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

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

03/30/2018

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

03/28/2018

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

02/22/2018

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

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

03/14/2022

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

11/14/2021

C-

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

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Puffy puff

May 22

Bro its too early to be an early man

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Sillyicyfemale

Dec 27

Dont ignore the crictis, agree with the critics

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Davetheman

Dec 24

If I was born early, this movie early man wasnt my childhood movies

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Puppies H

@Puppies942 07/09/2025

Absolutely.......MID

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K G

@KatyG-S 07/03/2025

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.

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Its abe S

@ItsAbe 06/27/2025

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!

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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

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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)