Another Crackin’ Adventure
When it comes to exemplary animation, very few come close to the consistent quality and artistry of Aardman Animations. Since the 70’s, this Bristol-based team have trailblazed their way through numerous different movies, TV shows and short films, picking up a slew of awards and both fan and critical acclaim along the way.
It’s crazy to think Wallace and Gromit’s A Grand Day Out is 35 years old, and it’s hard to encapsulate just how monumental this movie actually was in catapulting the studio to the annals of greatness. Since then, Aardman have produced 5 other Wallace & Gromit movies (not counting Vengeance Most Fowl) along with the Shaun the Sheep and Timmy Time spin-offs.
It’s fitting then that the year begins (at least for everyone outside the UK, given we were graced with this one on Christmas Day) with an absolutely cracking return to form for the troublesome twosome. This time though, in true modern fashion, we get the return of an old foe and lots of call-backs to the golden generation of the inventor’s “grand days out”. And yes, Vengeance Most Fowl absolutely runs with its nostalgia in the best way possible.
Clocking in at just over 70 minutes, the movie sees Wallace and Gromit struggling to pay the bills. Wallace is becoming ever-more dependant on technology too and his latest, NORBOT, could be their saving grace. This smart gnome is designed to do all the jobs himself and he makes quite the stir around the community. Unfortunately, this plays out about as well as can be expected, as Wallace bites off more than he can chew.
All of this is complicated further though by the return of the dastardly penguin, Feathers McGraw. He’s been biding his time behind bars, stuck at the zoo, and he soon finds his opportunity arise when the NORBOT robots make the news.
What follows from here is a race against time, as Wallace and Gromit try to stop Feathers from achieving his ultimate goal – obtaining the blue diamond once more.
Along the way, the movie embraces the same style of humour that we’ve all come to love from Aardman and it’s every bit as effective here as its ever been. There are a variety of different call-backs to the past, including Feathers’ trademark “disguises”, the long stares and blinking, Wallace’s different inventions and even a similar climax, albeit one that parodies Wrong Trousers in the best way possible.
All of this also has the added benefit of showing just how far the studio have come since 1993 and you can definitely see that in the level of complexity on display with the animation. The claymation is absolutely top notch here and everything from the different exaggerated expressions Feathers makes to the simple effects like Gromit rolling his eyes or Wallace oblivious to the dangers around him, are brought to life in the best way possible.
The animators deserve a lot of props here because they’ve clearly learned a lot over the years and show that this is a studio at the peak of its game. Of course, it helps that along with the animation, the humour is on-point. There are all sorts of little gags here, including name puns, pop culture references, foreshadowed call-backs from earlier in the movie across to pictures on walls that feature gags on their own. Honestly, there’s so many little nods and references here that this demands a second viewing just to pick up on everything.
For that reason, those who have followed Aardman and watched the earlier movies are almost certainly going to get more out of this than those who haven’t. The various gags and quirks work so much better when you know where they’ve come from or what they’re referencing. However, newcomers should find lots to like here too, given the way this movie has been constructed.
Don’t worry though, this isn’t just an endless gag reel and there’s some real heart at the core of this one. Both Wallace and Gromit go through an emotional arc of their own and come out much stronger by the end. There’s also an overarching theme about technology and the need to embrace but moderate technology and changing times. There’s an obvious danger here about unchecked AI which feels very relevant for today, and seeing Wallace struggle with even the most basic of functions is a nice way of capturing this in its rawest form. However, it’s not overbearing either and works an absolute treat in its simplicity and execution.
And I guess treat is the best way to describe Vengeance Most Fowl. This is a great movie from Aardman Animation and an excellent chapter in the ongoing Wallace and Gromit chronicles. Whether there will be a sequel is anyone’s guess, but based on this showing, we’d definitely take another crackin’ adventure if it’s on the cards!
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Verdict - 8.5/10
8.5/10