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Wallace and Gromit
The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
(Dreamworks: 2005)
I will always have a deep amount of respect for the art of clay animation. Making a coherent animated short out of a
series of individual still images can be a chore in itself, but making a professional full-length motion picture out of
numerous mounds of clay is a job that my patience and artistic ability, or lack thereof, could never handle. The artistic
capacity that is required for such a project is only one of the reasons that Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the
Were-Rabbit is an amazing movie.
What makes Wallace and Gromit even more amazing is its ability to achieve goals that reach above and beyond the
requirements for a simple, clay-animated film. The movie is clever, action-packed, and exciting, if not just a tad creepy.
More importantly, the movie has a good script and a loveable cast of characters.
The team of Wallace and Gromit consists of an inventor and his dog, respectively. The two of them operate Anti-Pesto,
a small operation that earns its profit by ridding local gardens of vegetable-destroying rabbits; but rather than harming
the little critters, the humane Anti-Pesto team pen the rabbits up in their own house. However, when Wallace and Gromit find
that their house is rapidly running out of living space, Wallace invents a machine that will brainwash the rabbits into
believing that vegetables are disgusting foods. But when Wallace's plan backfires, he and his companion find themselves
pursuing a giant were-rabbit that terrorizes their community.
What's worse, the were-rabbit poses a threat to all of the hard work that individual gardeners have sown into growing
giant vegetables to enter in Lady Tottington's annual vegetable-growing contest. Victor Quartermaine, the violent village
jerk, insists that the were-rabbit, as well as any other troublesome creature, should be eliminated with the single shot
of a rifle. Wallace and Gromit need to search for a humane solution to capturing the were-rabbit before the giant creature,
along with Victor's meddling, ruin the vegetable contest, as well as Wallace's growing relationship with Lady Tottington.
But despite the chemistry between Wallace and Tottington, it is essentially the relationship between Wallace and Gromit
that matters above all others. Wallace and Gromit make a perfect team. They always stick together regardless of the mistakes
that they make, and they are perfectly willing to help others at their own expense. This is a duo that isn't hard to root
for.
Only one thing really surprises me about this movie, and that is its daring incentive to push the limits of its 'G' rating.
Even though many jokes in the movie suggest that the film has been marketed to children more than adults, the movie did
have a very small handful of adult jokes and sexual innuendo that seemed to come out of nowhere. Add to that a number of
mildly frightening situations, and the result is a movie that clearly has not been intended for very young children.
Although the film may not be on the same level as Shrek, it certainly isn't as innocent as Finding Nemo.
Regardless, Wallace and Gromit manages to remain funny and entertaining from beginning to end. The very first shot
of the movie is a single, sweeping camera movement that captures the many amusing photographs of Wallace and Gromit that
hang in the walls of their home. The last fifteen minutes of the film is an action-packed sequence that commands audience
attention and strikes unsuspecting viewers with occasional fits of laughter. Everything in the middle is a mix of brilliant
characters, clever situations, and fantastic artwork. This is certainly one of the best movies that I’ve seen all year.
Score:
(4 1/2 carrots out of 5)
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Release Date: 10/07/05
Profanity: None
