Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl brings back beloved characters in a laugh-filled stop-motion adventure, blending nostalgia, humor, and a timely message.
Directors: Merlin Crossingham & Nick Park
Genre: Stop Motion Animation
Run Time: 79′
U.S. Release: December 18, 2024
U.K. Release: December 25, 2024
Streaming Release: January 3, 2024 on Netflix
Where to Watch: in select US theaters and UK & Irish cinemas
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl invites audiences back to the delightfully eccentric world of cheese-loving inventor Wallace (Ben Whitehead) and his ever-watchful canine companion, Gromit. Directed by Merlin Crossingham and Nick Park, with Mark Burton as writer, this stop-motion comedy sees the return of an old nemesis, evil penguin Feathers McGraw. Here, he teams up with Wallace’s latest invention, Norbot, a robotic garden gnome with a few too many quirks. Wallace and his good pal Gromit must stop these two foes before their lives are ruined forever.
Longtime fans, myself included, can’t help but approach this latest installment with eager anticipation and high expectations.
The film maintains the signature charm of the classic stop-motion style but with a noticeable polish and precision. The animation feels cleaner and smoother than ever, yet the distinctiveness of each handcrafted model is still beautifully preserved. Each frame radiates the dedication and love poured into the production, reminding fans why Wallace and Gromit have endured as cultural icons.
True highlights for fans are the plentiful callbacks in the story, nods to previous adventures, visual gags reminiscent of classic humor, and clever homages to cinema classics like Cape Fear and James Bond. This familiarity, paired with the film’s razor-sharp comedic timing, makes Vengeance Most Fowl as fresh as it is nostalgic. And beyond its laughs, it dives into timely themes, offering wry commentary on technology’s growing impact on the workforce and how we are increasingly growing more dependent on it.
Despite its many strengths, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl isn’t without a few predictable moments. Some story beats are easy to foresee, and a few plot points feel overly familiar. On top of that, if you haven’t seen any of the previous movies, a few jokes here will fly right over your head. Yet, these minor drawbacks do little to dim the film’s overall enjoyment. With its humor, heart, and message on the double-edged sword of innovation, the movie offers a fun-filled, family-friendly adventure.
Ultimately, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is a delightful return to form for the duo – a love letter to longtime fans and a perfectly accessible entry for newcomers. While it may lack some of the unpredictability of earlier stories, it still delivers laughs, clever satire, and the same timeless charm that has defined Wallace and Gromit for generations.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl had its World Premiere at AFI Fest on October 27, 2024. The film will be released in select US theaters on December 18, 2024 and in select UK & Irish cinemas on December 25, and will be available to stream on Netflix from January 3, 2024. Read our review of Robert Zemeckis’s Here!
