Wallace & Gromit (film series)

A GRAND DAY OUT (U)

D: Nick Park

BBC/Aardman/NFTS (Rob Copeland)

UK 1990

30 mins

Animated

W: Nick Park

Mus: Julian Nott

voices of: Peter Sallis (Wallace)

Nick Park's first animated short to feature the characters of Wallace & Gromit isn't quite as well-rounded or inventive as their later adventures (The Wrong Trousers, etc.) but is still highly entertaining, taking the eccentric inventor and his even cleverer dog to the cheese-surfaced moon.

The best was yet to come, but a fine first film from the animated double act with fine technical aspects from Nick Park and his production crew.

7/10

THE WRONG TROUSERS (U)

D: Nick Park

BBC/Aardman (Peter Lord & David Sproxton)

US 1993

29 mins

Animated

W: Nick Park & Bob Baker

Mus: Julian Nott

Peter Sallis (voice of Wallace)

Wallace & Gromit's second adventure is a brilliant inventive piece of stop motion animation from director and creator Nick Park.

The eccentric inventor and his super smart dog are framed for a jewellery heist by their new lodger, a cat burglar penguin, who uses their latest creation to carry out a robbery.

The film won an Oscar in 1993 for Best Animated Short Film.

8/10

A CLOSE SHAVE (U)

D: Nick Park

BBC/Aardman (Carla Shelley & Michael Rose)

UK 1995

30 mins

Animated

W: Bob Baker & Nick Park

Mus: Julian Nott

Voices of: Peter Sallis (Wallace), Anne Reid (Wendolene)

Third of the Wallace & Gromit movies, following A Grand Day Out and The Wrong Trousers.

In this one, Gromit is framed for murder whilst Wallace falls in love and the two of them uncover a sheep-rustling scam.

Great animated slapstick and perfect viewing for a wet and windy afternoon. Not quite as good as The Wrong Trousers, but the bar was set incredibly high with that one.

7/10

WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT (PG)

D: Steve Box & Nick Park

UIP/Aardman (David Sproxton, Carla Shelley, Nick Park, Peter Lord & Claire Jennings)

UK/US 2005

85 mins

Animated

W: Nick Park, Bob Baker, Steve Box & Mike Burton

Mus: Julian Nott

voices of: Peter Sallis (Wallace), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Victor Quartermaine), Helena Bonham-Carter (Lady Campanula Tottington), Peter Kay (PC Albert Mackintosh), Nicholas Smith (Rev. Clement Hedges)

Wallace & Gromit get their first feature length outing, where the hapless inventor and his dog attempt to create a machine to protect their allotments from rabbits, but inadvertently create a monstrous, mechanical mega-bunny with an unstoppable appetite.

Technically, this is every bit as good as what creator Nick Park achieved with his short films, but the story feels fit for only 30 minutes and eked out to 85. Still, this isn't particularly bothersome and the final result is a good family film with plenty of good jokes and telling references. The voice actors are all cast to perfection.

7/10

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of The Were-Rabbit

A MATTER OF LOAF & DEATH (PG)

D: Nick Park

BBC/Aardman (Steve Pegram)

UK 2008

29 mins

Animated

W: Nick Park & Bob Baker

Mus: Julian Nott

voices of: Peter Sallis (Wallace), Sally Lincoln (Piella Bakewell)

A Matter Of Loaf & Death is the fourth Wallace & Gromit short film, and the first following their big-screen outing in 2005 (The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit).

Once again it utilises a brilliant stop-motion animation style to being its characters to life, as the double act start a new bakery business and Wallace develops a relationship with Piella Bakewell, once the famous face of a cake brand. However, the relationship and the business come under threat when it emerges that someone is murdering all the town's bakers.

While not quite as good as previous adventures, it's a fine way for the duo to bow out, with voice actor Peter Sallis announcing his retirement after the film was screened on television in Christmas 2008.

7/10

WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL (PG)

D: Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham

BBC / Aardman (Richard Beek)

UK 🇬🇧 2024

79 mins

Animated

W: Mark Burton [based on characters created by Nick Park]

Mus: Julian Nott & Lorne Balfe

voices of: Ben Whitehead (Wallis), Peter Kay (Ch. Insp. Albert Mackintosh), Reece Shearsmith (Norbot)

The sixth Wallace & Gromit film overall comes 16 years after their previous short (A Matter Of Loaf & Death) and nearly 20 years after the claymation duo’s first feature (The Curse of the Were-Rabbit).

Nick Park’s stop-motion animation is as good as it ever was in this straight sequel to 1993’s “The Wrong Trousers”, my personal favourite of all the Wallace & Gromit films and the one against all others are measured.

This time, the eccentric, wacky inventor and his smarter dog are the targets of revenge by Feathers McGraw, the villainous penguin from the 1993 short, who has reprogrammed Wallace’s robotic garden gnome to carry out his nefarious plans.

With the passing of Peter Sallis, who originally provided the voice of Wallace, in 2017, I never thought we’d see another of these films from Aardman animation, which have become a British staple, especially around Christmas time, and it was a delight to have it back on our screens for 2024. It isn’t quite at the same level as The Wrong Trousers, but it doesn’t fall far short.

7/10