Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
September 27th, 2005 at 6:14 am (4 - Good)
I had the privilege of attending the U.S. premiere of the new animated movie Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) in New York and had a tremendous time at it. The premiere was attended primarily by young children (some perhaps a bit too young for the movie), their parents and the filmmakers; a fortunate mix as I got to hear the theater erupt in high-pitched young laughter at moments and the laughter of adults at others, perhaps one of the best compliments that can be given to the child and adult friendly film. Even better was the appreciation expressed at the in-jokes by fans of the animated duo as well as the new material for those who are not yet acquainted with Wallace & Gromit.
Curse of the Were-Rabbit opens with an introduction to the titular characters and their gadget-laden den. From the beginning the film takes a tone that balances orientation of the W&G world for those not familiar with their short movies (A Grand Day Out (1989), The Wrong Trousers (1993), A Close Shave (1995) and Wallace & Gromit’s Cracking Contraptions (2002), this last collection released directly on video compiles the short movies made by Aardman Animation to prepare for production of the feature) and gives new material to long time fans. For the first time the audience is treated to a significant view of the town W&G inhabit as well as it’s various inhabitants including some details that are likely to be overlooked by British audiences as unimportant and be missed by U.S. audiences unfamiliar with U.K. towns. For example the town Abby which doubles as a town meeting hall has an offering of harvest vegetables laid out at the altar, details that may be common to a Brit but unfamiliar to Americans.
A saving grace of the movie comes in the addition of new primary characters: Lord Victor Quartermaine voiced by Ralph Fiennes, Lady Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter) as well as the (mostly) mute sidekicks Phillip (Victor’s mutt) and Hutch (a cheese loving rabbit). I don’t say ’saving grace’ as if the movie were set to fail without them however I admit I went into the theater uncertain that W&G could hold my attention beyond the accustomed 20 minutes and found I was well entertained for the duration of the film, in good part because of the shared screen time. My favorite characters in the movie were however the were-rabbit itself and the relentless multitude of animated bunnies that infest the town. I howled with appreciation when the bunny horde first answered the call of the wild with a simultaneous beating of their chests and thumping of the ground. Even better were the free-floating jar-o-bunnies ingenuously animated in a seamless digital environment by The Moving Picture Company to have the look and feel of Aardman clay characters (complete with occasional finger prints in the clay and kong-style fur movement).
As with the other W&G titles the film is replete with little jokes and visual puns that keep you intently watching the screen so as to not miss a detail. The cheese references are plentiful (the Aardman publicists told us of a cheese war that erupted as a new type of cheese was introduced though we are assured that Wensleydale is still Wallace’s favorite) as are the small set details that make the movies so enchanting. Once it is released on DVD I am sure to rent a copy and give it a repeat viewing with pause button at the ready.
Details aside I can offer Curse of the Were-Rabbit great praise in saying that I laughed well and loud from the opening credits to the little joke at the last credit in the movie. I would recommend the movie as good fare for both children and adults in need of a good story and a good laugh.