Wallace & Gromit In The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Something bunny is going on...
Wallace=Master, Gromit=Mind
They've made gadgets, they've made contraptions, and they've made a movie.
Something wicked this way hops.
It's 'vege-mania' in Wallace and Gromit's neighborhood, and our two enterprising chums are cashing in with their humane pest-control outfit, "Anti-Pesto." With only days to go before the annual Giant Vegetable Competition, business is booming, but Wallace & Gromit are finding out that running a "humane" pest control outfit has its drawbacks as their West Wallaby Street home fills to the brim with captive rabbits. Suddenly, a huge, mysterious, veg-ravaging "beast" begins attacking the town's sacred vegetable plots at night, and the competition hostess, Lady Tottington, commissions Anti-Pesto to catch it and save the day. Lying in wait, however, is Lady Tottington's snobby suitor, Victor Quartermaine, who'd rather shoot the beast and secure the position of local hero-not to mention Lady Tottingon's hand in marriage. With the fate of the competition in the balance, Lady Tottington is eventually forced to allow Victor to hunt down the vegetable chomping marauder. Little does she know that Victor's real intent could have dire consequences for her ...and our two heroes.
| Peter Sallis | Wallace/Hutch |
| Ralph Fiennes | Victor Quartermaine |
| Helena Bonham Carter | Lady Campanula Tottington |
| Peter Kay | PC Mackintosh |
| Nicholas Smith | Reverend Clement Hedges |
| Liz Smith | Mrs. Mulch |
| John Thomson | Mr. Windfall |
| Mark Gatiss | Miss Blight |
| Vincent Ebrahim | Mr. Caliche |
| Geraldine McEwan | Miss Thripp |
| Edward Kelsey | Mr. Growbag |
| Dicken Ashworth | Mr. Mulch |
| Robert Horvath | Mr. Dibber |
| Pete Atkin | Mr. Crock |
| Noni Lewis | Mrs. Girdling |
| Steve Box |
| Nick Park |
8.00 out of 10 (23065 votes)
Visitor Reviews
not as good as shorts
posted on 29 Aug 2009The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was pretty good, except it lacked the traditional dry British humor of the shorts.The animation was top-notch, with only a few digital effects. The voices were well done, and for clay, there was quite a bit of character expression. I liked Chicken Run better, but this was pretty good. The shorts were funnier, and had slightly better dialog. The plot was okay, but a little too goofy. I did not like the disrespect for the vicar, but only a small nit-pick. It was a little too violent and too much suggestive content for a G-rated movie.Overall, 7/10
24 Carrot Gold
posted on 27 Aug 2009If you've enjoyed the previous Wallace and Gromit stories or you're a fan of British humour or you simply love animation, you are in for a treat.Subtle (and not so subtle) humour is mixed in with superb animation (or claymation as Aardman like to call it) and an original entertaining storyline to give us "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit". Wallace and Gromit's village is plagued with rabbits at the time of the annual giant vegetable competition and their latest business venture is as humane pest controllers. Watch out for visual gags and listen out for the numerous puns.Unfortunately, the cinema trailer gives a lot of the plot away, which slightly detracted from our overall enjoyment. Our 4 year old loved it as did we: memories of "Watership Down" were stirred on one occasion! A superb English voice cast enhanced the enjoyment: Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Tottington was great. My favourite character was the vicar. Fans of Hammer House of Horror and old Dracula and Werewolf movies will have a good chuckle.Enjoy!
Extremely good fun!
posted on 23 Aug 2009It is really amazing what a dedicated team of animators can create! I've been a big fan of Wallace & Gromit since watching "A Grand Day Out" and the stories and plots just keep getting better. To finally have a feature length film with surprising twists and turns (and lots of hopping!) is a treat. Watching it just once will not be enough because so much care has been taken with even the smallest details (remember the "interesting" book titles?) and you just don't see them all in one sitting.If you need a very good laugh, go to the cinema and watch the film!Enjoy!
A fun film for the whole family!
posted on 03 Aug 2009Beloved animated characters Wallace and Gromit are back for another adventure and this time, it involves a were-rabbit. Wallace invents a gadget that he proposes will help brainwash captured rabbits into despising vegetables, by replacing their thoughts with his own dislike for the food group. Something goes wrong (he is testing the gadget for the first time anyhow) during the experiment and he ends up being saved by Gromit who damages the gadget in the process. Later that night, a monster arises and begins to terrorise the villagers, stealing their prize winning vegetables and damaging property. A town's meeting is called the next day and it is decided that Anti-Pesto's Wallace and Gromit will be given a second chance to try and capture this new type of rabbit dubbed the WERE RABBIT. During their new stakeout, Gromit finds out that the is more to the story than meets the eye. Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Liz Smith all provide voices for characters in the Oscar and multi-award winning film!
Short but not too short. A cure for a bad day, carried in a small bottle.
posted on 30 Jul 2009Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is the first feature from the famous animated series I've seen so far. Frankly I could say it's the finest computer-animated film I've seen so far. I'm not much of a fan of these sort of films and I must admit that I haven't seen neither one of the proverbial Pixar animations. On the other hand as it's written in my Madagascar comment, I've seen quite a few of them produced by DreamWorks. And if that studio ever hit a nail with these movies, they did it this time.The set is an old, small and quite conservative English town. And it's not long until the villagers are hasting for the help of our inventive and crafty pair. Together they run a fine business, perfectly suited for this environment. We could call them parasitology specialists. As they salve most of the problems in no-time, using state of the art technology, the master Gromit gets a little too inventive. Meanwhile we get to know the town's cream. Kind and fluffy-loving Lady Tottington along with her suitor, snobbish Victor Quartermaine. The town is also fully prepared for the most important event of the year. The annual Giant Vegetable Competition. The villagers, including Lady Tottington are all first class veggie-maniacs. By this time something outrageous is happening to the peoples potentially prize-winning vegetables. Every night an unknown predator sabotages their work. So who you 'gonna' call? Pestbusters!The clay-CGI really worked for me. If you noticed it's really interesting how the distant objects seem so real. The closeups seemed more cartoon-like. As for the film itself, it's amazing. The humor is multi-layered. The little bunnies will appeal to kids. The cowardly vicar was my coupe of tea and the 'Were-Rabbit' was drop dead hilarious. Then we have Gromit and his rival and especially the amazing and thrilling action sequences towards the end. What's also become a tradition in this genre are the movie references. They play a part towards the end and are a fine insert, ranging from King Kong to 8 Mile and a few others. Some characters did seem annoying. Lady Tottington was one of them. Her image didn't really bring much good to the movie, except for the unraveling of the Wallace-Lady-Victor triangle for which we all knew how it's going to end. All I can say is see it, it's a must-see if you like animated movies. ........ +4/5 .......
Cute Movie, Great for Kids! (A Review from the US)
posted on 08 Jul 2009When I read the reviews on this, nearly all of them were from across the pond. I know American and British tastes can be different, so I wanted to post an opinion from an American's POV.Now, keep in mind that we got to see a sneak preview of this movie at a packed theater - for FREE. How much money is sunk into seeing a movie can sometimes taint how I feel about a movie. Since the only thing we bought was a small popcorn, it's hard to feel ripped off.I will also preface this by saying I'm not much of a Wallace & Gromit fan. I've seen one or two of the previous films, and they were all right, but not really my "cup of tea." This was an enjoyable, fun movie. Several belly laughs, and I can't say I felt bored at any time. Our two children, ages 3 and 5, LOVED IT. Our 5 year old asked if we were going to be buying the movie. The 3 year old barely fidgeted at all (which says a lot!). As many others have commented, the bunnies are really cute, and the expressions on the faces of the characters are uncannily descriptive.One other note is that I can't think of anything in the movie that would make a parent uncomfortable for their kids to see. The language was very clean. There were a couple of references that were a little saucy and aimed for the adults, but I think they would go over most youngsters heads.Give me Pixar any day, but I still had a good time. And yes, we will probably buy it on DVD when it comes out.
I'm 'crackers' about cheese!
posted on 26 Jun 2009If you have any sense of humour, even the a little bit, this movie for you. You'll laugh no matter what. I don't really know why I liked this movie; I mean, I've never seen any of the other 'Wallace and Gromit' things. I didn't even know that it existed for that matter. But after seeing this movie, I wondered how I could have missed out on something so funny, and so brilliant. Some of the jokes actually made me laugh later, just thinking about them. I won't spoil anything for you, because if there's one thing I hate is knowing what happens before the first scene is over. Overall, this is one of my favourite children's movies. It makes me smile just writing this. We love Hutch!
