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The post The Next Best Picture Podcast – “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” appeared first on Next Best Picture.

THE CAST – Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel & Reece Shearsmith

THE TEAM – Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham (Directors) & Mark Burton (Writer)

THE RUNNING TIME – 79 Minutes

Beloved British icons Wallace and Gromit debuted 35 years ago in the animated short film “A Grand Day Out,” directed by Nick Park. Since then, Park has directed the pair in three more shorts, a feature film, and some television, winning three Oscars along the way. For all these decades, Park’s studio, Aardman Animation, has excelled in making these handcrafted adventures, even as computer animation nearly killed traditional animated features. There’s something special about Aardman’s claymation; each film is carefully crafted and full of fingerprints and imperfections. It’s a human touch that’s sometimes lost with CGI. As it turns out, this is the primary theme of their newest film, “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” directed by Park and Merlin Crossingham.

Though it’s been years since their last adventure, Wallace & Gromit haven’t missed a beat. Neither has the dastardly Feathers McGraw. Decades after his arrest for stealing the legendary Blue Diamond, McGraw has been toiling away in prison (a Zoo), waiting for the perfect opportunity to get revenge on the inventor and dog who put him away. Park and Crossingham’s sense of comedic timing is so well-tuned that a simple cutaway to the emotionless penguin is laugh-out-loud funny. This dead-eyed penguin (or is he a chicken?) steals every scene he’s in, even without moving an inch. For newcomers to the series who have never seen McGraw, these moments might not be quite as funny, but longtime fans know the evils lurking within those dead eyes.

While McGraw plots his revenge, Wallace (Ben Whitehead, taking over for the late Peter Sallis) is inventing away, this time trying to help Gromit be more efficient in the garden. He invents the Norbot (Reece Shearsmith), a “smart” gnome programmed for landscaping. Gromit’s spent ages making this garden look homey and beautiful, full of color and life, but Norbot puts a swift end to that. Right away, Norbot, trained by consuming hours of DIY television, ruins the lovely garden by making everything look clean, trimmed, and without an ounce of color. Much to Gromit’s chagrin, the robot’s work blows the community away, putting him on the local news. Once McGraw hears about Wallace’s newest invention, he sees his opportunity to strike.

“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” is utterly silly, like the best in the series. The endless gags and puns never get old, and they’re thrown out at the audience non-stop. The story has a ton of energy and forward momentum, so it never sags in its 79-minute runtime. It’s fast-paced and absurd, but the movie remains perfectly small-scale. The score, composed by Lorne Balfe using Julian Nott’s themes, provides a playful atmosphere for the caper. McGraw may steal the show, but Norbot’s robotic antics are a perfect foil for the pliable Wallace and co.

While “Wallace & Gromit” shorts are no stranger to criticizing technology, this new entry, the first since the rise of AI and tech ruling the world, feels even more apparent. Even before Norbot turns evil, he “helped” with the gardening by robbing it of all its life, turning it into some homogenized, squared-off lump of hedges. This is what AI does to art, making something that resembles other, better things while removing any humanity. It’s precisely why Aardman’s movies have remained so beloved all these years – you can feel the human effort put into each one. The film’s message isn’t subtle, but it’s mild enough to hit home without detracting from the joy of the movie.

The heart of “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” as always, is the love between the title characters. Though Wallace can occasionally attempt to outsource his affection for Gromit to inventions (creating a “patting machine” to pet Gromit), the bumbling inventor is nothing without his best pal. Technology can never replace actual human (or pet) connections. Nearly two decades after their last feature-length outing, “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” is another delightful entry in the series and a reminder of the charms that can only come from something handmade. It’s one of the best-animated films of the year.

The post “WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL” appeared first on Next Best Picture.