|
Wallace And Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit Reviewed by Rich Drees
Wallace (voiced by Peter Sallis) and his dog Gromit have gone into the
pest control business. Rather than use poisons, the pair trap their quarry
with Rube Goldbergian devices of Wallace’s own design, depositing them in
comfortable pens back at their home. Business is brisk as the townspeople
are all growing entries for Lady Tottington‘s (Helena Bonham Carter)
annual Giant Vegetable Competition and the abundance of backyard gardens
filled with enlarged carrots and melons has attracted a large number of
hungry rabbits. Ever the inventor of questionable devices, Wallace comes
up with a plan to brainwash the captured bunnies to not crave vegetables;
but an accident during Wallace’s experiments unleashes a monstrous
creature that lurks in the shadows and devours the townsfolk’s gardens
whole. Although Wallace and Grommit set out to capture the creature, they
soon discover that all is not what it seems to be. Park transitions from the Academy Award-winning short films where he first unveiled Wallace and Gromit to a full-fledged feature length film almost effortlessly. Curse moves along at a brisk pace, much like the original shorts, building up steam to a frenetic finish. Even when he slows down the pace for a character moment, things never feel as though they are grinding to a halt. This ability peaks during the film’s climactic sequence, when an entire action sequence stops for a piece of comic business that would have totally derailed the movie were it being directed by a lesser talent. Park also realizes that he doesn’t need to dumb down his material just because he’s making a family film. Tucked nicely into the action and broad comedy are plenty of quick, sly throwaway gags for the adults, referencing such things as Universal Studio’s classic 1930s horror films, King Kong, Jimmy Stewart’s Harvey and even the novels of John Updike. |
It seems today that animated family films have become fairly predictable,
computer-generated affairs made of equal parts snarky pop culture
references, tepid musical numbers and uninspired storytelling.
Fortunately, there are a few filmmakers who will venture outside what has
become the norm to deliver a film that stands heads and shoulder above the
rest, not just in creativity but in heart as well. Nick Park is one such
director, eschewing the technical high-gloss of computer animation for the
real-world look of stop-motion animated clay figures with Wallace And
Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit. 