Wallace and Gromit- from smart gnomes to evil penguins
Christmas was topped off with a new visit to a man and his dog from Wigan- and there’s something about their adventures that keep on making them so lovable
For decades, Nick Park’s creations have brought laughter and fun to people across the world. We first saw Wallace and Gromit in ‘A Grand Day Out’ back in 1989, and 35 years later the fellas returned- with another coming together with the most sinister penguin in TV history.
In a full-length film of one hour and 20 minutes, we were given a flashback to ‘The Wrong Trousers’ during which we met the diamond thief and chicken impersonator Feathers McGraw for the first time. Wallace and Gromit foiled the penguins’ plan, an achievement the duo celebrated with having a nice cuppa.
One of the main issues with their relationship seems to be that it’s usually one of Wallace’s inventions that leads to utter chaos on the streets of Lancashire. Yet this doesn’t stop him from trying, but he has also failed to realise that Gromit saves his life on most of these occasions.
I can only wonder what sort of cursing and dread is going through Gromit’s mind whenever he hears Wallace utter the cursed words ‘Gromit lad, have a look at me latest invention’ because Gromit knows he’s in for a rough few days.
In this latest adventure titled ‘Vengeance Most Fowl’, Gromit was forced into keeping tabs on a smart gnome created by his cheese-loving master. Things start ok, but the ease at which the AI that powers ‘Norbot’ can be compromised gives a startling warning- Feathers had an absolute field day with him. Any AI boffins out there, you just assure us that this is harder to do than Feathers made it look and we’ll be alright.
The epic battle of good versus evil, or dog versus penguin/ chicken/ nun took the adventure from the streets to the waterways. This show was able to make a ‘high-speed’ chance between two canal boats the most gripping TV of the Christmas period. Gavin and Stacey who?
Gromit once again showed how he is truly the best dog out there, by making sure the work of Wallace didn’t completely bollocks everything up. The Norbots had their redemption by saving Gromit from certain death, but they still left me with a sense of being unable to trust them- and I’m undoubtedly not the only person who thinks this.
This whole adventure was a throwback to one of the past, but there were plenty of other nods to Wallace and Gromit films of yesteryear. The red motorbike and sidecar from ‘A Close Shave’ and Gromit’s yellow anorak from ‘The Wrong Trousers’ make appearances, and next to the anorak is a coat and flat cap which is a lovely tribute to Peter Sallis- the original voice of Wallace.
I’ve loved the Wallace and Gromit films and shorts since I was a kid, and the humour in them is something that seems to transcend age gaps and generations, Wallace proudly saying ‘I’m in bread myself’ in ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death’ still makes me laugh out loud every time I hear it.
A first full-length adventure in almost 20 years has given everyone a huge sense of joy this Christmas and social media has exploded with people talking about it. We hope it’s not the last we see of the dynamic duo, but if it is- what a brilliant way to end things.
