Nick Park‘s previous collaboration with Dreamworks resulted in the critical and box office smash "Chicken Run." It grossed $107M at the domestic box office and was the winner of the The Golden Tomato Award for 2000 with a near perfect 97 percent on the Tomatometer.
For a follow up, Nick Park and his claymation house Aardman Features have a lot to live up to, especially since it’s the first full-length feature film debut of their most revered and popular character creations, Wallace and Gromit – a cheese-loving inventor and his loyal dog, respectively. That Park and his crew took their time – almost five years – to produce the feature is, thus, not surprising.
Does the resulting film "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," currently playing at the Toronto International Film Festival, live up to expectations set up by the success of "Chicken Run?" Yes, it does. Featuring the voice talents of Peter Sallis and two Academy Award nominees, Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter, "Wallace & Gromit" is the most witty, clever, charming and hilarious film of the year – a classic, even better than "Chicken Run." It’ll easily win the Best Animated Feature Film award at the Academy Awards for this year. Park and Co. are sure to pick up another Golden Tomato Award; it’s hard to imagine any critic not being charmed by the film. Surpassing the box office take of "Chicken Run" is also likely because the film’s humor appeals to audiences of both sexes and all ages. The incredibly cute and adorable characters will draw in the ladies; the gadgets and exciting adventure will draw in the males. This film never has a dull moment and moves pretty quickly. Defying the recent perception that old style animation may be a thing of the past, "Wallace and Gromit" proves that as long as the story is sharp, well-written, and well-animated, it doesn’t matter what medium is used to tell the story. In my humble opinion, this is the best film of the year so far.
Check out photos and trailers for "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit."
