The Curse of the Were-Rabbit 2005
Because I wasn’t that impressed with Chicken Run, I didn’t see this movie at the theaters last year. But it was still something I wanted to see on DVD. In fact, the DVD is really better anyway as you get to see how they do some of the stop-action animation and hear from the very creative people that make the movie. With a return to Wallace and Gromit, the creators recapture some of the magic lost during Chicken Run. The little background jokes, facial expressions, and colorful characters return plus there are hundreds of cute little clay rabbits running around. There isn’t quite the same intensity as “The Wrong Trousers” when they were cramming an entire movie into just thirty minutes, but that would be hard on the viewer anyway.
I watched about half of the movie before re-starting and watching the whole thing through. Then, when watching the “making of” features, it was like watching a lot of it over again. The movie gets better with repeated viewings as you learn to appreciate tiny touches like a reaction from Gromit, a side character, or you absorb new things by focusing less on the plot and more on the artistry. Though the movie isn’t going to make you roll on the floor laughing, this is still very enjoyable and a fitting chapter in the lives of Wallace and Gromit. B+
Written: 25 Jun 2006