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

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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

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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

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A witty and warm-hearted romp.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 24, 2021

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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

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Louise H

I'm a grown-up and I loved it! Perfect rainy day ironing film :-)

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/05/25

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Noe G

Early man is an amazing Aardman movie from 2018 and my rating is a 10/10

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/05/24

Full Review

Alec B

The cliched sports plot is disappointing, but there are enough great gags to keep the movie fun.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/05/24

Full Review

Raphael G

for kids, good enough!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/19/23

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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