New Wallace & Gromit film breaks records after 19-year hiatus

Listen - I've never been to the UK and nothing about me (but the language I speak) is remotely English.

That said, the violently British claymation franchise, Wallace & Gromit, owned by Aardman Animations, is integral to who I am.

It's a fact I was recently reminded of after watching the series' first film in 16 years, Vengeance Most Fowl.

The new movie's been met with rave reviews and even broke a 25-year-old British TV record.

But how does this even happen?

The franchise turns 36 this year. In that time, it's only put out 4 half-hour films and 2 feature-length movies (plus a handful of video games, 2-minute shorts and commercial cameos in between).

The duo's latest adventure, released on Netflix on January 3rd, is their first theatre-length movie in nearly 20 years.

It's their first actual film since Bush Jr. was in office. (That's right, American readers, neither Obama nor Trump oversaw an historic Wallace & Gromit exploit).

So how is it that Wallace & Gromit - a decades-old franchise with very few entries and so many years between them - has lasted so long?

First, the storylines always follow the same reliable and relatable formula.

Every adventure this bloke and his dog go on is usually standalone, but they all share a common story thread:

Wallace, a genius but naive inventor, unknowingly gets his dog Gromit and himself tied up in a dangerous situation. Gromit, who's a bit more perceptive, sees the threat first. He struggles to convince his friend that they're in trouble (unfortunately, as a dog, he can't speak).

Once the third act rolls around, both Wallace and Gromit see what's really going on and try to stop the danger.

It's a relatable narrative for pretty much everyone.

We've all been Gromit at some point, seeing the bigger picture and trying to protect people we love from getting hurt.

We've also all been Wallace, wearing rose-tinted glasses and ignoring all the bad signs - even when they're PAINFULLY obvious.

It's an easily repeatable formula. But through clever writing and each film's unique circumstances (usually to do with how the duo is paying their bills), every story feels fresh, exciting and clearly distinguishable from other entries.

This film also brings back a memorable villain from over 30 years ago.

Vengeance Most Fowl saw the return of Feathers McGraw. This character is a conniving penguin who, if you ask the internet, is one of the most vile villains in cinema history.

He first appeared in 'The Wrong Trousers' in 1993 and has become a staple of villainhood.

Sure, there are more violent antagonists out there. But McGraw is so still, expressionless, and unblinking for a claymation character. You can't help but wonder what monstrous things go on in his head.

McGraw's single appearance left a lasting impression on audiences for over 30 years, many fans hoping he'd return to the series one day.

After the surprise reveal that he'd be back for revenge on Wallace and Gromit, excitement for the new movie absolutely exploded.

One of the greatest appeals of Wallace & Gromit, ironically, is how human and soulful it feels.

You can very literally see the love creators put into making these movies.

A ridiculous amount of patience goes into making claymation films of this calibre. Director Merlin Crossingham recently said making an 80-minute film like Vengeance, a 24-frame-per-second film, is "about a 5-year process". 

Series creator Nick Park backed him on this, adding that, "in a good week, we might hit a minute of film."

But with so many hours of care behind the animation, there's also plenty of time to go over scripts, character and set designs, special effects, background gags... EVERYTHING to make the final product absolutely perfect.

Some nice details are the animators' fingerprints left on the characters, which is intentional.

Aardman calls this style "keeping it thumby."

The creators believe people feel more connected to their tiny plasticine puppets when they can see that they were animated by real people. This human touch makes the characters feel more organic.

Finally, one thing that makes this movie appealing is its timely commentary on new technologies, specifically generative AI.

Don't worry - it doesn't take a doom-and-gloom approach to the subject.

But, without getting spoilery, the movie highlights the dangers of putting new tech in the wrong hands. It even shows how it can take the soul out of activities like petting your dog and planting a garden.

It's a message that's resonated well with viewers: new tech can change lives for the better, but that doesn't mean it should be used for everything.

Authentic, creative and heartfelt connections and ideas will always be unique to the human experience.

And without being preachy or in-your-face about it, Wallace and Gromit's latest adventure captures this beautifully.

-Devin, Copywriter