Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2025)

I haven’t seen too many of Aardman’s films over the years but I do remember how obsessed I was with Chicken Run when I was younger and I even remember when I saw Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit in the theater. I also remember maybe one or two of the Wallace & Gromit shorts as well. And what better way to start the new year off than by allowing myself to feel like a kid again and having just watched Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl? If that title isn’t British enough, I don’t know what is. This film proves that Aardman still has the magic touch and can deliver on both story and animation. While watching this movie, it was like my inner child woke up and I got that same warm tingly feeling that I haven’t felt since I was little. Okay, that might sound a little too cringey and weird but that’s how it was for me when I saw this film. Besides, it’s better than feeling anxious or depressed when watching something. Right? It was a fun joy ride from beginning to end and I can’t wait to talk it over further.

     If you’ve seen the trailer already, then the plot seems pretty self-explanatory. When Wallace’s latest invention develops a mind of its own and Wallace is framed for a series of crimes, Gromit leaps into action to clear his master’s name. The movie also features the return of the silent villainous penguin Feathers McGraw who first appeared in the Wallace & Gromit short film, The Wrong Trousers, and is out for revenge. I don’t know how you give personality to a character with a stoic expression throughout the entire movie but Aardman knew how to accomplish that. It reminds me of myself in some ways but it’s a damn good thing I still have emotions and I’m not completely robotic. The story is top notch and the animation is beautiful. The movie may have only been a fast paced eighty-two minutes but when you think about how hard it must be to bring claymation to life and how long this movie took to make (four years to be specific), you realize just how impressive that is. The casting was excellent too. I wasn’t sure at first how they were going to replace Peter Sallis as Wallace but Ben Whitehead played this part flawlessly. He totally exceeded my expectations and he sounded remarkably like Peter Sallis. I do enjoy a good dose of British humor every now and then and this movie certainly delivered on that front. I found myself laughing throughout and when it comes to a rarely emotional stoneface like me, that’s saying a lot. This film is a clear reminder of why I enjoy movies and that’s all I could ever ask for.

     As professional as I try to be and really think about the film I’m watching, I just couldn’t seem to find one negative in this one. I’m sure there’s someone else out there who would tell me otherwise but that’s just how I felt during this experience. Nick Park and his team at Aardman nailed it here and I can’t wait to see what they do in the future. Like I said before, this movie really touched my inner child and it was nice to feel something pleasant as opposed to feeling stressed and frustrated. Overall, this made for an enjoyable film experience and I would have to give it a solid 10 out of 10. If you’re a fan of Aardman, Wallace & Gromit, or just fun movie experiences in general, then I would highly recommend checking this one out when you get the chance. For it is an absolutely cracking (pun intended) screen story.