Alex Wheeler Movie Ops

In the age of sitting back and letting computers do as much of our work as possible, few are still undertaking the arduous process of stop-motion animation. Of course, Aardman Studios hasn’t given up on the technique, continuing to churn out the beloved claymation adventures of Wallace and Gromit along with their menagerie of spinoffs.

As this title suggests, Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is a return to its trademark characters: the eccentric inventor Wallace and his trusty, silent dog Gromit. The pair have been gracing our screens since 1989, delivering witty, joke-dense escapades with the occasional break for one of Wallace’s Rube Goldberg inventions. One could argue that they aren’t only keeping claymation alive but the spirit of silent comedies as well. Meticulously crafted hijinks pepper every one of their outings, reminding that wit isn’t merely displayed through wordplay.

Never is this more obvious than when we’re graced with one of Wallace’s wake-up machines. We get another at the top of Vengeance Most Fowl, and like everything in the world of Wallace and Gromit, paying attention to the details brings delight and depth. The mechanisms for cleaning and dressing play on the tenets of silent comedy, their every beat timed perfectly for a laugh. But pay attention to Gromit. The intelligent beagle dutifully goes about his portion of the routine, a cog in the elaborate machine, with a few personal additions to protect himself from the less-than-clean mechanisms. The dog is taking care of his friend with the kind of second fiddle dedication that showcases true, generous love. In return, he wants a pat on the head, except he gets it from another of Wallace’s contraptions and not from Wallace’s own hand. Gromit doesn’t need words to convey his disappointment and hurt, not when he’s animated with such precision.

Aardman does stop-motion like no other, not even its American counterpart, Laika. While being clear about its characters and their feelings, they aren’t going for realism. The clay that makes up Wallace, Gromit, and their entire world is tangible as it twists and contorts, bringing to mind the childhood hours spent forming worlds with putty. The defiance to stick with such a lo-fi medium and elevate it beyond your wildest imagination is joyous enough. That they go to all that trouble to bring you an evil penguin with a rubber glove on its head is pure glee.

Yep, the fiendish Feathers McGraw is back and plotting once again to steal the blue diamond, the same diamond he was going after way back in the 1993 short The Wrong Trousers. Problem is he’s stuck in animal jail (a zoo) and must concoct an elaborate escape.

Wallace provides just the army he needs in robotic gnomes, aka Norbots. The helpful little fellows were designed to help Gromit maintain his garden, with Wallace missing that Gromit enjoys getting his paws in the dirt. As they encroach on not just his soothing hobby but every aspect of Gromit’s life, his initial jealousy turns into a much deeper wound. Wallace is letting Norbot take away everything Gromit enjoys about their life, his inconsiderate distractedness making Gromit feel unseen.

One could spin this as a tale of modern, automated life taking away from human connection, but Vengeance Most Fowl is too silly to linger on such highfalutin ideas. After all, the Norbots only turn truly evil after Feathers McGraw sets them to Evil mode.

No, Vengeance Most Fowl understands what makes Wallace and Gromit such enduring figures. They are a loveable pair, tried-and-true friends that stick together through every mishap they find themselves in. Even as Feathers McGraw, the Norbots, and several other returning characters delightfully fill out the rare feature-length outing, the film always remains firmly attuned to our central pair. And like always, they make for lovely company.

Release: Available now on Netflix
Directors: Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham
Writers: Mark Burton
Cast: Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Reece Shearsmith