Aardman’s next collaboration with Netflix after Chicken Run is once again worth the wait.
It’s been over 15 years since Aardman’s beloved duo Wallace & Gromit were last on our screens. But now, Netflix and the BBC have worked on an all-new adventure, Vengeance Most Fowl. Intended as a sequel to one of the duo’s most iconic stories, The Wrong Trousers, the new feature-length movie is a fun, imaginative, utterly hilarious, and worthy installment in the franchise. Here’s our spoiler-free review!
First and foremost, Vengeance Most Fowl gets off to an instant win by keeping the essence of the original films so good. The stop-motion animation remains as timeless as ever. Plus, the project keeps original creator Nick Park on board as a co-director, adding Aardman’s super-talented Morph creator Merlin Crossingham into the mix. This movie had everything going for it, and it completely delivered.
Over the library of works that spans decades, Wallace (now brilliantly voiced by Ben Whitehead after Peter Sallis’s passing) has crafted an array of quirky, inventive gadgets. From a rocket that took him and his ever-loyal, long-suffering dog Gromit to the moon to his memorable Techno Trousers, Wallace’s inventions never fail to entertain and offer hilarity aplenty. In the latest film, Vengeance Most Fowl, Wallace introduces his newest creation: an AI ‘smart’ gnome named Norbot (voiced by Reece Shearsmith), designed to bring even more automation into his life.
But this isn’t just a Wallace & Gromit film — it’s equally focused on their iconic, stoic and silent nemesis penguin, Feathers McGraw. Fans will remember McGraw from his ardent, but ultimately failed attempt to steal a valuable jewel from the museum with the assistance of the Techno Trousers in The Wrong Trousers. His crimes left him stuck imprisoned in a penguin exhibit in the zoo, and our titular duo were hailed as local heroes. And now, three years later, McGraw finds opportunity to seek vengeance on Wallace & Gromit, utilizing their smart gnome as an escape plan. McGraw is as despicable as ever. It’s so good to have him back, I think fans will really enjoy the new malicious schemes he derives.
When sarcastic, self-confident Chief Inspector Albert Mackintosh (Peter Kay) — who previously featured in The Curse of the Ware-Rabbit — learns that evil gnomes are causing chaos, he sets out to investigate alongside by his new apprentice PC Mukherjee (Lauren Patel). The film does a stellar job at developing Mackintosh and Mukherjee. The extended duration allows them to get extra screen time, and the team manage to develop them well and create a fun, witty dynamic.
While the film is written in a way that makes it accessible to everyone, even those completely new to Wallace & Gromit, it also contains so many easter eggs and niche references for die hard fans. The level of fan service is high, but at no point does it distract from the main story.
It’s not a perfect film, however. At just over 70 minutes, I found the duration to be a little too long. The pacing in the beginning feels a tad off. And the story was pretty predictable. No moments particularly surprised me, but instead still kept me gripped with the film’s contagious charm. The biggest strength of Vengeance Most Fowl comes from Wallace & Gromit’s signature comedic style. It’s utterly hilarious from start to finish with so many memorable one-liners. In fact, I’d go as far as to say this is the funniest Wallace & Gromit instalment yet. I still don’t think it’s the best overall. Personally, I think that accolade falls to The Wrong Trousers.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is out on December 18th in select theatres. The film premieres on Christmas Day on BBC for U.K. viewers, with it then becoming available on Netflix for international viewers on January 3. It’s certainly worth all the hype!
