Wallace and Gromit is a British clay animation franchise created by Nick Park. The franchise consists of four short films and one feature-length film. It revolves around the adventures of Wallace, an eccentric and lovable inventor, and his loyal and intelligent dog, Gromit. The first short film in the franchise, "A Grand Day Out," was released in 1989. In this film, Wallace and Gromit build a rocket to travel to the moon in search of cheese. The film combines humor, creativity, and a touch of British quirkiness.
Aardman Animation, DreamWorks Split
Suddenly, a huge, mysterious, veg-ravaging beast begins terrorizing the neighborhood, attacking the town s prized plots at night and destroying everything in its path. The two enterprising chums have been cashing in with their pest-control outfit, Anti-Pesto, which humanely dispatches the rabbits that try to invade the sacred gardens.
The film combines humor, creativity, and a touch of British quirkiness. The success of the first film led to three more short films. "The Wrong Trousers" was released in 1993 and features a penguin named Feathers McGraw as the main antagonist.
How we made Wallace and Gromit
As soon as I started filming A Grand Day Out, the first Wallace and Gromit animation, I realised I was making a film about my dad. He loved tinkering about in the shed. He didn't look like Wallace, but somehow I could see him in his eyes – although my dad's eyes didn't meet in the middle, of course.
It was 1982 and, back then, Wallace had no eyebrows, hardly any cheeks and a moustache. And Gromit was embarrassing: he had a nose like a banana, or a cross between a banana and a pear. When Peter Sallis, who voices Wallace, said "No cheeeese, Gromit" for the first time, I realised how wide and toothy I was going to have to make Wallace's mouth.
I got the word gromit off my brother, who was an electrician. A grommet is a rubber thing used to insulate wiring. I liked it so adopted it. And at one point, Wallace was called Gerry, but I really liked how Wallace sounded with Gromit. He was actually a cat in my earliest sketches! But it's easier to make a dog with clay: you can roll it into larger sausages. He was going to have a mouth and do a lot of growling, but I soon saw how hard that was, so I started tweaking his eyebrows instead – and that did everything. With clay, you can create character out of tiny nuances. Gromit was born out of clay, really. If he'd been designed by computer, I'd never have arrived at him. One country, I think it was Finland, dubbed him. They actually gave him a voice – like he was lacking one!
Wallace only loves cheese because I wasn't au fait with scriptwriting as a student. I just started off with a guy building a rocket in his basement. Then I thought he needs someone to talk to and a reason to go to the moon – and the only thing I could come up with was him believing it's made of cheese. The first script would've made a four-hour film. At one point, there was a moon McDonald's that served banana milkshakes. It was going to be like that Star Wars scene with all the aliens in the bar. When Aardman took me on, their first advice was how to cut something down so that it's makeable in four years. A Grand Day Out took me seven in total.
I had a number of ideas kicking around for The Wrong Trousers, which followed in 1993. One was this pair of techno trousers that allowed Wallace to walk up walls; another was the penguin lodger, Feathers McGraw. Peter Lord, Aardman's founder, said to me: "What if he was a villain?" And it suddenly became a Hitchcock thriller, with a bit of "Put a rubber glove on your head and you're a chicken" humour, too.
The train chase is something I'd never seen done before in stopframe animation. None of us knew how to do it – or even if it could work. In Tom and Jerry chases, you used to get the background whizzing by and repeating itself, so we tried the same. We built a 20ft long living room wall, 2ft high, and fixed the camera to the train, and filmed on a long shutter speed so the background looked blurry. It was quite a feat.
'None of us knew how to do the train scene – or even if it would work' … Wallace, Gromit and Feathers McGraw in The Wrong Trousers
The Wrong Trousers had two or three animators, and we'd be off setting up another set while one was being shot. Later, on our bigger feature films, we'd shoot over 18 months, with 25 to 30 animators and a crew of up to 300 shooting on 25 sets at once. As director, I like to act each scene through first, so I can check the looks, speed or impact I'm after.
We made The Curse of the Were-Rabbit with Dreamworks, and it was often a struggle to keep things as we wanted. They'd say: "Why do they have to have an Austin A35? Can't they have a pickup truck or something cool?" But I love it because it's not cool. We were going to call it The Great Vegetable Plot, but research showed that vegetables were a negative with American kids, and they didn't know a plot is a place where you plant vegetables.
Some things lend themselves to spinoffs. We've often been asked where Feathers McGraw is now and if he ever got out of jail. We've also thought about Wallace and Gromit's backstory. I imagine they were both babies at the same time – a baby and a puppy – so we've been exploring that. A prequel isn't what's next for them, though.
Digital animation is getting better all the time – they can make it look so much like clay now – but for me, there will always be a difference.
This film won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and further solidified the franchise's place in popular culture. The third short film, "A Close Shave," was released in 1995. In this film, Wallace and Gromit start a window-cleaning business and get caught up in a sheep-rustling plot. The film received critical acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. The final short film, "A Matter of Loaf and Death," was released in 2008. In this film, Wallace and Gromit investigate a series of murders of bakers in their town. The film combines elements of mystery, romance, and comedy, making it a favorite among fans. In 2005, the franchise released its first feature-length film, "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit." In this film, Wallace and Gromit must save their town from a giant vegetable-devouring rabbit. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and further solidified the franchise's success. Wallace and Gromit have become iconic characters in the world of animation. Their unique personalities, humor, and stop-motion animation have captivated audiences of all ages. The franchise has spawned merchandise, video games, and even theme park attractions. In conclusion, the Wallace and Gromit franchise is a beloved part of British animation history. With its charming characters, clever storytelling, and innovative animation techniques, it continues to entertain and delight audiences around the world..
Reviews for "Wallace and Gromit: How They Changed the Landscape of Animation"
1. Sally - 1 star - I did not enjoy "Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit" at all. The humor fell completely flat for me and I found the characters to be annoying rather than endearing. The plot was predictable and I felt like I wasted my time watching this film. Overall, I couldn't connect with any aspect of the movie and I would not recommend it.
2. John - 2 stars - "Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit" was a disappointment for me. While the animation was top-notch, I found the story to be lacking. The jokes didn't quite land and the overall plot felt shallow. I was hoping for more depth and development from this film, but it fell short of my expectations. It's not the worst animated movie out there, but it's definitely not one that I would watch again.
3. Emily - 2 stars - I wasn't impressed with "Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit". The characters felt one-dimensional and I didn't find myself invested in their journey. The plot, although unique in concept, didn't have enough substance to keep me engaged. While I appreciate the effort put into the animation and design, the overall execution left me wanting more. I wouldn't recommend this film to others looking for a memorable animated experience.
4. Mark - 1 star - As a fan of animated movies, I was excited to watch "Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit", but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The humor was not as clever or funny as I had hoped and the story felt disjointed. The pacing was off, making the film drag on. Overall, I found myself bored and uninterested in the movie. It's definitely not one I would recommend to others.