This sheep called Shaun was first introduced in 1995, in Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave, and became the star of his own TV series in 2007. The concept was spun-off again with Timmy Time on Disney Junior, about the littlest member of Shaun's flock, in 2010. The Shaun the Sheep Movie brings the flock back together, and finds them growing tired of the same old farm routine. The sheep come up with a seemingly harmless plan to get their largely clueless Farmer to sleep in, so they can enjoy a day off watching TV and eating pizza. Things get out of hand (as they frequently do), and The Farmer winds up in a London-esque big city suffering from amnesia. Shaun and his friends are left hungry and alone, and must figure out a way to find The Farmer and bring him back to Mossy Bottom without being caught by the evil animal-control officer.

What is perhaps most remarkable about this film is that the entire intricate story is told without a single spoken word (and few written clues), through sharp stop-motion visuals alone. The tale offers plenty of laugh out loud moments, including tons bathroom humor (earning the film its PG rating), spot-on social media riffs spoofing everyone from Banksy to Obama, and a daring, spit take-worthy Silence of the Lambs reference.

My kids were raised on Aardman productions (I can recite most of Flushed Away, and the Shaun the Sheep: Off the Baa! DVD is in our car trip rotation), so they knew what to expect from the film. Even so, my 9-year-old daughter closed her eyes for a few of the more chaotic scenes, like when the sleeping Farmer's caravan loses control and careens into town, and my 8-year-old son was frightened by the enraged, scythe-wielding animal control officer during the movie's third act. In a particularly heartbreaking scene, The Farmer, who with his memory loss becomes a celebrity hair stylist, fails to recognize Shaun and shoos him away, causing Shaun to cry big claymation tears. That was the first thing my son wanted to discuss when the movie was over.

That said, the film also offers themes of teamwork (see the fantastic prison-style breakout scene) and resilience (culminating in a heartwarming musical number), and it is satisfying to see the Farmer, who throughout the series has always seemed a little too stoic for my taste, affirm his love for his long-suffering dog, Bitzer (Shaun's frenemy), and the flock.

The Shaun the Sheep Movie is 85 minutes long and is rated PG for "rude humor" (burps, farts, one toilet scene and an icky landing in a big mound of manure), though I'm also concerned that some adventure scenes may be too intense for some preschoolers. Be sure to stay through the credits for the hilarious "outtake" stills.

 Check out our family film guide for more parent movie reviews.