Wallace and Gromit’s First Movie Is Worth a Rewatch 20 Years Later

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  • What Happens in ‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’?
  • ‘Wallace & Gromit’ Always Finds Success

Wallace and Gromit, two unforgettable characters in the realm of stop-motion animation, have left an indelible mark on British pop culture since their debut in 1989. Despite a rich history, there have been relatively few projects featuring these duo. Their body of work includes only two feature films, four short films, and two TV miniseries, although this number expands when considering the spin-off franchises like Shaun the Sheep and Timmy Time. The second feature film, titled “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl“, made its American debut on Netflix on January 3, 2025. This is their first new appearance since the 2010 short series “Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention“.

Initially, their sole production was the 2005 movie “Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit”, a joint effort between Aardman Animations and DreamWorks Animation. This film, known as “Were-Rabbit”, enjoyed both critical acclaim and commercial success. However, plans for a sequel were abandoned in 2007 following the disappointing outcome of their subsequent collaboration, “Flushed Away”. In 2022, a new project titled “Vengeance Most Fowl” was announced with Netflix as the distributor. With nearly two decades having passed since its release, let’s reconsider why “Were-Rabbit” is still worth another watch.

What Happens in ‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’?

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit debuted in the US and UK in October 2005, making it their first full-length film after appearing only in shorts and TV episodes beforehand. Contrary to popular belief, Vengeance Most Fowl is not a direct continuation of Were-Rabbit; you don’t necessarily need to watch the original beforehand. However, the latest movie serves as a follow-up to the 1993 short The Wrong Trousers, so you might want to brush up on that storyline if you haven’t seen it in a while.

In a humorous twist reminiscent of old-school ’50s monster B-movies, “Were-Rabbit” satirizes the genre as it follows the unusual exploits of Wallace and his canine companion Gromit. The duo have taken up a new profession as gentle exterminators, aiming to humanely remove rabbits that are causing havoc in the town’s vegetable gardens. Wallace, an ingenious inventor, creates a device capable of hypnotizing trapped rabbits into disliking vegetables – a concept that, upon reflection, might not be beneficial for their business. However, during a test run, an unexpected mishap occurs when Wallace’s head becomes combined with a test rabbit inside the machine. Initially, everything appears normal as the test rabbit successfully rejects a carrot, but…

Over the coming evenings, town residents claim that a gigantic, monstrous rabbit is wreaking havoc in their gardens. Local hunter Victor Quartermaine proposes to eliminate the creature if Wallace and Gromit can’t catch it instead. However, they don’t succeed, and they speculate that their test rabbit transformed into this monster. As a twist, it turns out that the “Were-Rabbit” is actually Wallace who underwent a transformation when his personality merged with the test rabbit, causing him to change forms. Now, the pair must deal with Victor and find a solution to break the curse before the town’s vegetable contest gets spoiled.

‘Wallace & Gromit’ Always Finds Success

The film “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” was produced with a budget of $30 million, which is relatively small for an animation project. Despite this, it was deemed financially successful in the UK, earning a global box office revenue of $192 million. Unfortunately, its US release didn’t perform as strongly, accounting for only $56.1 million of that total income. However, “Were-Rabbit” remains the second highest-grossing stop-motion animated film ever made, surpassing “Coraline” and trailing only behind Aardman’s previous production, “Chicken Run”.

Zootopia was well-received both by critics and viewers. Its heartwarming narrative, characters, animation, and humor were all commended. The clever dialogue remains engaging even after almost two decades. The film is filled with cultural references, clever one-liners, and visually humorous jokes. Additionally, it contains adult-oriented innuendos for mature audiences. The main characters shine here, as do the townspeople in supporting roles. Despite being one-dimensional, focusing solely on their vegetables and competition, they work perfectly because of their relentless dedication to something seemingly trivial.

Consider this: This bizarre, rampaging rabbit with a monstrous twist is wreaking havoc on their peaceful town. Strangely enough, they seem indifferent towards the safety of people and possessions, only focusing on their prized gardens. The film, Vengeance Most Fowl, appears to be maintaining its tradition of receiving positive reviews. Moreover, it effectively portrays Gromit as a character, despite him not uttering a single word yet.

Hard to believe, but this autumn will be 20 years since the debut of “Were-Rabbit”. Although it’s a fitting Halloween movie due to its October release and plot, it’s definitely worth rewatching at any point in the year. You can rent or buy “Were-Rabbit” on Prime Video, as well as on other platforms like Google Play, Apple TV+, and Fandango. For those who love the duo of Wallace & Gromit, their four short films and the 2002 miniseries “Crackling Contraptions” are currently available for free streaming on Prime Video. “Vengeance Most Fowl”, being only the second feature film in the Wallace & Gromit series spanning 35 years, might be of interest to dedicated fans before the pair graces the big screen again. If you’re a Netflix subscriber, you can stream “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”.

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2025-01-06 00:31