Hare-larious!
posted on 14 Jun 2009The Wallace & Gromit shorts from Aardman Animations are muchly loved. The adventures of a scatterbrained inventor and his much smarter dog have found a rich and varied audience. Every one of their films has been a sheer delight, both in writing and quality animation. The Wrong Trousers is the finest 30 minutes of screen time Wallace & Gromit have ever committed to celluloid. After their third film, the two characters fell silent for five years, before creator Nick Park announced in 2000 they would next be arriving on the big screen.It took a further five years to complete the film, Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. I wasn't sure to begin with if Wallace & Gromit would work as well if stretched to feature-length, but I needn't have worried. This is a marvellous entertainment. Confident. Supremely funny. And the different medium has allowed for a much more ambitious story. But most importantly, despite being produced by DreamWorks, all the quirky, British eccentricities of the shorts are gloriously intact.Wallace & Gromit have tried their hands at ship building, window cleaning, and now they're into pest control. Their village has a serious rabbit problem. And with the Annual Vegetable Competition only days away, W&G have become bunny hunters. Forming Anti-Pesto, they deal in humane ways of getting rid of rabbits. The business is a success. And Wallace catches the eye of upper-class Lady Tottington (should have been Toffington). But things turn sour when a mysterious giant rabbit starts terrorising the town. Wallace & Gromit swing into action. But things are not what they seem.The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is one of the most entertaining family films I've seen in quite some time. From the moment we hear the familiar theme music, the film sets in with a breakneck pace that never flags for a second. Packed with wall to wall gags, hilarious inventions and more rabbit jokes than one can shake a (carrot) stick at, the film is one wacky, wild roller-coaster of a ride.Its hard to tell where to start describing the film. I don't really want to spoil the visual invention on display. Because its so cleverly done. Like Wallace & Gromit suiting up. Its a sequence seemingly modelled and intended as a cross between Thunderbirds and Ghostbusters. I especially loved the garden pond swivelling over to form a driveway. Wallace's different rabbit traps are really sublime. There's always been a delirious nuttiness to the Wallace & Gromit shorts, but in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, that nuttiness becomes positively madcap.The Rabbit-Van (that's what I've decided to call it!) is as just as animated as any of its co-stars. Not only does it have a built-in lasso for catching runaway bunnies, but its most appealing feature is if necessary, it can shake itself off like a dog! The Aardmans' imaginations have really gone wild. But more crucial to the film's success is a plot. And the Aardmans' have ensured that there is an actual story going on, despite how wacky the film may get.The whole mystery of the Were-Rabbit is quite well written on the Aardmans part, full of misdirections and gentle reversals of ones expectations. I don't want to reveal any more because I think one of the film's greatest pleasures is the identity of the Were-Rabbit. For anyone who hasn't seen the film, to know who it is just by reading about it takes some of the fun out of the film. And robs it of some of its surprises too.It was Nick Park's insistence that Peter Sallis return to voice Wallace. DreamWorks wanted someone more well known. I'm glad he stayed firm on that, because Peter Sallis is Wallace. He knows him inside out. A novice to the role would have been detrimental to the film. They wouldn't bring the same insight that Sallis has into the character. They might have made Wallace too goofy, but Sallis brings the right blend of warmth and dimwittedness that makes Wallace so endearing.But as always its the wonderful Gromit that steals the show. Gromit really is one of the animated world's most inspired creations. He doesn't have a mouth, so he can't talk. All he has to rely upon is body language and a very expressive brow. All he has to do is raise his eyes into the air, and you know what he's thinking. Forever having to clean up the messes Wallace makes (when it should be the other way around!), the long-suffering hound goes far, above and beyond the call of duty in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.The ending feels like a blend between Frankenstein and King Kong. And some of the action scenes put several Hollywood blockbusters to shame. The film even finds time to be poignant when for a moment, we actually think Wallace may have died. Its heart-stopping. Gromit's relief that he hasn't is lovely, and their hug is touching. Even at feature-length, the film only clocks in at 80 minutes. 75 if you don't count the end credits. If it had gone on much longer, the inventive puns might have become wearying. This way, it doesn't wear out its welcome. The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is truly original. Its set to become a time-honoured classic. And the rabbits are hilarious. Have I mentioned that?By the way. Make sure you stay all the way through to the end credits. When the disclaimer "No animals were harmed during the making of this picture" comes up, it'll be the funniest thing you've seen in a film in years.
