From Aardman Animations, the claymation company that made “Wallace and Gromit” and “Chicken Run,” comes the film debut of “Shaun the Sheep.” Shaun was a character that first appeared in a “Wallace and Gromit” short and went on to have his own series.

When the, once jubilant, Farmer grows neglectful after the monotonous day-in and day-out of farmyard chores, Shaun and his sheepish friends decide to take the day off to switch things up.

However, things go awry when Shaun and the gang must go into the big city to save the Farmer, who is forced to leave because of  their mischief. Once in the city, Shaun must find his beloved Farmer while escaping the clutches of an evil Animal Control employee.

Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. And what makes the film even simpler is that there is no dialogue. There is occasional gibberish spoken by the human characters and barks and bleats provided by the animal cast, but there is no spoken word. But I knew what was going on the entire time. The talent that Aardman Animation puts into its claymation is extremely evident. Without needing words, the details of the scenery and the smallest movements of the characters convey the story perfectly. In fact, the movie is better without dialogue. Spoken lines would have dragged things out and are ultimately unnecessary when an expression or action is enough to tell exactly what a character is feeling.

The detail put into the entire movie was stunningly meticulous. Not only did these details help bring the animation and backgrounds to life, but it made “Shaun the Sheep” even more hilarious.

Every joke fit. Every slapstick antic had a point to it. This is how the plot moved along. Some side effect from a mischievous mishap introduced the next plot point. For example, when a disaster strikes a restaurant because the sheep try to pose as humans, a seemingly insignificant background character gets his hairdo ruined. When he goes to get it fixed, he crosses paths with another character, and the plot advances. This rolling story movement at times seemed a little too convenient, but it is forgiven because the creators make everything fit tightly as things connect to the next predicament the characters find themselves in.

Is this a silly kid movie? Yes. Is this a silly adult movie? Yes. “Shaun the Sheep” is accessible, understandable and entertaining for all ages. There’s no age old lesson to be learned, no wrongs to admonish, just pure and simple fun to be had in this artfully created, detailed, gut-busting triumph as Aardman Animations pulls off another comedic gem.