Good old claymation is making a strong comeback this fall, as Wallace & Gromit chase pesty rabbits in the garden of Lady Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter) who manages the annual Golden Carrot Festival to reward the biggest vegetables in the town with the golden carrot award.
W & G work through their company Anti-Pesto using their many unique inventions to rid the country side of pests, mostly rabbits. Constantly reinventing, Wallace comes up with a brain exchange helmet through which he can change the brain waves of rabbits to stop them from eating the prize vegetables. At that point we find the heroes in a mock horror film filled with fun and smart lines.
The film begins with a review of the lives of the two clay characters through pictures on the walls of the home they share. Next we see Gromit the voiceless dog using their unique inventions to wake Wallace, starting by placing cheese under his nose. When Wallace can't fit through the space on his floor which leads to the kitchen Gromit uses an automated large mallet to pound him through the space. With more to see than we can comprehend in the satisfying script and visuals homonyms constantly appear to tickle our funny bone. We find Grated Expectations as part of their food and the Bun Vac 6000 devise which pulls at 125 RPMs (Rabbits Per Minute).
As the full moon rises and the brain waves move, Wallace is satisfied that his invention will change the rabbits and save the day. But suddenly there is a very big rabbit hunting the prize vegetables. Wallace says he will stop the new menace by using a big trap. He is challenged by Victor (Ralph Fiennes) a macho hunter who wants to marry Lady Tottington and wants to shoot and kill all the rabbits. So can Wallace & Gromit save the rabbits and reverse the brain drain? That task is up to writer director Nick Park who brings us through scenes which resemble Mighty Joe Young, Frankenstein and King Kong, all tong-in-cheek which will delight everyone.
A joy to watch, this is a true family film which will have parents and kids laughing together, perhaps at different things but with equal enthusiasm. It is a perfect Halloween film for those who enjoy celebrating on the fun side rather than the dark horror which usually fills screens.
