Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Review
The Wrong Trousers is, in this reviewers humble opinion, not only the best Wallace & Gromit adventure, but the best 1/2 hour in the history of film, a real diamond if you will. Vengeance Most Fowl, the latest feature length adventure returns to that world, but can directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham re-enter to the world of The Wrong Trousers and pull of a daring heist, escaping, Feather McGraw style, with the sparkling magic of its predecessor intact?
Gromit’s concern that Wallace (Ben Whitehead) is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!
Time has moved on in this universe and thought time has been kind to the man and dog duo P.C Mackintosh (Peter Kay) finds himself aged, promoted to Chief Inspector and on the cusp of retirement. Unlike the vintage village bobby he played in Were Rabbit, in this film he plays more of an old school relic, a copper led by his gut (often mistakenly) with a ruthless “nick em’ first and get evidence later” streak to him that wouldn’t seem out of place in Life on Mars. It’s nice to see a bit of cynicism among the usual nostalgia. Alongside the hairy lipped lawman is P.C Mukherjee (Lauren Patel), fresh on the beat and eager to please, who brings a contrasting, bright and youthful energy to West Wallaby street that we’ve not seen before, along with an intelligence that characters beside Gromit rarely exhibit. The contradictory interactions between the two are a highlight.
Image: BBC/Aardman
The magic that maintained Feathers McGraws mystery is lovingly preserved in this film. Less is more is recognised both in story and animation and whilst the dastardly penguins actions need to be bigger and bolder as the stakes are raised from quiet lodger on the rob to jailbird masterminding both an escape and an elaborate heist, when he is in motion his silent actions are just, if not more evil than his activity in his previous outing. Assisting the evil doing is Norbot, Wallace’s latest invention remotely corrupted (in a fantastic sequence, paying homage to the museum heist) by the flippered fiend. Reece Shearsmith joins an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the voice cast, straddling the line between gleeful malice and helpful enthusiasm with every hilarious line.
Image: BBC/Aardman
Music plays a massive role here, exciting, thrilling and delivering pangs of nostalgia throughout the film. The nostalgic rhythms are used throughout and make direct references to past films. Heroic tones when the bike from A Close Shave is unveiled, a familiar dramatic sting when Feathers confronts Wallace. If any criticism can be levelled at this film it’s that it treads old ground. On the surface there isn’t a story line that doesn’t, at least in some part, revisit the past. However as a direct sequel it cannot help but honour them visually and musically whilst peppering the film with plenty of new material that fits the world perfectly and adds to the much loved canon. The finale is both hilarious, thrilling and emotional in equal measure, doing what Aardman do best.
Image: BBC/Aardman
Whilst The Wrong Trousers is a half-hour that feels like a feature film, this feature film leaves the audience feeling like they’ve just watched a short, the steady pace of the gags and the way the story unfolds means that this film fits comfortably into it’s 70 minute runtime, which was a problem for their previous outing, which needed longer to breath, but here the pacing is perfect.
So, after 16 long years of on screen absence you’d be forgiven to think we were not going to see much from the pair again but Crossingham and Park have managed to pull off something special. Their master plan has worked and the heist was a complete success, pulling Wallace and Gromit out of the history section and back into the hearts of an adoring public.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl screens on BBC One Christmas Day and then on iPlayer after before releasing internationally on Netflix from the 3rd January 2025 and in the U.K later in 2025. And you can hear from co-directors Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham as well as voice of Wallace Ben Whitehead in the latest Skwigly Animation Podcast