Weekend: Shenanigans in the silo's shadow

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Shenanigans in the silo's shadow

By STEVE PERSALL
Published August 3, 2006

Over the past year we've seen more critters in animated movies than Noah crammed onto his ark. After zoo animals (Madagascar, The Wild), subdivision scavengers (Over the Hedge) and another insect invasion (The Ant Bully) comes Barnyard (PG), attempting to squeeze laughs from livestock.

Kevin James (TV's The King of Queens) provides the voice of Otis, a cow stepping into a leadership role when the kindly old farmer is away. Otis has his hooves full riding herd over a menagerie that relishes the temporary freedom, including mischievous pigs, daring chickens, even a ferret (although what he's doing on a farm is anyone's guess). Danny Glover, Andie MacDowell, Wanda Sykes and Sam Elliott lend their celebrity voices to these animals.

Barnyard is produced by Nickelodeon Movies, which offers a clue to its intended audience. But in a family movie market currently so crowded that The Ant Bully flopped in its debut last weekend, one wonders how many children will be interested.

Film

Shenanigans in the silo's shadow