Good movie but not that *good*
posted on 08 Jun 2009Wallace and Gromit the Curse of the Were Rabbit was a well made little movie with sprinkles of humour throughout but i found myself not that enjoyed with it. It was funny in certain parts but there wasn't that much fun to be had with the whole piece. It pretty much zoomed through the entire story in about 80 minutes and left me feeling like this the movie was good, but not good enough to warrant anything like an 8 or above IMDb score. In the end it was a decent movie, but comparatively the Wrong Trousers which was a much more entertaining and enjoyable Wallace and Gromit story. The whole Were Rabbit thing being Wallace was predictable from the get to, was there anyone here who didn't think it was Wallace? After seeing all Wallace and Gromit stories i think in retrospect the Wrong Trousers was a much better crafted piece than this movie. And besides nothing beats the Penguin chase on the toy rail road tracks. But comparisons aside movies should be judged on their own merits, i just didn't think this movie was really that good. Sure it had some jokes and had a bit of fun throughout but it really felt pretty lacklustre in the end for a Wallace and Gromit story.
just fun
posted on 08 Jun 2009there is something about some children movies that are so compulsive to watch, it kinda feels like a guilty pleasure. Wallace and gromit is one of these pleasure.Being a fan from the early short clips, and a lot of the Aardman clay-animation, i had the feel i wasn't going to be disappointed, and i wasn't. I love how a lot of the humor transcends other kids movies, even though they do play a lot on stereotypes of small towns; there is always that crazy old lady or man and they do get the best laughs. The humor is quite tongue-in-cheek, and a lot of the situations aren't over played. They do the joke then roll to the next. Its so redundant when a movie stretches a joke to its absolute limit that it isn't funny anymore.The premise is a simple one, a town crazy about growing vegetables is under attack by a mass rabbit problem, and a giant were-rabbit. Wallace and Gromit then have to catch this were-rabbit before the tottington vegetable festival.Instead of placing a lot of celebrities as voices, Helena Bonham Carter is Lady Tottington and Ralph Fiennes is Lord Victor. Both do great jobs, but Helena was just perfect casting as the voice of Tottington. I feel she is an very under-rated actress.In all i had great fun watching this movie.
Claymation and Plastecine Amazement! (But what the heck was up with the CGI Penguin short?)
posted on 23 May 2009If after watching Wallace and Gromit's first feature-length film, you find yourself with a hankering to try new cheeses or run back into the theater and watch it again, no one will blame you. This is a wonderful movie featuring a cheese-loving kid-at-heart character, and the claymation creates a warmth and connection not found in most CGI productions. Although there are Hollywood influences that snag the story here and there, Nick Park's much-loved creations of the wild inventor and his endlessly patient dog stay true to their small-town selves; even while he improves on the visual complexity of stop-motion animation.As the operators of "The Anti-Pesto Squad", the intrepid pair of heroes secures the safety of the town's prize vegetable patches from the numerous hungry rabbits out to satisfy their cravings for a midnight snack. The annual Giant Vegetable-Growing Contest is approaching, and there is nothing more important to the townsfolk and to the hostess of the contest, Lady Campanula Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter). Arriving at Tottington Manor to deal with a prolific rabbit infestation, Wallace (Peter Sallis), attracts the ire of hunter, Victor Quartermaine (Ralph Fiennes), by accidentally interrupting his unwanted attempts at courtship. Having corralled more rabbits than they know what to do with, the always-silent Gromit assists Wallace in an experiment to remove the vegetable-eating impulses from the captured rabbits, so they could be safely released (and so Wallace can impress the peaceable Lady Tottington). Although the experiment works on the normal rabbits, a large vegetable-eating predator begins to menace the town gardens. Wallace and Gromit must rely on each other to solve the mystery, keep Quartermaine at bay, satisfy the townsfolk and ensure the safety of the Giant Vegetable Contest.The only things that weigh down the fun are a few misplaced scenes. The previous "Wallace and Gromit" adventures had villains, but none so aggressive as Quartermaine. Silly though he is, a hunter character brings in the element of a gun. A single gun even in a children's movie these days is hardly a shocking element, but it feels out of place in this quiet little English hamlet. It