Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Composite Score: 84.57
Starring: Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Peter Kay, Nicholas Smith, Liz Smith, John Thomson, Mark Gatiss, Vincent Ebrahim, and Geraldine McEwan
Directors: Steve Box and Nick Park
Writers: Steve Box, Nick Park, Mark Burton, and Bob Baker
Genres: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: G
Box Office: $194.14 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is the stop-motion film about iconic characters Wallace and his dog Gromit and their quest to ethically protect the vegetables of their hometown from a rabbit infestation. The Aardman film features Nick Park’s lovable characters in a new set of silly but entertaining circumstances, as Wallace and Gromit have taken on the role of local pest control agents who dispose of pests ethically. The hijinks, humor, and animation style help this film stand the test of time, just as they helped it win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature after its release. The film is a classic for fans of Aardman’s work as an animation studio and fans of Park’s brand of humor, worth checking out for sure.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Like many stop-motion films, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit ends up being a bit heavier on style than it is on substance. It sings with comedy, detailed animation work, and stylized action sequences, but the meat (or should I say veg?) of its themes and story ends up being a fairly simple thing to digest. Thematically, the film focuses on the ethical disposal of pests (putting them in cages and taking them to a farm) versus the extermination of pests (with a gun), allowing its conflict to play out in rather silly fashion between Wallace and the antagonist, Victor Quartermaine, voiced by Ralph Fiennes (2005 was a big year for him between this, The Constant Gardener, and The Goblet of Fire), as Quartermaine seeks at every turn to kill the rabbits and the were-rabbit but is constantly foiled by Wallace’s and/or Gromit’s more ethical methods of disposal. As for the plot, it acts almost as a perfect retelling of the wolf-man story but with a were-rabbit who wants nothing more than to eat vegetables. It's not overly creative in those aspects, but it still brings enough to the table in its other creative departments to warrant a watch.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Look, I know I just trashed on the simplicity of the themes and humor of The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, but at the end of the day, the film’s art style and humor do more than enough to earn this film recognition as one of the greats. An excellent blend of that dry British wit, blink-and-you-miss-it animation gags, and adult-coded double entendre makes the comedy of this film worth the price of admission alone, eliciting more than a few chuckles from the audience as the simple tale unfolds. This high point of comedy is then bolstered by an evergreen animation style in the painstakingly crafted stop-motion world that the Aardman studio brings to life on the screen. The attention to detail in every shot is so apparent, and the combination of stylization and realism is so engrossing that the audience can’t help but be drawn into the world of the film and be captivated by the pastoral tale of defending a town’s vegetables from rabbits.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit offers the rare example of a simple family film that still manages to achieve greatness thanks to its dedicated filmmakers’ efforts in animation and a winning blend of comedy that elevates the film beyond some of the more typical family fare. Its story and themes might not hold up to every cinephile’s high standards, but they more than do the job set out for them thanks to the other touches put on the film by its creators. The film is currently available to stream via Peacock Premium subscription for those looking to watch it.
