In 2024, beloved bald British inventor Wallace and his brainy anthropomorphic beagle Gromit starred in their second feature film. Nick Park, the creator of the series, made the now-renowned characters for a school project. That initial project became “Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out,” which now maintains a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, along with the subsequent films, “Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers” and “Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave.”
Joining the ranks of Nick Park’s perfect Rotten Tomato score-earning and Oscar-nominated films is “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.” Many people, including myself, grew up watching the duo’s shenanigans and were thrilled to hear a new feature-length film would be released on Netflix for easy streaming. Any longtime fan will be anything but disappointed with the Brits’ new adventure.
Watching this movie, as does any Wallace and Gromit film, fills the viewer with nostalgia. Everything at 62 West Wallaby Street is familiar, from Wallace’s green sweater and red tie to the faded wallpaper in the kitchen. Ben Whitehead reprises his voice-acting role as Wallace, and the mouthless Gromit’s anxious but brave personality still shines through in his floppy ears and expressive eyes. Other recognizable voices featured in “Vengeance Most Fowl” include that of the reporter Onya Doorstep, voiced by Diane Morgan, best known for her comedic character Philomena Cunk. The voice of Adjoa Andoh, known for her role of Lady Agatha Danbury on “Bridgerton,” can also be heard in a short cameo as a judge.
Complete with a good cop/bad cop dynamic, dramatic explosions and beautiful animated sets, the film follows Wallace and Gromit as they navigate their relationship with Wallace’s newest invention — an artificially intelligent gardening robot named Norbot. The silent glove-topped penguin Feathers McGraw, a familiar antagonist to true Wallace and Gromit fans, continues to wreak havoc after being reprimanded for his failed attempts to steal the blue diamond in “The Wrong Trousers.” Although the movie starts with McGraw locked up in a high-security zoo, he manages to facilitate the creation of an army of evil gardening robots, getting Wallace into trouble with the police.
In an interesting comparison with the plot of the movie, the production studio behind Wallace and Gromit, Aardman Animation, continues to use handmade claymation in their films. The claymation genre, and non-digital animation in general, is a dying art in a world where digital animation is readily accessible. Even Aardman themselves tried out digital animation in their films like “Flushed Away,” although this trial run only lasted three films. In light of ongoing AI controversies in the 2025 Oscars, the choppy movements and imperfect characters of the film feel like a breath of fresh air and a callback to a simpler time.
The movie is a cross between Wallace and Gromit’s classic slapstick genre, action film and social commentary. Despite it being advertised as a children’s movie, viewers of any age will enjoy “Vengeance Most Fowl.” Children will be entertained by the characters’ comedically elastic facial expressions while adults can appreciate the critical yet hopeful outlook on Wallace’s — and the contemporary world’s — reliance on technology. It defies constriction to one genre, with a thrilling chase scene, multiple unexpected plot twists and scenes with some real fear factor that were evened out by the silly British humor. Despite the heart-racing adventures that the characters endure, the end of the film leaves viewers feeling safe, satisfied and right at home in a sunny British garden.
Deservedly nominated for “best animated feature film” by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts, “Vengeance Most Fowl” is sure to be another classic Wallace and Gromit film, warming hearts and shaping childhoods as all Nick Park films do.
