Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Film Review
Britain’s most beloved animated characters, Wallace & Gromit, are back for their second feature-length film, Vengeance Most Fowl. If that wasn’t exciting enough, the film also marks the full-fledged return of the iconic penguin/chicken villain Feathers McGraw.
Wallace (voiced by Ben Whitehead, who replaces the late Peter Sallis) has always loved his inventions but it’s starting to get out of hand – he’s created a gadget for almost everything, including a motorised hand to pet Gromit! Thinking he’s being helpful, Wallace invents a smart gnome named Norbot (Reece Shearsmith) to take charge of Gromit’s beloved pastime, gardening, and start a new business. Feathers McGraw, who is still imprisoned in the zoo following the events of The Wrong Trousers, hacks into the gnome and turns it evil in his bid for revenge.
If you like the Wallace & Gromit franchise, then you’ll absolutely love Vengeance Most Fowl. It’s exactly what you’d expect – an utter delight! It has a fantastic sense of humour and I constantly found myself laughing out loud at all the gags, from the subtle written wordplay to the pop culture references (Anton Deck is a standout) and the parodies of film tropes, such as Feathers McGraw’s hilarious prison scenes.
The story and the character beats feel familiar – particularly when compared to The Wrong Trousers – but when Wallace & Gromit has a winning formula, why not stick to it? Wallace has to be naive and gullible and take Gromit for granted, and his smart pooch must have his quiet life ruined by something. It would be wrong to change those fundamentals. It’s also a joy to see the formidable Feathers back properly after so many little cameos. The story often culminates in a final chase – whether by motorbike or at-home train set – and the one here is the biggest action setpiece yet. Move over Tom Cruise, Gromit is a new action hero!
It still astounds me that this is a stop-motion animation; the movement is just so fluid. The technology has come on leaps and bounds over the years and the visuals are stunning, particularly the cinematography with the final setpiece. I don’t know how they did it! Crafting a story with plasticine figurines is painstaking work and I’m in awe of the team’s patience and ingenuity. Gromit’s face has become more and more emotive with each film – he doesn’t need any words as his expressions and body language speak volumes.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is another highly entertaining outing with my childhood favourites. I fully support its message about our overreliance on technology.
In selected cinemas on Wednesday 18th December, on BBC One Christmas Day in the UK, and on Netflix on 3 January in other countries