Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Directors:

Steve Box
Nick Park

Writers:

Nick Park (characters) and
Bob Baker (writer)

Release Date:

7 October 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family

Tagline:

Wallace=Master, Gromit=Mind

Plot:

Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.

Plot Keywords:

Vegetable | Competition | Giant Vegetable | Pest Control | Dog

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 29 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Peter Sallis	...	Wallace / Hutch (voice)
Ralph Fiennes	...	Victor Quartermaine (voice)
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Lady Campanula Tottington (voice)
Peter Kay	...	PC Mackintosh (voice)
Nicholas Smith	...	Reverend Clement Hedges (voice)
Liz Smith	...	Mrs. Mulch (voice)
John Thomson	...	Mr. Windfall (voice)
Mark Gatiss	...	Miss Blight (voice)
Vincent Ebrahim	...	Mr. Caliche (voice)
Geraldine McEwan	...	Miss Thripp (voice)
Edward Kelsey	...	Mr. Growbag (voice)
Dicken Ashworth	...	Mr. Mulch (voice)
Robert Horvath	...	Mr. Dibber (voice)
Pete Atkin	...	Mr. Crock (voice)
Noni Lewis	...	Mrs. Girdling (voice)

Also Known As:

The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Starring Wallace & Gromit (UK) (working title)
The Wallace & Gromit Movie (UK) (working title)
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (UK) (poster title)
Wallace and Gromit: The Great Vegetable Plot (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:MG6 | UK:U | Australia:PG | Hong Kong:I | Singapore:PG | Ireland:G | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Philippines:G | Brazil:Livre | France:U | Germany:6 | Taiwan:GP | Portugal:M/4 | Sweden:Btl | Peru:PT | Canada:G (all jurisdictions) | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-3 | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/6 (DVD rating) | South Korea:All | Malaysia:U | New Zealand:PG | Czech Republic:U | USA:G | Argentina:Atp

Company:

Aardman Animations

Trivia:

To prepare the Aardman animators for animating the Wallace and Gromit characters and world, ten short films were made by the various animating teams. They were released online under the title Wallace & Gromit's Cracking Contraptions (2002) (V); the first, "Soccamatic", was a free download, but the other nine were only available by subscribing or by ordering the DVD.

Goofs:

Continuity: There is 8 rabbits in the fridge, but later when Gromit catches them there are only 6 in his hands.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Wallace: Oh ho ho, cracking job, Gromit!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Goedemorgen Nederland: (2005-10-13)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

The Planets Opus 32:2. Venus, The Bringer of Peace

A really Grand Day Out – and A Close Ten!

I saw it at a German press screening. Without giving too much away: Most critics really seemed to like it very much. There was even applause afterwards, which is quite unusual for that species. From my point of view and until now, it was the funniest movie of the year. It keeps the charm and wit of the three W+G shorts and it is enlarged with many references to these and other movies. Of course, there are obvious allusions to monster- and werewolf-movies, especially to "An American Werewolf in London", "Jaws", "King Kong" and even to Peter Jackson's "Braindead"/"Dead Alive", but also to other genres.

Characterization was better done in "Chicken Run", but that movie had a complete new "cast" where introduction was necessary. Here, you are already able to know the two main characters. So, the new "Wallace and Gromit"-movie is enjoyed best if you watched (and liked) the shorts already, yet it also works on its own. "Chicken Run" had the more convenient, but also more "storytelling" plot. Instead, this new Aardman masterpiece keeps that crazier and somehow more "isolated" feeling of the W+G shorts. Children should also enjoy it very much, especially because of the sweet rabbits (if you love cute bunnies, this is a must-see for you!!!) and because Gromit has a lot do to and really steals the show (children also love dogs... :-) ). But many jokes are thought for a more adult audience (there are even soft sexual allusions in it). The movie manages, like "Shrek 1+2" and "The Incredibles", to fulfil high level entertainment for the whole family, with adding a British and at least a little bit darker edge to the humour of American animated movies.

The animation is – as expected – superb, and they kept true to the Aardman style because they didn't put in too many digital effects - I realized just a few when it came to Wallace's inventions.

Finally, the score works fine in the movie, although one of the main themes definitely is "borrowed" by Randy Edelman's "Dragonheart" score.

The bad thing is: It will probably take another six years from now until we can see a new animated gem from Nick Park & Co.