Other than an extremely long title, it's
difficult to come up with many criticisms of this film. But, the
title is really long. Think of the poor people who put up the
lettering on the marquees, letter by letter, standing out in the
freezing cold, pouring rain, or blistering heat. And think of the
poor Masked Reviewer, who will have to type this title several times in
the review. Therefore, it will be henceforth referred to as W&G:tCotW-R.
Even that's a bit long, but what can you do?If you're a fan of
Wallace and Gromit, you've been eagerly awaiting this full-length
feature. Nick Park, the director/creator, had previously created
three Wallace and Gromit short films (the first won an Oscar(tm) in
1990). He then went on to do Chicken Run (where chickens
led by Mel Gibson tried to flee the coop ala The Great Escape).
There's no question that Chicken Run wasn't up to the level of
Wallace & Gromit. It was visually impressive and featured some
known voice talent, but it didn't have the immense charm and...let's
face it..."cuteness" of the nutty cheese-loving scientist and his loyal
dog pal.
By the way, fans should know that a new DVD of Wallace &
Gromit shorts is now available. It's called
Wallace & Grommit: Three Amazing Adventures and features the
original three short films (A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers,
and A Close Shave) plus ten "shorter than short" short films
featuring some of Wallace's other crazy inventions. The latter has
not been available on DVD before, so if you can't get enough W&G, it's
cracking.
If you've never seen Wallace or Gromit, it's amusing stop-motion "claymation".
However, the level of detail is breathtaking. It's funny, with
interesting characters, and if you enjoy animation, Wallace & Gromit is
an absolute must-see. It's one of those rare "crossover" pieces
that both kids and adults will like.
W&G:tCotW-R is arguably the best Wallace & Gromit piece to date.
The addition of a couple of famous voices (Ralph "it's pronounced RAFE,
you cretin, which is itself pronounced CRAYTON" Fiennes (which is
pronounced FEENES, not FINES) and Helena Bonham Carter (no relation to
Jimmy or Nell)) adds absolutely nothing to the film. That's okay,
however, because everything else is just right. The humor is
varied, from slapstick to adult-friendly. The characters are
cute...some will make you smile every time they appear on screen, some
are just so friggin' adorable that you could puke. The only thing
missing is a cameo by Feathers McGraw, but maybe the sequel will feature
that.
The story moves along nicely. It even has a few twists.
While there are a couple of elements reminiscent of moments from the
other W&G projects (such as the airplane scene) nothing is too
derivative.
This is, by far, the best animated film of the year. It's fun
for all ages, and truly impressive. Compared to its most similar
competition, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (also featuring the voice
talent of Helena Bonham Carter) there's no contest -- Wallace &
Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is hops and bounds better (get
it? rabbits hop). It leaves Corpse Bride in the dust
(to dust).
The only significant issue the Masked Reviewer had with the film may
have been a problem with the print, but the background music track was
off...it was badly distorted at times, and occasionally became
distracting at the end of the movie.
Definitely worth a look-see. Fun for the whole family.
Expectation from the Title: It seems unlikely that it will
have very little to do with the history of the spice trade in ancient
Rome.
Mother's Rule (Always Say Something Good About Everything):
The rabbits are cute and fluffy even though they're made out of clay.
The Pros: Laugh out loud funny. "Awww"-evoking cute.
Impressive.
The Cons: Some soundtrack issues. The music itself isn't
excellent to begin with.
Wallace and Gromit,
Gromitt, Gromutt, Helen Ebonham Carter, Raphe Fines, Nick Parker,
Feathers McGee, penguin, cheese.
