“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (2024) is an instant Aardman Animations classic because of its profound stop-motion animation and lovable characters in the titular Wallace (Ben Whitehead) and his trusty dog, Gromit.
The film was recently added to Netflix’s catalog Jan. 3 and follows Wallace and Gromit in their day-to-day lives, with their home being filled with nothing but more unique inventions made by Wallace himself.
Wallace’s latest invention is a robotic gnome named Norbot (Reece Shearsmith), and he is proven to be a major success for the likes of those who live in the neighborhood with his excellent skill in gardening and taking care of all things outside.
However, things become complicated for the heroic duo when a familiar foe in Feathers McGraw overrides the programming for Norbot, creating more Norbots to conduct his evil scheme in stealing the blue diamond that was originally from “Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers” (1993).
The absolute best aspect about “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” is its spectacular style of animation. Stop-motion animation may be a lost artform in some ways, but a company like Aardman has proven it does not slack when making films.
From “Wallace & Gromit; A Grand Day Out” (1989) to now, every film in the “Wallace & Gromit” series has improved with its animation, character design, action sequences and environments. The film is gorgeous to look at on screen, and there is never an instance where viewers will be underwhelmed with what is unfolding on screen.
Of course, the return of Wallace and Gromit in a new film is always a joy to see. It’s been nearly 20 years since “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” (2005), the last film they starred in. With the arrival of this new entry, it is like they never left.
The characters of Wallace and Gromit and the stories they have are similar to that of Jim Henson’s The Muppets. That’s not to say they are similar in how they tell stories with their characters, but rather how they are able to still capture a sense of charm and magic most other family-related franchises have lost.
There is not a single film in the “Wallace & Gromit” franchise that feels uncreative or was properly planned out by the filmmakers. Nick Park is a director who knows how to handle this franchise and what stories need to be told on a large screen.
Wallace and Gromit are obviously great, but it is a nice move to have Feathers McGraw, the film’s antagonist, return to harm our heroes. His simple yet cute design is a perfect juxtaposition for his devious inner nature.
Although he never utters word from his beak, Feathers McGraw is iconic based on his non-expressive black eyes and red rubber glove he uses to disguise himself to look like a chicken. He is one of the three best villains Wallace and Gromit have ever faced.
There is Norbot, who plays well against both Wallace and Gromit. Gromit does find Norbot to be a bit of an annoyance, especially after he remodels Gromit’s garden. But in the end, Gromit does accept Norbot for what he is.
Then there is the addition of P.C. Mukherjee (Lauren Patel) and the return of Chief Inspector Mackintosh (Peter Kay) from “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.” While both actors are given little screen time, they still deliver cheerful and playful performances.
The biggest sin “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” commits is that it does copy a lot of its plotline from “The Wrong Trousers.” Still, the filmmakers made enough of an effort to incorporate new elements to make the film stand on its own.
“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” is a delightful new adventure featuring everyone’s favorite inventor and clever pooch from 62 West Wallaby Street. It is available to stream on Netflix.
Rating: 4/5
