Nostalgia can be a deadly weapon. More often than not, our fondness for the pop culture of yesteryear can propel us to tack on an unecessary coda to what was already a perfectly fine artistic statement, whether it be a prequel, sequel, or spin-off. Though there are, of course, exceptions to this rule, like last year’s Top Gun: Maverick. I have tremendous nostalgia for 2000’s Chicken Run, as the VHS was on constant rotation on family road trips, so I greeted the news of a sequel, coming 23 years later and dropping on Netflix on December 15, with reserved skepticism.

Aardman Animations stands up with the best of the animation studios, as makers of beloved stop-motion animation franchises like Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. That a sequel to its highest-grossing film (by a wide margin) would eventually be made isn’t terribly surprising, no matter how long it’s been or how neatly the original film wrapped up. For those unfamiliar, Chicken Run concerned a group of British hens as they attempt to escape their cruel farmers with the assistance of a daring American circus rooster. It ends as they discover their own paradise on a private island, free from the threat of exploitation and death.

Perhaps just as worrying as the film’s legacy sequel status is the dearth of returning talent in Dawn of the Nugget. Though original directors Nick Park and Peter Lord return as executive producers, Sam Fell takes over directing duties. A few original voice performers return, including Imelda Staunton as Bunty, Jane Horrocks as Babs, and Miranda Richardson as Mrs. Tweedy. Thandiwe Newton takes over for Julia Sawalha to voice Ginger, and Zachary Levi replaces Mel Gibson as Rocky. The most noticeable change is Levi, who’s admittedly more bland than Gibson, but you won’t see me complaining about Gibson not getting work.

The story this time around mostly focuses on Rocky and Ginger, now parents to Molly (a plucky Bella Ramsey), as they try to shield her from the outside world, and danger in general. But when they spy the trucks for a new chicken farm driving past, Molly is naturally curious and gets that childlike itch to explore her surroundings. She sneaks out and is quickly captured, but not before making friends with fellow traveler Frizzle (Josie Sedgwick-Davies). But, to their surprise upon arrival, the farm isn’t all doom and gloom as her mother experienced. Rather, it’s a bit of a Warhol-esque technicolor indoor playground, where they’re free to roam around and gorge themselves on as much feed as desired.

With stop-motion animation, the fun almost always comes from how much the team of animators seem to be enjoying themselves, in spite of the medium’s arduous nature. It’s those tiny, almost unnecessary details that likely took weeks to set up and conceive that push a project like this over the edge. Dawn of the Nugget is no exception, but there’s a bit of magic missing that you just can’t put your beak on. This is a much brighter, more action-driven outing than the original, which isn’t necessarily a complaint, as the set pieces are funny and well animated. The original film got its kicks from being a kind of Looney Tunes take on The Great Escape, and Dawn of the Nugget feels inspired mostly by films like Mission: Impossible and any number of other heist films. The sequence when Ginger, Rocky, and the gang break into the high-tech farm is one of the film’s great highlights.

Dawn of the Nugget stands at 17 minutes longer than its prequel, and while it’s usually a sign of unnecessary bloat, the film gets by with its breezy pacing. It doesn’t hurt Chicken Run‘s legacy for a sequel to appear alongside it on the Netflix app, nor does it taint my nostalgia for the original, but in situations like this you’re often left wondering “why did this need to be made?” Maybe Fell and Aardman felt they were playing with house money from the seemingly bottomless Netflix pockets. In that case I can’t besmirch them for making something fun, but Dawn of the Nugget just never feels as essential as its source material.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will premiere on Netflix on December 15.

OSCAR POTENTIAL:

• Netflix’s release of the film in December likely means that it has faith in its awards potential, but it’s likely better off putting its resources into campaigning for Nimona. An appearance on the Animated Feature shortlist is possible, but its chances of advancing beyond that are doubtful – especially with it being left off the nominees at the Golden Globes.