Aardman’s newest entry in the Wallace & Gromit series is here, and it’s a delightfully action-packed return to form. Emphatically staking the British claymation studio’s claim in the blockbuster IP-driven landscape of the 2020s, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl gets the band back together for a decidedly larger-scale take on the classic duo’s misadventures. Wallace (Ben Whitehead) is framed for his new garden gnome helper robot invention going haywire and destroying the town, leaving Gromit to clear his name. But it turns out that a dangerous enemy has returned, looking to bring down the madcap inventor and his beloved pooch once and for all.
The film, running a bloated 79 minutes, lacks the charming simplicity of the original shorts. Characters old and new make appearances, the set pieces feel grander, and the story often gets lost in its own twists and turns. But through it all, Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl never loses its trademark twee sense of humor, impeccably British comedic timing, and stellar voice work. And by Jove, that’s just enough to make the film a must-watch classic for any household, English or otherwise.
Wallace & Gromit Join The Modern World
The once-simple lives of Wallace and Gromit have been overtaken by Wallace’s numerous inventions. And his newest creation is Norbot (Reece Shearsmith), a garden gnome AI that he hires out to the local townsfolk (despite it constantly annoying Gromit).
From the shadows, old enemy Feathers McGraw watches from captivity in a local zoo, following his evil plan to steal a diamond in 1993 that was foiled by Wallace & Gromit (in a beautiful callback to their 1993 short The Wrong Trousers). Feathers remotely reprograms Norbot, turning him evil and framing Wallace for his various crimes. As Wallace’s world comes crumbling down, Gromit escapes to try to return Norbot to his original settings.
It’s definitely a more plot-heavy entry in the Wallace & Gromit canon, perhaps acknowledging the studio’s trademark stop-motion style no longer holds the novelty it once did in the ’90s. Instead, directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham decided to lean on their original characters, offering up this new entry as a de-facto recap on the universe’s lore for a new generation watching on Netflix rather than the BBC. The film even breaks tradition as the first direct sequel in the series.
But does it all come together as a cohesive whole? Does it prove that these two timeless icons still have something offer the youth of today? As a longtime fan of the franchise, I can answer with a resounding “YES!”
Good Grief, What’s All This Then? Quite A Lot of Plot
The Wallace & Gromit series has grown into an institution, but largely due to the British model of a single installment every few years. That won’t fly nowadays. All our attention spans are cooked, we need content NOW! With that in mind, Vengeance Most Fowl goes for a more maximalist sensibility, running nearly full-length as opposed to the earlier 30-minute shorts. With bigger, bouncier, and crazier action scenes, it feels like we’re getting Wallace & Gromit: Blockbuster Edition. And despite the odds, it works (mostly).
The series has lived and died by the chemistry of the leads, and replacement actor Ben Whitehead does a serviceable job voicing Wallace. As a younger man, he naturally brings his own pacing to the role, and the result is a Wallace that feels more openly deluded rather than simply “daft.” It’s a slight difference, but lends the character an added rudeness when ignoring Gromit that grates the audience.
The writing delivers on the franchise’s quintessentially English trademark wit, blending daffiness with an old-school charm and pacing that lends the film a comfortability, like a warm cup of cocoa on a Sunday morning. While faster than previous installments, this is still a film willing to take its time with its jokes, letting you sit with enough time to warmly smile at each quip before moving on. In the age of whiz-bang-crash comedy dominating Hollywood, this is a welcome change.
The film’s treatment of technology feels a bit awkward. In 2025, madcap inventors hold a decidedly different place in the collective consciousness, and to its credit, the film realizes that. But Wallace’s thinly veiled comments about AI just feel out of place in a franchise known for its timelessness. Imagine if Tom & Jerry randomly began using Instagram to track each other down. Wouldn’t it feel strange?
This movie’s plot demands your attention, tossing plot points at you faster than Wallace’s inventions. It feels less a standalone film, and more the first installment of a cinematic universe. Stalwart characters get younger apprentices, local townsfolk get design updates, and even the climax’s traditional madcap chase goes on far longer than previous installments. It’s all just a bit too much, and the middle third of the film begins to sag under the weight of its own plot. But by the end, the stories all knot together beautifully and leave viewers with a warm feeling in their tum-tums.
Conclusion
Scene to scene, Vengeance Most Fowl delivers. The characters won’t have you howling with laughter, but you’ll still be politely amused at their low-key deadpan line deliveries. While antagonist Feathers McGraw was defined by his monotone expressions, this new installment fleshes him out into a legitimately intimidating (yet still hilarious) villain. It’s this sensibility that elevates Vengeance Most Fowl to more than a dated retread of an old franchise. The willingness to take elements of the ’90s and dive deeper into them. For example, Chief Inspector Albert Macintosh (Peter Kay) maintains his bumbling persona, but this time he’s a surly old fella one day away from retirement and fed up with his excitable protégé (Lauren Patel, in a scene-stealing turn as PC Mukherjee). It’s a new take on the character, but one that deepens rather than flattens.
After The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit somewhat flanderized the titular duo to appeal to an American audience, it’s nice to see the team at Aardman continue to dig in their heels and make new installments the way they know it should be done. Wallace are Gromit are steeped in the British cultural identity like a cup of Earl Grey tea, and trading them for an American-style cup o’ coffee does nothing for anyone.
Vengeance Most Fowl is a film with something to prove. It’s a statement that Wallace & Gromit’s madcap misadventures aren’t simply a relic of a bygone era. And it delivers on all fronts. Awkward writing aside, this film remains a lovely way to spend 79 minutes. Does it run a smidge too long? Yes. Does the writing sometimes feel a bit awkward? Sure. But the sheer love that Aardman has for its cheese-loving inventor and his pooch is something to be admired in the profit-driven world of 2025.
I don’t care if the next film takes 10 years to make. If that’s how long it takes for Aardman to do right by these characters, then I’ll be there on opening night. See you all in 2035.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is now streaming on Netflix.
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