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

Directed by: Steve Box and Nick Park | 85 minutes | comedy, animation, family | Original voice cast: Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Peter Kay, Liz Smith, Nicholas Smith, John Thomson

Wallace and Gromit are back. Not with a short film this time: they play the lead role in an 85-minute feature film. The film, “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit”, is not a sequel to the popular Wallace & Gromit trilogy. This time the duo is experiencing a totally new adventure. For those who don’t know the two: Wallace is a crazy inventor who acts before he thinks. His dog Gromit is intelligent, thoughtful and rescues his owner from dangerous situations over and over again. Wallace doesn’t see that, he thinks he’s the smartest.

Wallace and Gromit start a new company: Anti-Pesto. Their neighbors, acquaintances and friends have been attacked for some time by cheerful, but especially hungry rabbits. They are dealing with a rabbit plague. Vegetable gardens are in danger and neatly kept lawns are suddenly full of holes. Moreover, there is also a big vegetable competition on the way. Inhabitants of the village have been growing that enormous carrot or cucumber for months. The competition is sacred to them. In short: the villagers are desperate. Wallace is their lifesaver. Together with his faithful dog Gromit, he catches the rabbits in an animal-friendly way. His customers are very satisfied. When he tests his invention, a device that changes the behavior of living things, on a bunny, something goes horribly wrong. The village is attacked by a dangerous creature that looks suspiciously like a giant weather rabbit.

In 1998 director Nick Park released the 23-minute film, “Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out”. He worked on the film for six years. The film is well received by the audience. In 1993 Park released the film “Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers”, three years later “Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave” was released. The films last no longer than thirty minutes, probably because making the images is an enormous task. Wallace and Gromit and all other characters are made of soft clay. Every movement of the clay figures is filmed separately. Then the shots are played one after the other, making it one whole. Nick Park won two Oscars with his creations.

Nice that many scenes are based on famous Hollywood films. While watching you discover more and more. King Kong, when the huge rabbit swings from an apartment building, Jurassic Park (1993): the huge carrot that falls on the car and An American Werewolf in Paris (1997), when the weather rabbit travels through the forest. The thriller Tremors (1990) seems to be a source of inspiration for creators Steve Box and Nick Park.

“Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” is of course especially fun for connoisseurs. Yet the film is also recommended for others, both young and old. Although you have never heard of the duo: the images are funny, original and sweet. The story is surprising, because who makes a film about a weather rabbit. The makers clearly make fun of the oh-so-famous werewolf. “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” is a must for anyone who likes animation, silly humor, nice voices and an original story.