Few animated icons can say they have the widespread international appeal ofWallace and Gromit. The practical mascots of the stop-motion legends atAardman Animation, the Wallace & Gromit series has endured for decades, and for good reason. The lighthearted adventures of a happy-go-lucky inventor and his faithful mute canine companionhave captured the hearts of several generations, be it through beloved shorts likeThe Wrong Trousersoracclaimed feature films likeThe Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
Throughout its long and prestigious career, Aardman has seen its fair share of challenges, ranging from production firesto clay shortagesto the passing of Wallace’s long-time voice actor,Peter Sallis. Throughout all these challenges, however, Aardman has persisted, and creatorNick Parkis here once again to bring the adored franchise back withthe new Netflix feature film,Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Despite it being nearly 20 years since their last feature-length adventure,Wallace and Gromit fill their roles inVengeance Most Fowlas if they never left.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowlcontinues to depict Wallace (now voiced byBen Whitehead) as a well-meaning if not overly ambitious inventor. Amid bills piling up and growing concern from his best friend Gromit that he’s becoming too reliant on technology, Wallace creates a new revolutionary gadget with Norbot the Smart Gnome (Reece Shearsmith), the ultimate gardening robot. However, things go awry whena feathery foe from Wallace and Gromit’s pastdecides to plan his revenge and take what he sees as rightfully his.
‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ Stars a Consistently Lovable Cast of Characters
The entire cast of characters inWallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowlare as entertaining, funny, and lovable as they’ve ever been. Ben Whitehead continues to fit right in as the full-time voice of Wallace, being virtually indistinguishable from Peter Sallis' genuinely iconic portrayal. Where even the most skilled sound-alikes can occasionally struggle to capture every tone and vocal mannerism of their predecessor,Whitehead effortlessly manages to exemplify the cheese and crackers-fueled charisma of Wallace perfectly.
Any Wallace & Gromit fan probably already knows that, whenever Wallace makes a mess, Gromit is there to clean it up. The trusty and loyal caninecontinues to beone of the best silent protagonists in animation history.Despite not uttering a single word of dialogue, at no point will audiences not understand what Gromit has going on in his head. Accomplishing that feat alone is more than enough evidence for a successful silent character.
Wallace & Gromit Are Back in New Funko Pop! Figures
Find out how to get your hands on Wallace, Gromit, and even Feathers McGraw.
However,the real scene-stealer ofWallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowlis, fittingly enough, master thief Feathers McGraw— the fan-favorite antagonist that was first introduced inThe Wrong Trousers. With an even more basic design than Gromit, this penguin master of disguise has even less to work with, and yet,he’s still just as compelling and hysterical a character, if not more so. The film’s brilliant decision to portray McGraw as an intimidating villain makes the already funny idea of an evil penguin even more entertaining.
The only character I’m a bit more split on is the key new addition to the cast — Norbot the Smart Gnome. Norbot has some standout moments and gets quite a few laughs, but wow.This little dude is creepy!This isn’t anything new for Aardman,as they are well-known for having scary imagery in their filmsand shorts (that robot dog fromA Close Shavestill haunts my nightmares), but it’s still worth noting if you don’t want your younger ones to wake up in the middle of the night because of a robot gnome.
Aardman’s Visual Storytelling Continues to Stun in ‘Vengeance Most Fowl’
Gromit and Feather McGraw are just two examples ofVengeance Most Fowl’s biggest strength — visual storytelling. It’s something that Aardman hasalways excelled at with projects likeChicken RunandShaun the Sheep, and it’s just as solid here. There are huge stretches ofVengeance Most Fowlthat don’t have anything even remotely resembling dialogue that still have the clarity and cohesiveness of a masterful silent film.
Legendary silent films, such as the works ofCharlie ChaplinorBuster Keaton, are apt comparisons here, asVengeance Most Fowlis a comedy through and through. Compared to something that’s driven more by a twisty narrative likeThe Curse of the Were-Rabbit,Vengeance Most Fowlis more focused on keeping fans guessing through its sneaky puns and clever gags.Still, not every joke sticks the landing, as some of them are very specific to the film’s home country of the United Kingdom, such as a reference to British comedians,Ant & Dec.
‘Vengeance Most Fowl’ Consistently Pays Tribute to ‘Wallace & Gromit’s History
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowlis a somewhat unique entry into the series. Where most of Wallace & Gromit’s tales can be watched completely independently without watching anything else that came before.Vengeance Most Fowlis a more direct sequel toThe Wrong Trousers, which is something of a double-edged sword. While it’s jam-packed with nods and references that long-time fans will love,it also relies on those callbacks a bit too often.Vengeance Most Fowlcan still be thoroughly enjoyed without having previously seen a Wallace & Gromit adventure, it just may feel like you’re missing out on some inside jokes.
The overall theme and message ofVengeance Most Fowlalso get a little bit messyas the film unfolds. The movie seems to be trying to say something about humanity’s reliance on technology and the negative outcomes it has. It’s a compelling and culturally relevant theme that sadly grows more and more muddled, with the final takeaway almost being “advanced AI and technology are problematic, but only sometimes.”
From a technical level,Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowlsees Aardman Animation at the top of their game. The timeless style, the gorgeous animation, and the impeccable music make Wallace & Gromit’s second feature film a gleeful experience from start to finish. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel or do something particularly bold and unique likeThe Curse of the Were-Rabbit, but it also isn’t really trying to.This is a straightforward family-friendly adventure that is simply effective and effectively simple.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowlis now available to stream on Netflix
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
As is fitting for Aardman’s golden goose, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is both crackers and cheesy in all the right ways.
