Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death

Under rated, I feel, by a sizable amount. Yes it was a bit different to the more innocently silly Wrong Trousers but it was both a post-Wererabbit feature and a clear spoof of Murder mysteries. I loved the cartoony menace rumbling away as the plot thickens. Brilliant references, a great (cartoon) murder thriller atmosphere and the usual fantastic animations and characters. I found it the most gripping and compelling of all W&Gs. There's just enough silliness and action in it for W&G purists while IMO giving a much better, more involving story and a far slicker narrative. I thought it was pretty near to perfection and am surprised so many seem not to be as impressed.

It is a bit different, definitely darker than the early ones but this came after the darkish Wererabbit movie, so this progression is to be expected. Yes it's not as charming and may be on the dark side for young kids, but you have the early ones for eccentric charm. This is post-Wererabbit and is an excellent little murder thriller.

Having gone all Hollywood on us it was a surprise to see Wallace and Gromit back on the small screen with this 30 minute short (which sounds harsh considering the years that goes into making them) for Christmas 2008.

It's great fun from start to finish. Loads of lovely verbal jokes, as well as the classic Aardman style of visual jokes you only see on second viewing.

Peter Sallis is as ever the perfect voice for Wallace, and is much missed.

The bar is set pretty high where Wallace and Gromit are concerned, and while I don't think this short is up there with 'A Close Shave' or 'The Wrong Trousers' it's certain good fun.

I do agree with the other commentators that it isn't quite as good as Wrong Trousers or Close Shave, but there is still plenty to enjoy here. I can see completely why it was the most watched Christmas programme on British Television. Technically, it is a wonder. Even after thirteen years, the claymation is so good. And there are plenty of visual jokes to delight even the fussiest adult or child, like Puppy Love by Doggy Osmond. I just have to mention the ending, it was hilarious, with Wallace shouting "Gromit I've got a bomb in my pants". It was so silly I couldn't help laughing, so much so my sides were really sore. Sally Lindsey was impressive as Piella Bakewell, and Peter Sallis still proves that at 87 he could still do a competent job as ever as Wallace. Gromit still delights with his priceless facial expressions, and the little dog was enough to make you go "awww!" The storyline was quite dark in tone, even more so than the predecessors, but the constant visual jokes kept my family entertained. If I had one quibble, it would be that the pace of the episode was a bit too fast, but overall this was hugely enjoyable. 9/10 Bethany Cox.

Wallace and Gromit have a new business venture and it is going down a storm. Having carried out some renovation on their house, they are now an operating bakery who deliver bread to your door. Of course, paranoid Gromit is concerned about the recent murders of twelve bakers in the town but it barely registers to Wallace. Pat of the reason for this is that he has a new focal point in his life as the Piella, the former Bake O Light bread girl is in town and seems just as enamoured by Wallace as he is by her. The romance begins while Gromit smells a rat.

The Wallace & Gromit films are mostly famous for the couple of big Christmas episodes they did that made them famous across the world and I was fine with the BBC holding this special back till Christmas Day because it did seem like their natural home. This film has a plot structure similar to A Close Shave in that the twosome are running a business which has some sinister activity by others associated with it. The fact that it happens to be murder in this case is perhaps a little dark for Christmas Day but it didn't matter because it does not stop it being fun. The plot goes where you expect and I really enjoyed it even though I didn't particularly like Piella or Fluffles as characters – but for me it will be a while before I enjoy any character as much as I did Feathers McGraw. The plot allows for plenty of movie references, some of which you need to "get" to find it funny but mostly you don't. Aliens and Batman are the obvious two but there are others.

The comedy also works in the detail, whether it be the inventive intricacies of the many devices that make up the house or the expressions on the faces of the characters. Yet again Gromit comes out as my favourite character and yet again I am amazed how they manage to get such expression onto his face. Sallis brings harmless charm to Wallace and it is hard to imagine that anyone could ever have done it as well as him. Lindsay is OK but I didn't like her character myself. If the film does have specific weaknesses the they are in two areas, both of which can be seen when you compare this to the mastery of The Wrong Trousers. Firstly, the pace is a bit too quick. I know it is 30 minutes but there did seem to be little in the way of build before it was into the meat and then over. The second weakness is that the closing set piece, while being a good Aliens reference, is not in the same league as the end of The Wrong Trousers or even A Close Shave. It is a shame but it doesn't have the thrill or creativity of that.

That said, it is still a very good piece of entertainment and it does feel right to have them as part of Christmas Day again. English charm, almost no jokes that would offend, inventive writing and animation and a solid plot – perhaps not as good as they have been but it is really hard to complain because it still delivers.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Wallace and Gromit have decided to set up their own baking business. One day, Wallace nearly has a traffic accident with the woman who used to be the 'bake-o-lite' girl. They warm to each other and romance starts to blossom-but Gromit, wary as ever (what with past experience!) suspects she's trouble, and what with the spate of serial killings involving local bakers that's been going on lately, maybe he's onto something.

After the success of 2005's film version The Curse of the Were Rabbit, Nick Park's plasticine heroes have become popular again and got enough publicity for a timely new episode last Christmas, that for one reason or another I didn't get to see all the way through. But now I have, and while the technical animation never ceases to impress me, it's now becoming quite clear that in my mind, Park'll never make as great an episode as The Wrong Trousers.

The serial killing theme of this new story might have been a bit too dark and adult to feature in a family film, but one of the trademarks of the franchise, the cheesy puns, are in abundance, from vinyl records Gromit owns by artists like Doggy Osmond and McFlea (as well as The Hound of Music!), to other clever (but not very subtle!) touches like advertisements for flights by Cheesy Jet. The stories in most of the short films revolve around Wallace warming to someone (or something) he's just met and Gromit suspecting (and being proved right!) that they're up to no good, and this is no exception but most of it is carried off with such technical expertise it's a minor quibble.

There's nothing really wrong here, it's just that nothing has (and I doubt ever will) live up to the standard of The Wrong Trousers for me. ***