I’m a big fan of Wallace & Gromit. And we’ve been waiting a long, long, long time, for a new instalment. Almost 20 years, in fact. Since Curse of the Were Rabbit.
The death of Wallace, or rather Peter Sallis, obviously posed a problem. But it’s a problem Aardman & co. overcame, via Ben Whitehead, who does a pretty decent Sallis style vocal.
Peter Kay reprises (and enlarges upon) his Were-Rabbit role, as the flat-footed copper, McKintosh, and Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) is TV reporter Onya Doorstep.
One of the many wonderful things about Wallace and Gromit, from inception right up to Curse of The Were Rabbit, is its quaint and, very importantly, imperfect Englishness. These are things the Chicken Run movies lost almost entirely.
This is by far the slickest production of all the W&G productions. But it’s certainly not the best. The spirit that informed all their adventures, up to this point, just about survives. But only just!
Most W&G stuff I can and do merrily watch and re-watch. This one? Hmmm… not so sure. We shall see, I guess. All their other adventures are, in my view, Great. This is merely okay.
Any road, as they used to say in some parts up north, I’m back in bed – and it’s only 7.30 pm – glistening to this:
PS – I just read that Aardman face a clay shortage! Their supplier went bust. And it’s not your ordinary high street plasticine. Read about that here.