English is a truly magical language that has captured the imagination and hearts of people worldwide. It is a language that has not only evolved over time but has also been influenced by various cultures and languages. From its humble beginnings as an Old English dialect to its current position as a global language, the journey of English is nothing short of extraordinary. One of the key aspects that make English so magical is its extensive vocabulary. With over a million words, English offers an almost infinite variety of expressions and nuances. From the mundane to the poetic, English words have the power to evoke emotions, paint vivid pictures, and capture the essence of the human experience.
The Boss Baby is really bad — thanks for nothing, Alec Baldwin — but here are ten much better movies form Dreamworks Animation, featuring ogres and pandas and dragons and Gromit.
Both of these films are wonderful, but Wallace and Gromit have the additional quality of being lovable beyond all measure, inhabiting a world of British eccentricity that produces dialogue such as This is worse than 1972, when there were slugs the size of pigs. I dare not reveal various secrets involving the Were-Rabbit, so I will skip ahead, or sideways, to consider Wallace s new invention, the Mind-o-Matic, which is intended to brainwash rabbits and convince them they do not like vegetables.
From the mundane to the poetic, English words have the power to evoke emotions, paint vivid pictures, and capture the essence of the human experience. The richness of the language comes from its ability to borrow words from other languages, adding layers of meaning and depth. Another fascinating aspect of English is its grammar.
Comic creations with feet of clay
Wallace and Gromit are arguably the two most delightful characters in the history of animation. Between the previous sentence and this one I paused thoughtfully and stared into space and thought of all of the other animated characters I have ever met, and I gave full points to Bugs Bunny and high marks to Little Nemo and a fond nod to Goofy, and returned to the page convinced that, yes, Wallace and Gromit are in a category of their own. To know them is to enter a universe of boundless optimism, in which two creatures who are perfectly suited to each other venture out every morning to make the world into a safer place for the gentle, the good and the funny.
AdvertisementWallace is an inventor. Gromit is a dog, although the traditional human-dog relationship is reversed in that Gromit usually has to clean up Wallace's messes. No, not those kinds of messes. They're not that kind of movie. In three short subjects and now in their first feature, Wallace sails out bravely do to great but reckless deeds, and Gromit takes the role of adult guardian.
In "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," they face their greatest challenge. Lady Tottington is holding her family's 517th annual Giant Vegetable Fete, and all the gardeners for miles around are lovingly caressing their gigantic melons and zucchinis and carrots and such, and Wallace and Gromit are responsible for security, which means keeping rabbits out of the garden patches.
Their company is named Anti-Pesto. Their methods are humane. They do not shoot or poison the bunnies. Instead, Wallace has devised another of his ingenious inventions, the Bun-Vac, which sucks the rabbits out of their holes and into a giant holding tube, so that they can be housed in comfort at Anti-Pesto headquarters, and feast on medium and small vegetables. Their tactics perfectly suit Lady Tottington's humane convictions.
They have a rival, the sniveling barbarian Lord Victor Quartermaine, a gun nut with a toupee heaped on his head like a mess of the sort Gromit never has to clean up. Lord Victor dreams of marrying Lady Tottington and treating himself to the luxuries of her ancestral wealth, and that involves discrediting and sabotaging Anti-Pesto and all that it stands for. Thus is launched the affair of the Were-Rabbit, a gigantic beast (with a red polka dot tie) that terrorizes the neighborhood and inspires the Reverend Hedges to cry out, "For our sins a hideous creature has been sent to punish us."
I dare not reveal various secrets involving the Were-Rabbit, so I will skip ahead, or sideways, to consider Wallace's new invention, the Mind-o-Matic, which is intended to brainwash rabbits and convince them they do not like vegetables. That this device malfunctions goes without saying, and that Gromit has to fly to the rescue is a given.
