‘2022 Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Animation’ Review: It’s Aardman’s Race to Lose

variety.com:

Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticChances are, you landed on this review because you’re trying to game your Oscar pool, looking for a clue as to what will win the always-underseen shorts categories — in a year when they were unceremoniously booted from the telecast, no less.

Well, if it’s predictions you’re looking for, there’s little contest among this year’s cartoon contenders: Academy favorite Aardman Animations has delivered a delightful frontrunner in “Robin Robin.” But don’t stop reading there!

In an unusually adult-leaning year, the traditionally kid-friendly category is well worth watching in its entirety, whether in theaters or on demand, thanks to stalwart distributor ShortsTV.The program opens with “Robin Robin,” which seems poised to earn Aardman its fifth Oscar (the other four were all won by Nick Park, creator of the Wallace and Gromit characters).

This half-hour Christmas musical was hatched by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, who joined the Bristol-based studio for the express purpose of co-directing this Netflix holiday special, about a clumsy baby bird (Bronte Carmichael) raised by a family of far-more-agile mice who’s determined to prove that she can sneak as well as the rest of them.