At the end of a truly rough year for a lot of people, watching “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” feels like a warm blanket by the fire on a snowy day. It’s just so comforting to see something this creatively spry and uncluttered in its approach. Sure, we could unpack the themes—there’s something funny about using the human toil required to make stop-motion to tell what’s basically an anti-AI story—but what I want to convey more than anything are the simple charms of this lovely little film, one that gets in, entertains you, and gets out. The only question when it’s over is when you can watch it again.
If you’re worried after the truly disappointing “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” the first few minutes of “Vengeance Most Fowl” will put you at ease. Everything feels familiar as the legendary Nick Park brings us back into the world of the inventor Wallace and his trusty pup Gromit as if it’s been nowhere the almost-two decades since “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.” Peter Sallis may be gone (RIP), but Ben Whitehead steps into the large shoes of Wallace with ease, but the scene-stealers, as is often the case in Aardman productions, are the silent characters: the wonderful Gromit and the return of the legendary Feathers McGraw.
That’s right the enemy of the Oscar-winning (and absolutely perfect) “The Wrong Trousers” has returned in all his silent glory, glowering from a prison (or, in this case, zoo) cell and planning his revenge. Back at home, Wallace seems more co-dependent on Gromit than ever, but everything changes when he invents a “smart gnome” named Norbot (Reece Shearsmith), who can help Gromit in his garden and perform other tasks around the house (without the human, or rather dog, element to make it special). When Feathers hacks Norbot, it leads to a hysterical army of angry robot gnomes and a battle between the old-fashioned Wallace & Gromit and the future.
Built on a foundation of comedy that comes from the silent era, “Vengeance Most Fowl” is just beautifully structured, a perfect rhythm of plotting and humor that works for all ages. The little ones might not get the James Bond references, but they’ll marvel at the ingenuity of the stop-motion sequences, especially an action climax that rivals anything Tom Cruise has done lately. It’s just so refreshing to see a film this broadly appealing done this well—the voice work, the camera angles, the narrative ingenuity, the stellar pacing in a tight 79 minutes. At a time when so many of these elements aren’t considered by children’s entertainment productions that are more interested in content than creativity, I’m once again comforted by the talented people at Aardman doing what they do so well. There’s not an ounce of desperation to please; nothing resembling a cash grab like so many modern animated sequels.
In the end, “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” feels like a visit from an old friend, or a musician who you thought retired returning with another classic album. Is it familiar? Sure. But after the way 2024 went for a lot of people, that familiarity feels almost reassuring. If Wallace & Gromit can carry on, maybe we all can.
On Netflix now.
