‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ Hatches 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from Early Reviews

Aardman’s latest stop-motion marvel is proving a cracking success with critics, with early reviews earning Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl a perfect 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes (from 31 reviews). The latest outing for Nick Park’s addle-pated inventor and trusty canine companion is also ranking as a “Must-See” on MetaCritic with a “Universal Acclaim” rated 82 points (from 15 reviews). The pic had its world premiere at the AFI FEST last weekend, and will make its global streaming debut on Netflix on January 3.

In Vengeance Most Fowl, Gromit is wary of Wallace’s latest invention: Norbot, the world’s first “smart gnome,” which seems to develop a mind of its own. Things take a nefariously feathered turn when a vengeful figure from their past re-emerges, and it’s up to Gromit to rescue his hapless human (again).

The film is directed by four-time Academy Award winner Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, from a screenplay by Mark Burton. The voice cast features Ben Whitehead, reprising the role of Wallace, Reece Shearsmith (Inside No. 9) as Norbot, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Diane Morgan, Adjoa Andoh, Muzz Khan and Lenny Henry.

Here’s what some of the top film critics are saying following the world premiere:

“The fun, as ever, comes from a mix of familiarity and ingenuity … [W]e get what may be cinema’s first narrowboat chase, topical satire about the perils of AI and some particularly shameless puns. Norbot’s gardening service is called Gnome Improvement, Gromit’s bedtime reading is A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woof and one of the narrowboats is called the Accrington Queen (for Bogart and Hepburn fans, that one). Appointment viewing may not be a thing any more, but there won’t be many better treats on telly — or in cinemas — this Christmas.”

— Ed Potton, The Times (U.K.)

“It’s a shame that Vengeance Most Fowl is getting only a limited theatrical release. The pair’s second feature flaunts a broader canvas that would have benefitted from the scale of a cinema screen. Wallace and Gromit, with their wide smiles and active eyebrows, are rendered in greater detail … and the smoothness of their movements, as well as the diversity of textures, reflect stop-motion animation’s own technological advancements. Take Wallace’s clothes, now made of real yarn instead of clay. Or Gromit’s ears, which, while still made of the Lewis Newplast (that now-famous Plasticine), appear more polished.”

— Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter

“Vengeance Most Fowl sees Aardman return to their tried-and-tested formula. Yet, it’s also the source of the studio’s continuing brilliance – somehow, the familiar always feels new, and the craftwork never tires. If their new feature preaches that we can embrace technology without becoming reliant on it, then Aardman certainly puts its money where its mouth is.

Certain scenes here have clearly benefited from a little computer wizardry in order to expand the world’s horizons … but the beauty of it all lies in the balance. Vengeance Most Fowl is proof the traditional can still thrive.”

— Clarisse Loughrey, Independent (U.K.)

“We don’t come to Wallace & Gromit movies for their plots. Even character development is a low priority. They’re static creations, like many of the great cartoon characters, whose tales are all about upsetting their status quo and then setting it back again. There isn’t even the pretense of a love interest this time around, since there’s no way that’s ever going to stick. Wallace will always be adorably out of it and Gromit will always have the patience of a saint. Feathers McGraw will always be a diabolical mad genius and one of the best movie villains ever created. I will hear no arguments to the contrary.”

— William Bibbiani, The Wrap

“The detail of the hand-crafted animation remains eternally delightful, though it feels like there are fewer background puns and less incidental humor than in, say, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Perhaps strangely given the plot, the film references visible are also less genre-specific, leaning more heavily towards spy movies … And yet — it’s such a treat to return to these characters, particularly the silent pair at the heart of the action. Gromit remains a comic masterstroke, able to convey more feeling with a raised clay eyebrow than some actors manage in their entire career, while Feathers doesn’t even have that, managing to communicate a sinister sense of purpose with two beady eyes and a motionless beak.”

— Helen O’Hara, Empire

“Compared with the last few Aardman features, Vengeance Most Fowl feels more contained, which is ultimately a good thing — a lesson learned from [Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit], which risked becoming unwieldy as its ensemble grew. The film is full of references to previous adventures, from Gromit’s familiar red motorbike to the Mission: Impossible-style finale, which upgrades from a toy train in Wallace’s living room to the real deal. That’s all good for a laugh, though some of us have spent so long waiting for a reunion, this pun-powered lark feels a bit slight.”

— Peter Debruge, Variety