Thirty one years after the infamous penguin’s debut, Feathers McGraw makes a return with Vengeance Most Fowl. Where previous adventures have seen the dynamic duo going to the moon, facing off against robot dogs and even a were-rabbit, Vengeance Most Fowl sees them facing Feathers McGraw yet again, only this time he has an army of Norbots (Wallace’s latest invention) to do his bidding. What follows is an uproariously funny film with great visual and verbal gags, as well as some impressive action set pieces that show off the skill of Aardman’s animators.
After the passing of Wallace’s voice actor Peter Sallis, it felt like no one would be able to fill his shoes. He was the heart and soul of these films, bringing this cheese loving inventor to life. Thankfully, Wallace’s new actor Ben Whitehead manages to keep the love for this character alive, honoring Sallis’ legacy while forging his own.
Reece Shearsmith also needs praise for his role as Norbot, the cute but sometimes creepy smart gnome invented by Wallace. Norbot is a welcome addition to this film, helping to provide an allegory for the benefits and drawbacks of adopting AI in a modern world and proving that sometimes there really is no substitute for the human touch. And what better way to further illustrate that than through incredibly crafted stop motion animation!
It is incredibly impressive how fluid many of the movements look. So much so that chase sequences, or even just Wallace on the phone, feels like it was rendered in CGI animation instead. There are few studios or directors like Aardman, Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham that put as much effort into every little bit of their work as they do. The love for this story can be seen in every frame and every character design, all culminating in something quite brilliant.
Yet, despite this largely positive experience, it still feels like there is something missing. There is something soulful about the original shorts and previous feature length film that is absent here. It could be the upgrade in camera quality that lacks the same visual charm. Or maybe it’s references that sometimes feel more like nostalgia bait than a fun easter egg for audiences to find. These things don’t stop the film from being enjoyable, but rather makes me feel like this one won’t quite have the same classic status as Wallace and Gromit’s previous outings.
For now though, Aardman still provides me with hope that they will continue to create fantastic animations that are fun for the whole family. If it is entertainment that you want, then it is entertainment that you will get. Feathers McGraw continues to be a menace to society and we’ll just have to wait and see what is in store for him, Wallace and Gromit in the future of this (hopefully) ever expanding film series.