I do not know
a single person in the UK who doesn’t let out an exclamation of delight at the
mere mention of Wallace and Grommit. I’m not entirely sure how well they travel
but here they are almost universally adored. I mean, I’m sure there are some
“haters” out there somewhere, stop-motion animation is not everyone’s cup of
tea (or so I am told. I don’t see how this is possible but you know… It takes all
sorts…). But the humour, the characters, the sheer imagination involved in the
series combined with the decidedly British sense of humour… You can’t beat it.
You really can’t. Not in this neck of the woods anyway. That’s why I have always
thought a proper “film” (as in feature length) of the series was long overdue.
Now, I know that this one has been around for quite some time, but just never
got round to watching it until recently. I was later surprised to discover a
few friends of mine who hadn’t heard of it at all. Hence, here is my review of
it ASAP. This is definitely one you NEED to know about.
We return
to the world of Wallace and Grommit, in their same old house in the same sleepy
little town. As we all know by now, the professions of this gruesome twosome
tend to change from episode to episode however, and the flavour of the week is
humane pest control. You see, this particular little town is very much into its
gardening but as it so happens it also has a big problem with rabbits – who
aren’t, as you probably know, very conducive to gardening. But never fear,
Wallace and Grommit will not only safeguard your garden, they guarantee that no
fluffy bunnies are harmed in the process. You may, at this point, be asking
yourself what exactly they do with the bunnies once they are caught. That, my
friends, is the 64 million dollar question. Wallace and Grommit do not, as
such, quite know what to do with them either. But they are under a tad bit of
pressure to figure something out fast, not least because the annual giant
vegetable competition is approaching. The entire town will be participating, as
usual, and the last thing anyone wants is an outbreak of rabbits. Wallace,
always the inventor, does not despair and continues trying to work something
out. It is during these endeavours that the duo unwittingly unleash “the curse
of the were rabbit”. As if normal rabbits were not causing enough trouble…
What I like
the most about Wallace and Grommit is that it is, to my mind, one of the best
examples of family-friendly fun. And having, alongside the brilliant Peter
Sallis, a constant of the show, names like Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes
lending their voices to the characters only improves matters – if that were at
all possible. I know what everyone is
always saying these days about children growing up so fast and not being as
“naïve” as we were when we were their age but still. Given half a decent
chance, audiences of literally ALL ages could enjoy Wallace and Grommit. Like a
lot of good animations, the adult “in-jokes” are there, kept at a “decent”
level, but providing not a few giggles along the way as you go. Besides, it is
really what Wallace and Grommit is all about. It’s almost a sort of return to a
more innocent time a bit pastoral, small town life and all that. A return, brought rather smartly up to date
with the fact that Wallace is the archetypal “absent-minded inventor” along
with your typical country bumpkin. How do these two co-exist? If you don’t
already know, it’s high time you found out…
For the
fans, I’m delighted to tell you that this film is everything we know and love
about Wallace and Grommit. I believe it was last week that I was mentioning how
it’s good to have some “comfort films” close to hand where you know exactly
what you’re about to see and in fact are watching it BECAUSE you know what you
are about to see as it were. And this film is filled to the brim with the
Wallace and Grommit type humour we all know and love by the bucked load. I
don’t want to give too much in the way of the storyline away, simply because I
was completely blindsided by, shall we say, a development in the story,
providing the perfect surprise mid-way.
In short,
if you’re a Wallace and Grommit fan, you will love it. And if you’re not a fan,
well, this might be the day you become one. I promise you, you won’t regret
it.