Film Review – Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

January 2nd, 2025 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

Watching a Wallace & Gromit film feels a bit like coming home. There’s something about the pairing of a good natured but absent-minded inventor and his trusty dog that is sweet and endearing. Although their world is made up of stop motion animation, the connection we have with them is akin to a family member or close friend. And while Aardman Studios have produced several other memorable properties – such as the Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run films – it’s Wallace & Gromit that has stood the test of time. Their hijinks are timely and timeless, adhering to people young and old. Where so many other family films undercut themselves with tongue-in-cheek jokes or unnecessary pop culture references, Wallace & Gromit have perfected a formula that can last generations.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) is of specific note because it is a direct sequel to the Oscar-winning short, The Wrong Trousers (1993). In fact, the story picks up almost immediately where things left off. We find Wallace (Ben Whitehead, taking the role from Peter Sallis, who passed in 2017) and Gromit enjoying their day-to-day life while the criminal penguin Feathers McGraw serves time at the local zoo for trying to steal the illustrious Blue Diamond. To make their lives more efficient, Wallace invents a new device: A “smart” garden gnome named Norbot (Reece Shearsmith) capable of doing chores and yard work all on its own. At first, Norbot is a hit around the neighborhood, with locals asking Wallace to supply their own version of the A.I. assistant. Feathers catches wind of this and devises a plan to use the gnomes to exact his revenge against our dynamic duo.

The dangers of advancing technology and artificial intelligence isn’t new, but Vengeance Most Fowl explores it with a unique and clever spin. Directors Merlin Crossingham and Nick Park (along with screenwriter Mark Burton) intertwine present day themes without sacrificing the special quality that makes Wallace and Gromit so beloved. A.I. and smart devices can accomplish tasks quickly, but they lack personality and human nuance. This is shown in the scene where Wallace orders Norbot to tend to their backyard. In the blink of an eye, Norbot shears the bushes, cuts the grass, and rearranges the lawn furniture into a nice and tidy state. The problem is that Norbot did not realize that by doing so, he had removed all the colorful plants and flowers Gromit had planted around the garden. A yard that once had character and warmth was turned sterile, plain and cold. 

It makes sense that Aardman, a studio that has built a reputation for its meticulously hand crafted stop motion animation, would tell a story involving the risk of A.I. tech. That theme is no better exemplified once Feathers sets his sights on Norbot and the other gnomes. The narrative then becomes a faceoff between Wallace/Gromit and their old adversary. Where The Wrong Trousers was a thirty-minute short, Vengeance Most Fowl has a feature length runtime. The sequel is a bigger, flashier, and more expansive tale. The wider canvas allows the writing and direction to set up some nifty set pieces and add several new characters. These include the Police Constable Mukherjee (Lauren Patel) and Chief Inspector Mackintosh (Peter Kay). Where Mukherjee is a young and ambitious up-and-comer, Mackintosh is on the precipice of retirement. The two make for a funny odd couple as they bumble their way trying to connect the dots between Wallace/Gromit, Feathers, and the growing army of gnomes.

If we step back and ignore the themes for a moment, we can admire this purely from a visual aspect. A lot of time has passed between the original film and this, and in that time Aardman has just about perfected their animation style. Movements are clean and crisp, character gestures are smooth, and the action well-choreographed. Where the first film had a roughness to the models and figures, the sequel operates like a well-oiled machine. Because the animation has developed so much throughout the years, the production has more room to create intricate sequences. Take for example the early scene where Wallace and Gromit wake up for breakfast, with Wallace’s gadgets literally getting him out of bed, getting him dressed, and preparing his food. Where The Wrong Trousers did this in a small but impressive fashion, Vengeance ups the ante by making the process exceedingly complex. From the type of clothes Wallace wears, to the way he takes a bath, to the variety of food he’s given, the entire ordeal reflects how developed Aardman has become with their animation.

But what’s made this universe survive through the decades has always been the relationship between the inventor and his dog. Throughout their adventures, Wallace and Gromit have complimented one another in ways only best friends can. Wallace can come up with slick contraptions but has tunnel vision over the ramifications. Gromit is the more practical of the two. He obviously cares about his human counterpart and isn’t so quick to embrace new changes that could cause them harm. Gromit keeps Wallace down to Earth, and Wallace shows Gromit the possibilities of human ingenuity. This dynamic can be shown in the aforementioned opening scene. Where Wallace goes through the ups and downs of his morning routine, Gromit gets things done straightaway, such as simply walking outside to take out the trash.

Are there movies that are more reflective of modern society? Yes. Are there animated films that push the artform to newer and more exciting places? Possibly. But in times that are as divided and precarious as they appear to be now, Aardman has delivered a work that isn’t just entertaining and charming – it’s something that is very much needed. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is like a comforting embrace, letting us know that things will be ok and that everyone deserves an escape from reality once and awhile. I’m thankful to be living in a world where Wallace & Gromit exist.

Aardman Studios, Ben Whitehead, Chicken Run, Lauren Patel, Mark Burton, Merlin Crossingham, Nick Park, Peter Kay, Peter Sallis, Reece Shearsmith, Shaun the Sheep, The Wrong Trousers, Wallace & Gromit, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl