Early Man

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Early Man

PG

Released Feb 16, 2018

1h 29m

Kids & Family

Comedy

Adventure

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

173 Reviews

49%

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

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.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 30, 2018

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

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.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 28, 2018

Full Review

Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

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.

Feb 22, 2018

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

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.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 14, 2022

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Andrew Lim

Mediaversity Reviews

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

Rated: C-

Nov 14, 2021

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A witty and warm-hearted romp.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 24, 2021

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Puppies H

Absolutely.......MID

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

K G

It does not work with success, but it can work as entertainment*. I can give praise for its casting: Eddie Redmayne portraying Dug, our main focus who is meaningful & knowing for what is right, faith. There are many other English people as the villagers, large & comically relieving. Tom Hiddleston was marvelous as portraying Lord Nooth who could really sound outspoken & European which I am glad they could do whilst during the ongoing things in the late 2010s. I can give praise for its humour: the place where the movie is set in Manchester before the city was started. The chief who is an old man says that he is 32 years old - really, it does not seem that old today so it is kinda nonsensical. Another, "fowl" where the large duck is flying over & pooping on Lord Nooth. It seems to have meanings: do not steal anything of what belonged to others do not take the concept of winning too far (dominating & invading). The invasion also portrayed evolution, Stone Age to Bronze Age. DreamWorks "The Croods", I choose over this.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/03/25

Full Review

Its abe S

Early man sucked! It was honestly was kinda boring and the plot couldn't be more stupid. This is the only aardman movie made me say dang, that was horrible!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/27/25

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Joel C

What was this film? I mean, it's not terrible, but not really good. Very mid film. The beginning is pretty entertaining and even though I love football/soccer, the football/soccer parts leave a lot to be desired.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/22/25

Full Review

Arky.H G

A Movie with a Refreshing Idea Aardman never fails to surprise us with the great work it puts into its stop-motion productions. I liked the idea that the characters are in danger of extinction after the Stone Age ends with the arrival of the use of metal. However, the story isn't the best; it's just simple. We move on to a plot about a group uniting to reclaim their lands in a football game. I don't think it's bad, just entertaining. The villain may not be on the level of Mrs. Tweedy, but he plays his villainous role well: he's manipulative and greedy. The best character was the Boar I give this movie 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐ of just Entertaining.to watch it by chance on television or cable

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/16/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Simply put, this is the worst movie I've seen. I was expecting a fun movie about defeating an undefeatable enemy, not highlights from Sunday night football. Left me with an hour of my life wasted. Don't watch this movie, not worth the time.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/03/25

Full Review

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Nick Park

Director

Eddie Redmayne

Dug

Tom Hiddleston

Lord Nooth

Maisie Williams

Goona

Miriam Margolyes

Queen Oofeefa

Timothy Spall

Chief Bobnar

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Early Man: B-Roll

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Early Man: Final Trailer

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Early Man: Trailer 1

2:20

Early Man: International Trailer 3

2:25

Early Man: International Trailer 2

2:14

Early Man: Teaser Trailer

2:29

Early Man: International Trailer 1

2:23

Early Man: International Teaser Trailer 1

1:10

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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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