What is Christmas without a generous helping of cheese?
It’s been a long wait for Wallace and Gromit’s return—16 years, to be precise—but Vengeance Most Fowl feels like they never left, even if they’ve traded in their small-scale domestic chaos for something with a bit more peck and pomp. Aardman Animations knows the weight of expectation that comes with resurrecting one of its flagship duos, and they haven’t clucked it up. This Christmas Day escapade strikes just the right balance between nostalgia and a new-age cautionary tale, reminding us that even when under lock and key at a maximum-security zoo, the chance of a penguin master of disguise wearing a red rubber glove as a hat getting up to mischief is never zero, especially in this hyper-connected day and age.
The plot springs to life when Wallace unveils Norbot, his latest harebrained helper, pitched as the ultimate solution to all household chores, a slightly too tangy chutney disrupting the classic cheese and cracker combo of Wallace and Gromit. Of course, Vengeance Most Fowl isn’t just about conjuring calamity with endearing inevitability but also bringing us the return of perhaps the Double Gloucester Duo’s most dangerous and implacable foe: the fiendish Feathers McGraw, last seen in The Wrong Trousers. This time, Feathers’ schemes are scaled up for maximum menace, his cunning sharpened by years off-screen.
Ben Whitehead’s portrayal of Wallace is as breezy and bumbling as ever, seamlessly stepping into the role while maintaining the wistful warmth that the late Peter Sallis immortalised and, as ever, Gromit remains the film’s heart and soul, proving once again that an expertly animated brow can convey more comedy and heroism than any amount of dialogue. The real gem here is Norbot. Voiced with unsettling cheer by Reece Shearsmith, this AI sidekick brings a veneer of chipper helpfulness to the unfolding chaos, all while gently asking the audience to reflect on our own uneasy relationship with automation. It’s a savvy addition, elevating what could have been a well-trodden tale of a villainous comeback into a thematic fable about dependency and control.
Visually, the meticulous craftsmanship is as delightful as ever, packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it details that are idiosyncratically Aardman. The climactic chase sequence is a standout—a kinetic burst of energy and invention that pays homage to the duo’s greatest hits without merely replicating them. There’s even a new foil in PC Mukherjee, played with sprightly resolve by Lauren Patel, who proves to be an engaging counterpart to Peter Kay’s Chief Inspector Mackintosh. Their dynamic adds a refreshing bit of nonsensical procedural flair amid the customary mayhem.
It makes better use of its extended runtime than their last feature-length outing, Curse of the Were-Rabbit, although you still may find yourself pining for the leaner, joke-packed pacing of the shorter adventures but what it lacks in brevity, it compensates for in thematic resonance. This isn’t merely a showcase of charming Claymation antics; it’s a wry exploration of where unchecked convenience can lead. Feathers McGraw may be the headline act, but it’s Norbot who steals the show, enabling McGraw to weaponize trust and convenience in a way that cuts unnervingly close to home in an era where every company racing to cram AI we didn’t ask for into products, whether users need it or not.
At its heart, Vengeance Most Fowl is a demonstration of the enduring power of Claymation and a reassurance that Wallace and Gromit’s quintessentially British brand of absurdity is timeless. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a curious newcomer, there’s something inherently comforting about experiencing Gromit’s exasperation and Wallace’s well-intentioned bungling back in action. Welcome back, lads – don’t leave it so long next time.