certainly clashes with the spirit of invention and the previous short films' Keaton and Chaplin-inspired resolutions. The one scene that truly appears to be drawn from the Hollywood action handbook is the faceoff that occurs when Quartermaine corners Wallace in the woods. It simply felt excessive to give the quiet Wallace an action-hero turn, no matter how the mechanics of the story might make it plausible. Only Gromit's finely-tuned reactions lend enough subtle humor to prevent the spell of fun from being broken.Despite these few misgivings, the whole clay parade is well worth the excursion to the theater for all ages. The characters are warmer and more familiar than most recent animations, even those as successful as the "Shrek" series. Everything is done so well, that these characters take on tangible humanity. When dozens of the Plasticine characters dart about the screen in amazing fluidity, try to fathom the fact that they were all coordinated one motion for each character, one at a time, for 24 frames of every visual second. Each camera movement is artfully and carefully executed. There is so much spectacle and gentle humor created in the molded environment, that it is impossible to leave the theater without your spirits being lifted. (And just perhaps a newfound appreciation for cheese and vegetables.) 8 out of 10*********************** "A Christmas Caper" (This title does not have its own listing on IMDb.com, so it seems best to leave a mini-review here.) Disappointing and Out-of-Season Schtick Matched with "Curse of the Were-Rabbit" is a CGI animated short, "A Christmas Caper" staring the Penguins of this summer's "Madagascar". This is about a group of four militant penguins who live in the Bronx Zoo. It's Christmas Eve, and the youngest penguin, Private (Christopher Knights), feels bad for the zoo's resident polar bear who is alone. Private sets out to find him a present. When the rest of the group realizes that Private has gone missing, they set out to bring him back. Ultimately, they must rescue their junior member from an elderly Manhattan resident and her bloodthirsty miniature poodle.There were moments of humor, but no tone seemed to hold the entire production together. The scene on the street with the souvenir vendor was easily the funniest. There the penguins "blend in" with a group of nuns and inexplicably regurgitate dynamite. However, the whole affair felt misplaced as a prelude to the kind of story to be told in "Wallace and Gromit". Although the computer animation is eye-poppingly good, the penguins move frenetically and spend most of their time shouting at each other. It will probably satisfy any 5-year-old on a sugar rush, but wild behavior by itself simply doesn't amount to humor.The story resolves with a nod to friendship over presents, but it seems less genuine when the entire cast of "Madagascar" characters is suddenly there to sing a goodbye song. How coincidental that the DVD release happens to be only a month away. The Christmas theme also seems aimed to prime kids for the shopping season. Aside from the fact that penguins fit well in snow and ice, couldn't this have been set during some other time of year, perhaps say, Halloween?If you're late for "Wallace and Gromit", don't sweat it. This will pad the start time, so you can grab a snack for the real show.3 out of 10 for "A Christmas Caper"8 out of 10 for "Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit"
The World's First Vegetarian Horror Movie Is Outstanding
posted on 09 May 2009'Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit' is one of the funniest and most delightful films of all time. I've always loved Aardman's claymation and their movies. I adore Nick Park's previous short movies of Wallace and Gromit. Gromit is definitely one of my favourite movie characters. Coming back to this movie, the story definitely follows the horror movie trend and pays homage to movies like 'King Kong' and 'Jaws' (just to name a few). The quirkiness and humour is superbly in tune. It has a very British humour. The characters are strong and hilarious.The colourful set designs, props and claymation are remarkable detailed. The music brings an overall energetic feel. The cinematography is great. The voice casting that includes Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes is excellent.This is Aardman's first feature film in 5 years since the hilarious and adventurous 'Chicken Run' so perhaps one will have to wait 5 more years before the next movie (as the making does take a considerable amount of time). It has been longer since Wallace and Gromit appeared on screen and it was just awesome to see them back with a new mission. Wallace being the inventer and Gromit as his loyal friend and support, these two form a fabulous duo and I believe any new adventure with them would be worth the wait.
