The inventor Wallace (Peter Sallis’ voice), an absent-minded genius, lives a life of clutter that is fortunately kept in order by his loyal companion and best friend Gromit, a dog.  Together these two often get in some form of predicament through Wallace’s heedless approach, as he rarely thinks of the possible consequences.  Yet, Wallace becomes the force that initiates each story while his faithful companion Gromit aids him selflessly through whatever problem faces them.  Of the two characters, I have always found that Gromit was my favorite.  Gromit is a contrasting opposite to Wallace, as he possesses characteristics such as being modest, thoughtful, attentive and a team player.  I also find Gromit’s unbroken silence mysteriously intriguing, which often makes me ponder the saying “…silence is golden.”

Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit finds itself situated in the rural countryside of England where the two clay figures run a humane animal control service named Anti-Pesto.  It is a booming time for Wallace and his canine friend, as rabbits are plaguing the countryside while the habitants of their small town prepare for the annual Giant Vegetable Conest.  No assignment seems too trivial or too difficult for the two associates of Anti-Pesto, as they easily and safely remove all threatening vegetarians.  Everything seems to go just right for Wallace and Gromit, when a monstrous herbivore armed with two oversize incisors begins to stalk vegetables.  The emergence of green-eating fiend begins to threaten the upcoming competition, as innocently resting giant vegetables begins to disappear.  Dumbfounded, Wallace and Gromit witness the small town’s fear of the beast grow, as they remain perplexed about how to capture the vegetable swallowing being.  Amidst the nightmare, Wallace also finds time falling in love with Lady Campanula Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter’s voice), which interferes with the hunter Victor Quartermaine’s (Ralph Fiennes’ voice) plans to marry Lady Campanula.

Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit provides a warningly amusing tale in the light of analogous comparisons of our society’s fear of losing our prized possessions.  It offers several chuckles and laughs, even though most laughs will not bring the viewer to the bellyaching level through its suggestive wittiness and simple slapstick humor.  Even though Park uses mild blue humor he is careful not to offend the audience.  The scene where the moon appears, and Victor Quartermaine gets stuck in the tower revealing his buttocks while the towns vicar exclaims “Beware the moon!” is a clear example of light blue humor.  A sluggish or younger audience might not notice these suggestive instances, despite their frequent appearance.  In addition, Park applies several known scenes from other films with the most obvious example being King Kong.  The final product presents an entertaining comedy for the whole family with some interesting ideas to ponder.  On the other hand, it does not reach the same top-notch quality as Chicken Run (2000), which left the viewer more engaged in more than a few ways.  Yet, the reader should know that this Wallace & Gromit film still a very good film and a must for all Wallace and Gromit fans.

DIRECTED BY

COUNTRY

UK

Filmography links and data courtesy of