Early Man

A tribe of rabbit-hunting cavemen, personified by the bravely stupid Dug (voiced by Eddie Redmayne), are routed by a technologically advanced Bronze Age tribe bent on exploiting the cavemen’s mineral resources. In a desperate ploy to preserve their independence, Dug and his tribe challenge the Bronze Agers to a winner-take-all match of that new game, soccer. At which point the movie runs into trouble—there’s never been an exciting movie about the game most of the world calls “football/futbol,” and it’s safe to say that if director Nick Park and the gang at Aardman Animation can’t do it, it can’t be done. Not that the movie doesn’t have its charms even for non-soccer-fans—though they may want to duck out for popcorn during the big game. Those who love the game can nudge the rating up a notch or two.