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

*sigh* Why does stop-motion have to be so costly and time-consuming? The world needs more Wallace and Gromit! It always has!

Eccentric inventor Wallace and his trusty dog Gromit are currently running the Anti-Pesto pest control service, helping catch mischievous rabbits and other critters on the eve of the great annual vegetable show. Faced with storage issues, especially after clearing the lovely Lady Tottingham's estate of bunnies, Wallace decides to test a new invention to change the rabbits' mind away from veggies. But when the town is attacked by a ferocious monster, slavering for prize marrows and pumpkins, et all, he realises he may have unwittingly created a monster...

Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a real treat! It makes the jump from lower-budgeted shorts to a big Hollywood movie really well, looking much better, while retaining all of the low-key British charm. Try as they might, the American machine could never strip this series of its English nature.

The story here is an entertaining and simple one, starting off with a bang, introducing the characters perfectly to young and old, and setting up events to come. The vibrant characters help build up this world we're in, and every little thing contributes to the movie feeling complete. Every piece is in place to make a whole, like a perfect jigsaw.


Something that sets this apart from the other Wallace and Gromit adventures is the scale, namely in that there are actually people here! I've always felt the three shorts had an almost eerie feel with how empty they are, with no humans besides Wallace, for the most part. The Were-Rabbit meanwhile not only has a cast, but quite a large one too. There are many distinctive characters with their own unique appearances and personalities, and they all appear consistently. Even comparitively minor ones still have something unique or interesting about them.

Wallace is   Gromit is his typical lovable self, never making a sound, yet his expressions speak louder than words. He has such life to him! He's nice here, exasperated at his master's eccentricities and refusal to diet, but always helpful, up for a car chase, and willing to sacrifice his prize marrow if it means saving the day!

The rest of the characters are fun. Totty is a nice love interest, very sugary sweet   Victor Quatermain is the film's true villain, and is one you love to hate. He's such a smug jackass, and is suitably wretched in every scene he's in, but in amusing ways. Without going into any spoiler details, the were-rabbit is great, providing many fun and creative moments throughout.

Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a very visual movie, not just because of the unique and gorgeous animation, but the level of detail. This is a fully crafted world, made from the ground up from plasticine. Every little thing is intentional and planned, and it looks

Then there are the visual gags. There are so many, it would take forever to count them, and noticing them all the first time is unlikely! It's always the sign of a great movie when it rewards multiple viewings with little details and jokes you didn't notice the first time. No surprise a movie absolutely packed to the gills like this would give us so much =.

Besides the visual flair and = the movie has, the quality of the stop motion itself is great. Characters move fluidly and have life to them, with the common touches of stop-motion (such as the jerky movement and visible thumbprints) adding a nice touch.

The acting here is great! Peter Sallis is once again the  as the = Wallace. Helena Bonham Carter is surprisingly normal here, delivering a fine performance. Ralph Fiennes is great as the blustering villain, and the remainder of the cast,from Peter Kay, to Nicholas Smith, Nick Park himself, and the rest.

The music here is all great stuff! We've got light and fluffy tunes,, funny ones, spooky tracks which really help the atmosphere when things switch from zany to tense, and more. The highlight is as expected the main theme, always unchanged throughout the series.

Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a standout film in many ways! It's a great expansion of Wallace and Gromit, and fits perfectly into the series. Even if there'd never been another = after this (which would still be a tragedy!), this would serve as a perfect grand finale. It nails everything it sets out to achieve, and is a perfect watch for anyone...