The new movie from one of animation’s most cherished creators dares you to dislike it. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is the latest stop-motion marvel from director Nick Park and his company Aardman Animations, whose works include the Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run series.
The new Wallace & Gromit adventureis a gently cautionary tale about rogue technology. The brainy but clueless inventor Wallace (voiced by Ben Whitehead) comes up with an all-purpose robotic gnome. Named Nobort, the gnome soon relegates Wallace’s fiercely loyal dog Gromit to second place in the household.
Gromit, who had previously got his owner out of a pickle in Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), paddles to the rescue when the vengeful penguin Feathers finds a way to turn Wallace’s invention against him. Wallace becomes a suspect in the eyes of the walrus-moustached Chief Inspector Mackintosh (voiced by Peter Kay) and his eager-beaver subordinate Mukherjee (voiced by Lauren Patel). It’s left to Gromit – bark-free, highly resourceful and always brave – to save the day yet again.
Co-directed by Park and Merlin Crossingham and written by Mark Burton, the movie is out on Netflix. The plot follows from the short film The Wrong Trousers (1993), which introduced the tombstone-silent, beady-eyed Feathers. Although not always successful in expanding a simple idea into a full-length feature, Vengeance Most Fowl is a giddy-headed, thoroughly enjoyable romp.
The 79-minute movie has animated clay figures so rigorously detailed you want to touch the screen, classic British puns and a healthy appetite for silliness. The small touches are delightful – Feathers doing push-ups in preparation for his dastardly scheme, the netted vest and striped pyjamas worn by Wallace, Gromit’s erudite reading preferences. Gromit steals the show, expressing himself through his eyes and floppy ears. Feathers, who has a menacingly cold appearance, is an aptly foul fowl too.
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