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Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Foul It’s a rare turn for the venerable British animated series, so much so that, unlike past entries that have largely involved new supporting characters and completely different storylines, this is the first to really stick with it. Wallace and GromitIts text is past tense. Beyond its reintroduction Wrong trousers‘ Feathers McGrath, the film is sometimes to its detriment, in echoing dialogue with what came before it – meaning that when it comes to its climactic chase sequence, you can’t help but draw an overwhelming comparison between the new film. And what came before.
Especially because what came before is arguably one of the greatest chase sequences ever committed to the screen, short or otherwise. Wrong trousers‘ The final chase—in which Wallace and Gromit chase feathers and diamonds the dastardly penguin/chicken/criminal mastermind has stolen over a model train system the main pair built to ferry mail and other stuff around their house—is a masterclass in economic action and comedy. which is still beloved more than 30 years after it first aired. The score, the cinematography, the sense of pace, the willingness to accept its absurdity because both the characters and the film Thoroughly Committed to the beat, the technical marvel of animating all of this with stop motion model techniques: it’s simply perfect and timeless, both in its grand, yet intimate scale and the mastery of its craft.
So when Revenge is the most foulAll is well Wallace and Gromit As the stories end with a chase—and it’s a chase between Wallace, Gromit, and Feathers McGraw—you’re already setting yourself up for a lost prospect. It arguably doesn’t matter why Nick Park and Marilyn Crossingham made their soil-covered sleeves. vengeance It won’t be able to match what came before. Too similar, and like some elements of the film already, it becomes an echo of past glories rather than something that stands on its own. Very different—perhaps, in fear, too bigToo enamored with the idea of quantity over quality—and it still ventures toward the possibility of coming off as second fiddle to a masterful chase sequence, however good it may be.
It’s for the best after that Revenge is the most foulThe climax has its cake and eats it too. The film builds to a final chase like Feathers – which turns out to be Wallace’s latest invention, The smart “Norbot” garden gnomeagainst him—and captures both the Master, Pooch, and the original Norbot—he escapes with the legendary Blue Diamond he tried to swipe all those years ago, setting off a final action setpiece that sees Wallace, Gromit, and Norbot chase first by car (well , office desk chair by a car tail), and then by canal boat. Meanwhile, there are interesting parallels Wrong trousers Here: Both chases begin similarly, even with similar dialogue as Wallace and Feather confront each other. There is a difference between an absurdly fast train chase and painfully slow canal boats. where Wrong trousers Enjoying the intensity of its rush, Revenge is the most foul luxuriates (the whole sequence is about eight minutes, compared to the final encounter Wrong trousers‘ clock under three minutes). The former is essentially a dialogue-free scene (leaning on Julian Knott’s excellent soundtrack to set that breezy pace), save for Wallace’s occasional interjections, while the latter is much more chatty and playful.
And yes, it is is There are setpieces within great setpieces, jokes within jokes. Revenge is the most foulIt has the space and width to rise and fall in its rush, it has room to breathe Wrong trousersBlister motion in turn. But within that larger scope, Revenge is the most foulIts chase sequences add something beyond the “greater good” escalation: a real emotional heart. Wrong trousers‘ No time to rush. D Wrong trousers The chase is pure action: Wallace and Gromit have to stop Feather, so they chase and stop him. Revenge is the most foulIts chase must set up a climactic resolution to the emotional dissonance that grows between the pair throughout the rest of the movie, as Wallace’s insistence on innovation makes Gromit feel distanced from his best friend.
It does so, in part, through gags—Grommit agrees to fall in love with Wallace’s invention so that he can make MacGyver an impromptu boot-ballista that he can use to neutralize Feather Norbot’s army halfway through, and the following police officers on both sides are temporarily led by Wallace. Feather quickly changes to a simple monk’s habit as a disguise (“It’s just an innocent monk, out for a pleasure cruise,” uttering Peter K’s PC MacintoshA perfect lines of dialogue). But it also becomes a moment where Wallace and Gromit alike realize how much they still care for each other, and how far each of them is willing to go to make sure the other is safe, even more than stopping the feather from forming them both. All of this pays off in the final moment, when Wallace is willing to blame himself for the feather’s crime if it means saving Gromit from impending doom, but that moment of emotional catharsis is preceded by an entire chase sequence.
It makes this additive layer Revenge is the most foulClick its climax, and sit back Wrong trousers‘ In turn one of all times. For a film that sometimes struggles with its desire to mirror and be in conversation Wallace and GromitPast that, it’s a moment that makes a clear case for the power to build on the greatness that came before.
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Foul Now streaming on Netflix.
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