If we have to exist in a world in which IP with any semblance of marketability is sucked dry, why not let Aardman have a few bucks to continue their incredible work as the only worthwhile British cultural export? Last year brought us the very fine Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, thanks to Netflix remembering that they can actually use their money for worthwhile endeavors. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is the first bit of W&G we’ve gotten since 2008, and the second feature length adventure ever after Curse of the Were-Rabbit in 2005, which, as you’ll recall, took home the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The cheese fiend and his exasperated dog have been sorely missed, and this new film delivers on just about every level. Tonally, Vengeance Most Fowl feels more in line with the original shorts than Were-Rabbit, which is understandable as it acts as a direct sequel to The Wrong Trousers. Goofy, imaginative, and thrilling, Vengeance Most Fowl is a late breaking contender for the best animated film of the year.
Wallace (Ben Whitehead, replacing the dearly departed Peter Sallis) is inventing more than ever, much to the chagrin of his faithful dog Gromit (voiced by no one, ever, or there will be dire consequences). Wallace is automating his entire life, even using a machine to scratch poor Gromit’s head. The final straw, however, is an AI-powered “Smart Gnome” called Norbot (Reece Shearsmith) that Wallace employs to do various tasks around the house. As expected of an absent-minded genius like Wallace, the gnome has a few backdoor exploits. Exploits that can be abused by a certain criminal penguin, locked away by the duo ages ago, plotting his revenge…
While the return of Feathers McGraw could read as cynical nostalgia bait, especially for a series unconcerned with continuity, the film makes it feel like anything but. McGraw is a Hannibal Lecter figure, orchestrating chaos from behind the scenes, working out like Max Cady in his zoo exhibit prison. The quiet English town turns against Wallace as the gnomes run wild, leaving Gromit and a young constable (Lauren Patel) to prove his innocence. Classic claymation chaos unfolds over the swift 79-minute runtime, each set piece more impressive than the last. Much like Nugget, Vengeance Most Fowl allows the good people of Aardman to stretch what their style of animation can do, while never straying from their defining sense of fun and acrobatics. The only real stretch is that Wallace even knows how to operate a computer, but that’s beside the point.
Though I’ll always bemoan a lack of theatrical options for Netflix films, I’m thrilled that Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl will be beamed right into the homes of kids who crave real creativity in their art. Plus, this is a great way for them to imprint on the dulcet tones of Diane Morgan, which will lead them to Philomena Cunk, the other only worthwhile British export.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
2024
Dir. Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham
79 min
Streaming on Netflix starting Friday, 1/3
