to have. Yeah, I really keep it. This is pure
honest to God family fun. Nothing of joke. Go see this movie as Nick Park directs early man.
Are we in this whole thing? Yes, sir. I think Julian Irvingt's life box.
We're such fans of those guys that they take care of us so well so we can see movies,
give the opportunity to the Empire to hear, but we think of them so they can make the best
decisions possible for their entertainment dollars. That being said, let's do the plugs.
Visit our website where you'll find our written reviews for this film as well,
www.theclubhousepodcast.com. Find out everything you need to know and some stuff you don't.
Follow us on social media. Our Twitter feed is at ClubhouseShow. Everything else is the Clubhouse
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Charlotte Parker is on Pinterest because we're morally obligated to say that and the spouses of the
other two gentlemen in this room are actually in the green room waiting to go home. Our normal show
every Sunday night 7 Eastern 4 Pacific is your one stop shop or all things pop culture or just
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So until next time, for Don, for Chad and for the Empire, I'm Rob. Clubhouse is closed.
Brittany Palmer. Do I have to say it? You can have the whole