Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

Gromit is growing concerned that Wallace is becoming too reliant on his invention. They're proved to be correct when his master creates a smart Gnome which he names Norbort, whose factory setting are reset and it switches to evil mode. When it becomes apparent that the nefarious Penguin Feathers McGraw is behind the chaos which ensues, Gromit sets out to put a stop to his devious plan and save Wallace who finds himself in some very hot water.

The ninth animated full length feature from Aardman Animations, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl sees the long awaited return of Nick Park's beloved cartoon duo. The eccentric, homely inventor who lives with his loyal pet Canine companion Gromit. Initially having featured in four short movies that were made-for-TV. They've become something of a British institution becoming one of the most successful exports to come out of the UK. So much so that it inspired a full length movie in 2005 with The Curse of the Were Rabbit.

Directed once again by the ingenious Academy Award winning Nick Park, whose dedication to his art in bringing such an intricate, detailed piece of animation to life is peerless. The zany, quirky world that his unlikely comic duo inhabit has lost nothing of It's idiosyncratic charm. Introducing a wonderfully infectious creation with Wallace's robotic Garden Gnome Norbot (voiced by Reece Shearsmith). A zestful, speedy contraption that is the set-up for some sublime sight-gags. He proves to be a force of nature performing gardening tasks with ample hustle and bustle. The scene alone where he's being recharged is delightfully rib-tickling.

The plot also serves to signal the come back of Feathers McGraw, the criminal Penguin mastermind from The Wrong Trousers. Now finding himself imprisoned in a local zoo. Whose plot to exploit Norbot for his own ends, includes exacting revenge on are heroes who were previously instrumental for having him seen brought to justice. Cue a wealth of inspired and elaborate slapstick set-pieces which I have to say really should have been brought to the big screen, as the small screen just doesn't do it quite the justice it deserves. It's none the less bags of unadulterated, outlandish fun. Not least because of the inclusion of Chief Inspector MacIntosh, (Peter Kay) last seen in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and plucky young protégée PC Mukherjee (Lauren Patel). Ben Whitehead delivers an uncanny vocal performance, replacing the late Peter Sallis, magnificently. If I didn't know any better I'd have thought it was Sallis himself. He beautifully embodies the warmth and personable charm of the character. With the rest of the voice cast certainly no shirkers either. It has lost none of Its innate Britishness.

Considering that Curse of the Were-Rabbit took five years to finally reach cinema screens in 2005. It comes as no surprise that it took sixteen years after their last short, a Matter of Loaf and Death, for us to get Vengeance Most Fowl but It's been well worth the wait.

Containing a steady stream of blink and you'll miss them small gags that demand repeated viewing. Park once again leaves us wanting more, although given its due to the demanding production process I shouldn't wonder that it might be another seventeen years since we might see them again. And fingers crossed that this won't be the last.

In a world that's become increasingly scary and divided throughout the year, Nick Park and the team at Aardman deliver unto us two shining beacons of hope when they're needed most, to remind us of the joyous charm and wonders in life. Those beacons take the familiar plasticine form of a dimwitted but kind-hearted inventor, and his silently judgemental but ever-loyal dog.

The Wrong Trousers and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, both Academy Award-winners, set the bar staggeringly high for stop-motion storytelling, and were always going to be tough acts to follow. Thankfully, Vengeance Most Fowl combines the best parts of both to deliver yet again, while also seemingly drawing great inspiration from Paddington and Mission: Impossible. The pair remain as aloof and comedic as ever, the animation is the best its ever been, and the jokes-per-minute ratio is impressively unrivalled.

Since the pair's last outing in A Matter of Loaf and Death the world has lost the great Peter Sallis. I thought we'd never see Wallace's return, but I'm happy to report that two minutes in I breathed a sigh of relief. Ben Whitehead does an excellent job in the titular role, capturing the same whimsy as Sallis while being just as entertaining and charming. Equally charming is the wonderful score, with Lorne Balfe taking the reins from Julian Nott and once again proving that, to me, few things in life are as instantly mood-lifting as the W&G theme.

Knowing how long it takes to fully realise a stop-motion project (Were-Rabbit took five years to create), it's also remarkable how timely the story is for today. In a year that's seen a concerning rise in the use of AI in film projects, it's delightful to see a strong stance against it come from a film crafted in almost exactly the opposite manner; not only does the film itself portray machine minds as the death of imagination and creativity, but Aardman's immaculately hand-crafted stop-motion and stylised adventures stand as a testament to the power of human artistry, and will forever remain timelessly appealing as they have for 35 years and counting.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is a film moulded with love. Thank you Nick Park, for the years of endless joy you've given the world with Wallace & Gromit. Everyone should do themselves a favour and have a grand day out with these two old friends.

Over 30 years has passed since the release of the Wrong Trousers so people might be forgiven for thinking that Wallace and Gromit are getting a bit dated. Yet this completely destroys that notion!! The Yorkshire humour, the cute relatable characters combined with an interesting plot makes for a lovely family movie! They've definitely not lost their touch! My kids loved it and so did I. Would recommend to anyone regardless of whether you've seen previous instalments as can be seen as a stand alone movie. A personal favourite villain Feathers McGraw shows what can be done with a lump of plasticine that doesn't even speak. When you consider how much stop start animation is required to fill the 80 minutes then you realise just what a work of art this really is. Bravo!

I recommend the movie. The villains were well done, but the human characters aside from Wallace weren't given much to do or say and the climax seemed a little too fast and forced. I do like the story, surprises (aside from a few forced scenes in the last 10 or so minutes) and the comedy. If the climax was better written and the pacing was better with the brief human supporting characters (who should've had more to do), I would've like it more. The Curse of the Were-Rabbit had a better pace and climax and better written side characters, but both had enjoyable stories, main characters and laughs.

What a call from the BBC, an evening showing of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl debuting to the local masses. Of course it excels at everything it attempted to. From a technical and just genuine enjoyment perspective its great.

Firstly, Aardman have managed to retain their exceptional status as he greatest stop motion producers we have seen in film. Challenges have been faced across the company by being lack of clay and so much more but again they provide. A spectacular 78 minutes of pure joy and love soaked into the most beloved British film franchise of all time, as they still achieve a 100% record for Wallace & Gromit. But how?

Now a foolish claim would be that these films are made for children, but it's simple to shut down masterful entertainment retaining the witty humour from previous entries keeping the established narrative contracts of both Wallace, the man trying to keep up with the times but runs to fast. And Gromit, less of a myopic take on situations. The dichotomy built between them is magnificent and in the closing sequence as it bridges through the sheer power of friendship and love brought a tear to my eye. Character development isn't everything but the sheer attachment you can have for this duo speaks for itself. Of course you can't speak about characters without mentioning Feathers. The foil. The comic relief. The sly penguin. Back to his best swiftly establishing himself amongst the great villains of cinema, his body language forged in the clay work sustains this construct, even minor head tilts or arm movements encapsulates so much fun and depth into a character who hasn't even opened his beak once, a true icon.

The filmmakers aren't subtle with there hidden allegories specifically the anti-AI message referenced in the films. The "norbots" evident microcosm of this, as clearly a flicker of there code creates potential travesty's if put into the wrong hands, emblematic of real world danger as pressure mounts amongst, ai. Hidden allegorical messages blanketed amongst a vastly entertaining feature, refreshing in the animation genre of film, and yet another top tier entry into what is rapidly becoming one of my favorite franchises in film.