What Parents Should Know
Parents should know that there's something for the entire family in this silly start to the Wallace & Gromit series. Kids may not catch some of the dry English wit, but there's plenty here for them to enjoy.

Families who see this film might research claymation and stop action photography. How are clay characters animated? How long does it take to create a single scene? Does the texture of the clay and the shapes of it make watching a Wallace and Gromit adventure different from other animated stories?

Common Sense Media Review
Where does an inventor who loves cheese go for vacation? The moon of course. Sound silly? It is, and lots of fun, too. Nick Park's first Wallace and Gromit adventure, A Grand Day Out, combines cleverly detailed claymation with a comically crazy escapade. Winner of the 1990 British Academy Award for Best Short Animated Film, the film was also an Academy Award nominee.

Wallace and his dog Gromit take off for the moon to stock up on cheese as part of their gourmet vacation experience. The beautifully detailed claymation nicely balances this hilarious and imaginative tall tale.

Once Wallace and Gromit land on the moon, they immediately cross paths with a strange robot who becomes enraged by their casually cutting up the moon to eat on crackers. The robot, who looks remarkably like a stove with arms and legs, soon understands that the oddball duo will return to earth where the robot has been longing to take a ski vacation. Trying to hitch a ride, the robot nearly blows them up.

The story ends happily: Wallace and Gromit ride back to earth while the robot skis around the moon.

With Wallace and his dog Gromit, you can never be sure who is a sidekick to whom as the dog often seems to out-think his human counterpart. The highlights include: Wallace, our intrepid inventor, munching on a slice of moon with cracker while commenting on its taste ("...not like any cheese I've ever tasted"); the rocket undergoing a momentary power shortage so it can pop up a piece of toast; and a strange oven-like appliance that lives on the moon and dreams of skiing on earth. Nick Park started A Grand Day Out while still in film school and it took him over six years to complete. But he was determined to finish since he'd never seen anything like it before. Viewers will agree. A Grand Day Out is a true original. After this film hooks you and your kids on Wallace and Gromit try the second in the series The Wrong Trousers . Or catch the entire trilogy, including A Close Shave, in The Incredible Adventures of Wallace and Gromit .