CHEEEEEEESE! a very cute, rambunctious comedy
posted on 09 May 2009The folks at Aardman have done a cool, cute and wild adaptation of their short films of Wallace and Gromit to feature length, as the man and his dog, inventors who seem to have more of the intelligence (or practicality) for the latter. In this case they've invented a machine that can capture all of the bunnies that are eating up the crops all over a quiet English village. In particular for Mrs. Tottington (or 'Totty' for those who are 'intimate'), much to the chagrin of Victor Quartermaine, who just wants to kill all the rabbits with his trust rifle. Wallace and Gromit seem to have success with their machine, but Wallace has a mix-up: a machine he's made to make more food suddenly criss-crosses himself with a rabbit - the curse is on! A lot of this is about as much light-hearted fun that a kid's movie could ask for, but it also tips its hat to the oldest tradition in classic cartoon slapstick: Looney Tunes, which in turn is indebted to much silent comedy and vaudeville. Granted, the Aardman guys (Nick Park and Steve Box) have a bunch more gimmicks and tricks and ingenuity with their material. It's never less than amazing to see how they put the stop motion to use, even when a joke or a gag might be a little on the funny "ho-ho" not funny "ha-ha" side (a tired criticism but I'll say it). Curse of the Were-Rabbit works so well on all fronts for the audience, in its warped story and sudden dips into exposition (the Golden Bullet story is a doozy), Park and Box and company never lose sight of glee in the material.It's fuzzy and warm-hearted and completely off-the-wall for the kids (even the very youngest will love the adventures and strange gadgets, such as the truck Wallace and Gromit drive around in), and for adults there's little barbs of funky, absurdist tones in the midst of a classic English farce. Only (and I'm probably a minority opinion here) when compared to Chicken Run it's almost a little slight a work- there's less any plot than there is a series of running gags, and of course lots of puns involving bunnies and monsters and carnivals and cheese (and horrible men with egos in their guns like the Fiennes voiced Quartermaine). But when it strikes best, it's one of the most entertaining films of 2005. It gives me a big goofy smile anytime it's on TV.
Lots of fun, well done; maybe just a bit long for kids
posted on 29 Apr 2009Wallace & Gromit films are always fun, and this outing-- their first full-length feature-- is extremely well done. Lots of puns and jokes for older folks and delightful imagery for the younger set. Kids under 4 might not get all that much out of it, but hey-- you can't appeal to everyone.My only complaint is that this movie seemed to run a bit long. It's a bit long to hold small children's attention but, more importantly, it's a bit long to be stretching the otherwise very cute subject matter. Even Bugs Bunny can get a little bit labored in a full-length movie about a single subject; it's just the nature of the genre.Still, that's a small complaint. Overall I applaud the creators' ingenuity, humor and dynamism and hope for many more Wallace & Gromit venues!
Absolutely fantastic - Best film of the year
posted on 19 Apr 2009These days, I think I've developed a more discriminating critical eye when it comes to movies and I'm usually not one for superlatives but I feel I have no choice when it comes to this absolute bloody delight from claymation master Nick Park.I think going into this film I'd forgotten just how much I enjoyed the other Wallace & Gromit films (the short ones) and so I can't say I was looking forward to this feature-length effort with any great slavering anticipation, but after about twenty minutes I knew I was in for a wonderful treat.Basically, stripped down to nuts and bolts, this film is not a masterpiece - in fact it's nothing more than a romp. But it is so clever, so beautifully paced, and funny? Oh me oh my - I honestly cannot remember a funnier film. Not since I watched "Bringing Up Baby" many years ago have I laughed out loud so often, it's just done to absolute perfection. The quaint, whimsical story is lots of fun, the humour is directed at young and old alike, there are so many little subtle jokes along the way. I mean, it's great, I can't really add much more.All there really is to add is that this is a must-see, and I know it's being incredibly flippant, but when it comes round again to Oscars time, I'm boycotting the Academy if this doesn't scoop up a whole heap of trophies. Screw best feature-length animation, Were-Rabbit for Best Picture! Seriously, in a fairly lacklustre year in cinema, this is an absolute gem. I haven't felt this satisfied and respected as an audience member since Million Dollar Baby, THAT is why I declare this clearly to be the best film of the year.
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
posted on 05 Apr 2009This fourth Oscar winner film for Nick Park is an excellent Plastercine film. I thought Chicken took a long time (4 years), this took 5, and one scene took one of those years! Anyway, Wallace (Peter Sallis) and Gromit are now Anti-Pesto, a service to eliminate the town of pests. Basically Lady Campanula Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter) has a rabbit infestation, and while capturing the bunnies, Wallace and Gromit make a bit of an enemy with Victor Quartermaine (Ralph Fiennes). When trying his new invention to stop bunnies love for vegetables Wallace causes a terrifying incident. They thought it was Hutch turning into a huge monster, or Were-Rabbit, but it was the opposite way, Hutch is becoming Wallace, and you can guess what's wrong with Wallace when the moon comes out. Also starring Peter Kay as PC Mackintosh, Nicholas Smith as Reverend Clement Hedges, Liz Smith as Mrs. Mulch and John Thomson as Mr. Windfall. Filled with fantastic gags and Plastercine effects, this is genuine fun for the whole family. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, it won the BAFTA for the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film and BAFTA Children's Award for Best Feature Film, and it won the British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Film. Wallace and Gromit were number 11 on The World's Greatest Comedy Characters, and the film was number 25 on The 100 Greatest Family Films. Very good!
