Rating: ★★★½☆ (3.5/5 Stars)
Released 12-25-2024
Watched 02-02-2025
Reviewed 02-07-2025
Watched on Netflix
"Give him the diamond, lad. I can live without inventing, but I can't live without... me best pal!"
Aardman Animations brings back the beloved stop-motion duo in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, their first feature-length outing since 2005. With its charming British humor, intricate animation, and a welcome dose of nostalgia, the film is a delight for fans and newcomers alike. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, it faces stiff competition from Flow, Inside Out 2, and The Wild Robot, but proves itself as a worthy contender.
This time, Wallace’s latest invention—a smart gnome designed to handle garden maintenance—leads to unexpected trouble when it attracts an old foe: Feathers McGraw, the silent, sinister penguin from The Wrong Trousers. As Wallace bumbles through the chaos with his usual enthusiasm (and frequent lack of awareness), Gromit once again shoulders the responsibility of saving the day. The film delivers plenty of the duo’s signature antics, from wacky contraptions gone awry to brilliantly executed physical comedy that speaks volumes without a word of dialogue from Gromit.
Aardman’s signature animation style remains as impressive as ever, maintaining the handcrafted charm that sets it apart from the sleek digital productions of its competitors. The meticulous stop-motion work is enhanced with subtle modern touches, resulting in expressive characters, inventive action sequences, and detailed environments that feel as tangible as ever. The film’s climactic chase scene featuring an army of rogue lawn gnomes perfectly captures the studio’s knack for blending high-energy slapstick with impressive visual storytelling.
While Vengeance Most Fowl doesn’t reach the emotional depth of Inside Out 2 or the thematic weight of The Wild Robot, it excels in delivering pure entertainment. The humor, rooted in Wallace’s well-meaning but disastrous inventiveness and Gromit’s ever-reliable exasperation, makes for a thoroughly enjoyable ride. There’s a timelessness to Aardman’s storytelling, ensuring that the film appeals to audiences of all ages, whether they grew up watching The Wrong Trousers or are discovering Wallace & Gromit for the first time.
It’s good fun for the whole family, packed with the kind of wit and visual inventiveness that make Aardman films so beloved. Though it may not take home the Oscar, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is a cracking good time that’s well worth watching. Now streaming on Netflix.
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