Early Man

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Early Man

PG

2018

1h 29m

Kids & Family

Comedy

Adventure

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

173 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

A plucky cave man named Dug, his sidekick Hognob and the rest of their tribe face a grave threat to their simple existence. Lord Nooth plans to take over their land and transform it into a giant mine, forcing Dug and his clan to dig for precious metals. Not ready to go down without a fight, Dug and Hognob must unite their people in an epic quest to defeat a mighty enemy -- the Bronze Age.

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Critics Consensus

Early Man isn't quite as evolved as Aardman's best work, but still retains the unique visuals and sweet humor that have made the studio a favorite among animation enthusiasts.

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David Stratton

The Australian

Mar 30, 2018

3/5

A generally wholesome and entertaining confection. The animation is state-of-the-art, but the simple plot mechanics and often rather tired jokes could have benefited from some rewriting.

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

Mar 28, 2018

4/5

Aardman has always done this layering of humour, so that adults can enjoy their stories as much as children, but this one pushes the volume up to 11. The glee runneth over from the first shot.

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

Feb 22, 2018

The story is thin, allowing little room for imaginative engagement, and the comedy uninspired. Early Man contains a nice anti-sexism message, but delivers it half-heartedly.

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Jason Best

Movie Talk

May 26, 2026

Eddie Redmayne’s hero Dug and his chums can’t match Wallace and Gromit for eccentric charm, but the silly visual gags and groan-inducing puns (‘Jurassic Pork’) still come thick and fast.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Mar 14, 2022

3/4

The productions wit resides in its cultural distinction and commentary on football, and the restlessness of the children in the theater was not enough to dissuade me from appreciating the subtle humor of Early Man.

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Andrew Lim

Mediaversity Reviews

Nov 14, 2021

C-

Early Man's non-verbal warthog has more screen time than any female character.

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Ellie P

@EPots 5 days ago

Not my fave, but still pretty funny.

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Caleb K

@CalebTheMovieWatcher729 Oct 19, 2026

Most of the humor falls flat however it does some genuinely funny moments even if they are few and far between. Hognob is the stand out character to that end. The first half of the movie is quite boring and un-amusing. Upon my first watch, I had to turn it off to finish it another time due it being so slow and boring. However, the second half of the movie is much better. The plot certainly is interesting in concept and I definitely can’t say I expected the direction the film would go in.

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Juna E

@Ja.Elite Sep 6, 2026

Another well done film by Nick Park, the Aardman Animation claymation stop motion gives this film a nice visual charm that keeps you engaged.The witty British humor gets you laughing & the heartwarming message about teamwork & woman equal rights was satisfying touch to the soccer plot. Early Man is a nice film added on to Nick Park’s legacy!

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John K

@WQCMI Aug 25, 2026

Don't know what happened, but Aardman really dropped the ball there. This was in development hell since the 2000s and it clearly shows how a film stuck in development for that long can have a consequence. I saw this in cinemas back in 2018, and I loved it, but now looking back at it, I absolutely hate it. The character designs are hideous, the underdog story is great but I feel was done way too late (I'd like it better if this film came out around when Dodgeball and Benchwarmers were at that hype), and the acting was awkward at times. But the cast is decent and Nick Park's directing is great. I've just seen better Aardman films than this.

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diogo13 T

@Tua_mera Jul 14, 2026

Uma das produções mais fracas e decepcionantes do estúdio. Apesar do visual apelativo em stop-motion, o argumento é preguiçoso, arrastado e perde-se numa metáfora de futebol enfadonha, desprovida do humor inteligente e do charme habituais da produtora.

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Puffy puff

May 22, 2026

Bro its too early to be an early man

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Nick Park

Director

Eddie Redmayne

Dug

Tom Hiddleston

Lord Nooth

Maisie Williams

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Miriam Margolyes

Queen Oofeefa

Timothy Spall

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Synopsis

A plucky cave man named Dug, his sidekick Hognob and the rest of their tribe face a grave threat to their simple existence. Lord Nooth plans to take over their land and transform it into a giant mine, forcing Dug and his clan to dig for precious metals. Not ready to go down without a fight, Dug and Hognob must unite their people in an epic quest to defeat a mighty enemy -- the Bronze Age.

Director: Nick Park
Producer: Carla Shelley, Richard Beek, Peter Lord, Nick Park, David Sproxton
Screenwriter: Mark Burton, James Higginson
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: StudioCanal, Aardman Animations
Rating: PG (Rude Humor and Some Action)
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 15, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.2M
Runtime: 1h 29m
Sound Mix: DTS, Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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