Wallace and Gromit are the inventions of a British animator named Nick Park, who co-directs this time with Steve Box. In an era of high-tech CGI, Park uses the beloved traditional form of stop-motion animation. He constructs his characters and sets out of Plasticine, a brand of modeling clay, and makes minute adjustments to them between every frame, giving the impression not only of movement but of exuberant life and color bursting from every frame. (As a nod to technology, just a little CGI is incorporated for certain scenes that would be hard to do in Plasticine, as when the vacuumed bunnies are in free-fall).
AdvertisementRemarkably, given the current realities of animation, "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" is the second stop-motion animated film in two weeks, after Tim Burton's "Corpse Bride." Both of these films are wonderful, but Wallace and Gromit have the additional quality of being lovable beyond all measure, inhabiting a world of British eccentricity that produces dialogue such as: "This is worse than 1972, when there were slugs the size of pigs."
Speaking of pigs, some of my favorite books are the Blandings Castle novels by P.G. Wodehouse, in which Lord Emsworth dotes on his beloved pig, Empress of Blandings. I have always assumed the Blandings stories to be unfilmable, but now realize that Nick Park is just the man for them, with Wallace as Lord Emsworth, and Gromit as George Cyrill Wellbeloved, his Lordship's expert pigman. True, Gromit does not speak, but Wellbeloved is a man of few words, and if Gromit can solve the mystery of the Were-Rabbit, he should be able to handle a pig.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.
Wallace and Gromit are arguably the two most delightful characters in the history of animation. Between the previous sentence and this one I paused thoughtfully and stared into space and thought of all of the other animated characters I have ever met, and I gave full points to Bugs Bunny and high marks to Little Nemo and a fond nod to Goofy, and returned to the page convinced that, yes, Wallace and Gromit are in a category of their own. To know them is to enter a universe of boundless optimism, in which two creatures who are perfectly suited to each other venture out every morning to make the world into a safer place for the gentle, the good and the funny.
Although it may seem complex at first glance, English grammar is like a puzzle waiting to be solved. Each sentence is a unique combination of subject, verb, and object, creating a symphony of words that communicates ideas and thoughts. The flexibility of English grammar allows for creativity and expression, enabling users to convey even the most abstract concepts. Moreover, the influence of English extends beyond its vocabulary and grammar. English literature has produced some of the greatest works in history, from Shakespeare's plays to Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights." These works not only showcase the beauty of the English language but also provide insights into the human condition and the power of storytelling. In addition to its literary contributions, English has become the language of science, technology, and business. It serves as a common ground for people from different countries and cultures to communicate and exchange ideas. The advent of the internet and globalization has accelerated its global reach, turning English into a lingua franca that connects people from all walks of life. In conclusion, the magic of English lies in its ability to captivate and communicate. Its vast vocabulary, flexible grammar, and rich literary tradition have made it a language that transcends boundaries and unites people. The trails of English lead to a world of possibilities, where words dance off the page, ideas take flight, and the beauty of language unfolds..
Reviews for "Roaming the Enchanted Trails of English Linguistics"
- John - 1 star - I found "Along the magical trails of English" to be extremely dull and uninteresting. The writing was dry and lacked any sort of excitement or creativity. The book seemed to just go on and on without any clear direction or purpose. I struggled to stay engaged and ended up giving up on it halfway through. Definitely not worth the read in my opinion.
- Sarah - 2 stars - As someone who enjoys reading about history and culture, I was disappointed with "Along the magical trails of English". The book was filled with excessive details that didn't seem to add much to the overall story. I was hoping for a more focused exploration of the English language, but instead, the author seemed to get lost in tangents and unnecessary anecdotes. It felt like a missed opportunity to delve deeper into the fascinating world of language.
- David - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Along the magical trails of English", but unfortunately, I found it to be quite shallow and lacking in substance. The author skimmed over important topics and failed to provide a comprehensive and in-depth exploration of the English language. The writing style was also quite dry and monotonous, making it difficult to stay engaged. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and would not recommend this book to others.