Dizzyingly inventive and playfully visual, the sequel to the 2015 Shaun the Sheep feature film expands the scope of the original with a new story that extends way beyond the hedges of Mossy Bottom Farm and out of this world. Even if it were not packed with delightful sight gags (like the original film, there is no dialogue here, although it boasts plenty of grunts and one world-shaking burp), the cine-literate mischief seeded throughout Farmageddon would guarantee an appeal way beyond the junior audience.
The plot, which centres on a visit from an adorable alien who looks like an excitable blue tentacled puppy, contains obvious nods to ET. The sheep come to the rescue in a story that references, through sight gags and musical motifs, everything from Doctor Who to 2001: A Space Odyssey to The X-Files. It’s an absolute joy.