The best animated film ever
posted on 30 Mar 2009This was the first film I'd actually been to the cinema to see since Master and Commander, as I'm a big fan of animation anyway. There's something truly endearing about these two characters. Like getting home after work, slipping on a comfy pair of slippers and tuning into to your favourite programme with a refreshing sup on the hot, brown liquid stuff. As in the other shorts it's Gromit the ever faithful mute dog that steals the film from the gormless but lovable Wallace. How Park and co. get to convey such emotions from him never fails to amaze me. You can easily see why it took them five years to produce, as ever stop motion gem is faultless, except for the odd missed thumb print on the character's heads. The script is well conceived and the sight gags are genius. This is a film that will delight both young and old audiences alike. A hearty recommendation. Can't wait for the DVD.
Fantastic movie; I loved it.
posted on 26 Mar 2009After having loved the Wallace and Gromit shorts and Chicken Run, it was great to finally see a feature length Wallace and Gromit movie. It didn't disappoint in the least, and turned out to be the best time I've had at the theater in a long while. The humor is light, clever and understated, and fast-paced enough to never drag. The lines spoken by the (surprisingly big) cast of characters are absurd and hilarious (if you don't laugh at a little rabbit saying "Awww, the bounce has gone out of his bungee" in a British accent, something's wrong with you).It was interesting to see the movie preceded by an incredibly obnoxious short featuring the penguins from "Madagascar." I can only assume it was included to show the difference in quality between American and British humor (American humor: penguins drinking egg nog through a beer bong while shouting "Chug! chug! chug!"). Just when I thought those stupid ADHD penguins were never going to go away, the screen mercifully faded and the charming W&G music started up. It's good to see they haven't changed at all since we last saw them, although they get in a quite a bit more trouble this time around. Wallace takes his experiments a bit too far when an innocent attempt to brainwash rabbits creates a monster, setting the stage for a great sendup on old sci-fi and horror films. Wallace, as usual, has no idea what's going on, leaving Gromit to try and rectify things by himself (the scene where he chases the Were-Rabbit through the streets is the funniest scene by far).Gromit in particular is one of my favorite animated characters. He's the best pantomime character since Harpo Marx. He never makes a sound (doesn't even have a mouth, in fact), but shows loads of personality through his eyes and movements alone. I love how he's never disturbed by Wallace's horrible creations, just sort of exasperated. He's alert to the point of paranoia, and is always ready to set things right, whether it be bank-robbing mechanical pants or a killer rabbit.It's a great movie, with a wild plot and cast of characters, that all ages will enjoy. I loved it, and I'd recommend it to anyone. Now let's just hope there's a sequel.
Absolutely the worst movie I have ever seen
posted on 18 Mar 2009For those who have not wasted their money to see this, count yourself lucky. My kids (6 and 8 years old) begged to see it and we decided to take them.The claymation looked like something from a 1980's high school film project. There were several suggestive references to sex in the movie that I thought should not be in a G rated movie and I don't usually care about such things.The whole plot was absurd and lacked any sort of sense.If you like bad animation and movies with no plot then this is the movie for you.DreamWorks should be ashamed of themselves for even releasing this with their name on it.Horrible.
Aardman does it again
posted on 31 Aug 2009With each feature Nick Park's team get a little more ambitious and develop the characters further. Wallace grows more into the clueless inventor-geek while Gromit saves the day with nous, bravery and luck. Aardman also has fun with some Bugs Bunny and Looneytunes spoofing in general.If I had a quibble, it was that this was a little loose in the editing - but then it is immensely enjoyable and deftly hosts jokes that work on all sorts of levels to keep non-juveniles chuckling as well as those of more tender years. Instead of dreading taking your kids to school holiday flicks you can look forward to this one.The tweenies in the cinema looked at us quizically when we belly-laughed at some scenes - but there's some homage to the pioneering and slightly imperfect stop-start-stop-go animation in the original 1933 King Kong, and lip service to many classic Hammer horror films like Curse of the Werewolf, and various other creep-flicks.The subplot lines work well - Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter provide suitably plummy accents without making you even think of them, which is the way celebrity character voicings should be. It's not quite the perfection of 'The Wrong Trousers' but it is a worthy standard-bearer.