[W]hy do the male cows have udders?.. This isn't supposed to be the animated version of TransAmerica.
Barnyard: The Original Party Animals (2006)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:90
Fresh:20
Rotten:70
Average Rating:4.4/10
Consensus: Unimaginative and unfunny, this tale of barnyard mischief borders on 'udder' creepiness and adds little to this summer's repertoire of animated films.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some mild peril and rude humor
Runtime: 90 mins
Genre: Education/General Interest
Theatrical Release:Aug 4, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $72,601,713
Synopsis: What really happens on the farm when the farmer isn't looking? In director Steve Oedekerk's (KUNG POW: ENTER THE FIST, ACE VENTURA: WHEN NATURE CALLS) computer-generated animation feature, the... What really happens on the farm when the farmer isn't looking? In director Steve Oedekerk's (KUNG POW: ENTER THE FIST, ACE VENTURA: WHEN NATURE CALLS) computer-generated animation feature, the farm animals can do everything humans do. They talk, walk upright, buy human contraband from a "gray market" run by the gophers, and even turn the barn into a nightclub. Of course, they do all of this in secret. The biggest party animal is Otis (voiced by Kevin James), a happy-go-lucky cow. (Yes, the movie is full of male cows, complete with udders....) The animals know they can always count on him for a kooky stunt or a practical joke. But Otis' carefree attitude doesn't sit well with his father, Ben (Sam Neill), the barnyard patriarch and protector. Ben loves his slacker son, but thinks Otis needs to learn more responsibility, especially because he hopes to leave a legacy to care for the barnyard. When the dangerous coyote season arrives and Ben is suddenly no longer able to serve as barnyard security, mayhem immediately ensues and the barnyard looks more like an amusement park then a farm...until Otis steps up to fill his father's shoes. But is he really ready to take the lead, or would he prefer to be wooing Daisy (Courtney Cox), the pretty new cow on the farm, and partying with his friends? And when push comes to shove, will Otis be able to stand up to the coyotes and protect the barnyard? This coming-of-age tale is bolstered by the human antics of the animals and genuine laugh-out-loud moments for all ages. Wanda Sykes voices Bessy, Daisy's cynical cow friend, and Danny Glover voices Miles the Mule, a sage elder on the farm. Songs by Tom Petty and Peter Gabriel, as well as other artists, elevate the soundtrack above the typical children's film. [More]
Starring: Kevin James, Courteney Cox, Sam Elliott, Danny Glover
Starring: Kevin James, Courteney Cox, Sam Elliott, Danny Glover, Wanda Sykes, Andie MacDowell, David Koechner, John Di Maggio, Earthquake, Steve Oedekerk
Director: Steve Oedekerk
Director: Steve Oedekerk
Screenwriter: Steve Oedekerk
Producer: Steve Oedekerk, Paul Marshal, Julia Pistor
Composer: John Debney
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Get This Movie
Reviews for Barnyard: The Original Party Animals
Even young kids are going to have a hard time buying into a film that deliberately ignores a basic biological fact they learned in kindergarten.
doesn't just violate the audience's right to entertainment, it violates animal dignity to such an extent that PETA might want to consider getting involved
The CG animation looks like rubbery plastic instead of animals, and much of it is spent on jokes related to derrieres and hindquarters.
There's barely enough of a story to sustain a short film, much less a feature.
Forget the confusion of the he-cows that populate the film; the real problem is that Barnyard is just a lousy, lousy movie.
This is a film made to babysit kids for 80 minutes during the summer months, and shouldn't be regarded as anything more.
your kid won't learn anything from Barnyard, but they might need 10 years of therapy after viewing the movie's fight scenes and COYOTES ATTACKING THE FARM.
... an odd mix of coming of age film and an animated Babe where bulls wag exaggerated udders along with their feminine counterparts.
Other than confusing children, it's hard to know what the inane, tedious, mean-spirited Barnyard is trying to do.
Could qualify as a case study in just how quickly and thoroughly computer-animated studio releases have declined to a state of inspiration-depleted, assembly-line anthropomorphism.
A sweet and mildly funny movie that will entertain young audiences, but one aspect is utterly mystifying: The two main characters, father and son bovine creatures, have large, distracting udders.
... spends at least half of its running time ambling around in search of a plot. By the time it finds one -- ...'Hey, I know! We'll rip off 'The Lion King,' and put cows in it!' -- the movie has already bought the farm.
If not exactly Orwell's Animal Farm, Barnyard has its levels of wit and significance.
Among the summer's 'toons, Monster House remains the most visually exciting and sophisticated, but Barnyard is much funnier.
Latest News for Barnyard: The Original Party Animals
August 09, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Chan and Tucker Back in Action
Another wide assortment of summer offerings will hit the multiplexes across North America this weekend. The action-comedy sequel Rush Hour 3 leads the way as the main course and... More...
August 02, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Bourne Comes Home To Reclaim Box Office Title
Matt Damon aims to gun down his competitors and rule the North American box office this weekend with The Bourne Ultimatum, the third in the popular spy series, which opens on... More...
December 18, 2006:
Oedekerk Hired to Rehaul Tim Burton's "Ripley," Believe It or Not
When Paramount shelved Tim Burton's "Ripley's Believe It or Not" a few months back, some people thought the project was dead in the water. Well hey, apparently not. More...
September 18, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: Gridiron Gang #1, but Box Office Still Fumbles
Wrestler-turned-actor The Rock suffered the worst opening of his career with the football drama Gridiron Gang, but thanks to weak competition, it was still enough to capture the... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Barnyard: The Original Party Animals at Rotten Tomatoes
- Barnyard: The Original Party Animals at IGN
- Barnyard: The Original Party Animals at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Techland lists the best Sci-Fi films of this decade.

Moviefone takes a look back at the biggest stinkers of the past 10 years.

The Me and Orson Welles star answers reader questions on TIME.com.

Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill offers his thoughts on what the best decade for film was.

In the AV Club's "Scenic Routes," Mike D'Angelo reminisces about the Tim Burton film.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


