Review: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that the movie includes some mildly
scary images of the were-rabbit's transformation -- first in
shadow and then in person. These images follow the werewolf
pattern, with teeth, fur, paws, and snout indicating the
beast's emergence. The townsfolk and one hunter in particular
pursue the were-rabbit, with guns and garden tools (again,
following classic horror conventions, as in
Frankenstein). Characters drink at a party, and make
occasional bawdy, Benny-Hillish sexual references, most of
which will go over little ones' heads.
Families can talk about the enduring friendship between Wallace
and his dog Gromit. How is this relationship a model of
loyalty, trust, and affection set against the conniving and
pettiness among the humans? And how is their friendship briefly
threatened by Wallace's romantic interest in Lady Tottington
(who ends up being a terrific good sport too)? How does the
film set up a nice tension between the very cute rabbits who
are, admittedly, gobbling up the town's vegetable gardens and
the monstrous were-rabbit?
Wallace and Gromit run a pest-riddance company, Anti-Pesto. Each night, they're alerted by the elaborate security system the townspeople have attached to their prized vegetable gardens, and go forth in their well-outfitted truck to capture (but never kill) the offending creatures -- typically rodents and rabbits. Wallace then deposits the animals in cages in his basement, where he keeps them supplied with carrots and lettuce. Wallace's desire to reprogram the bunnies so they won't desire veggies leads to an experiment that goes awry, and soon a giant were-rabbit is stomping through the town at night, ravaging the squashes and pumpkins, and threatening to shut down Tottington Hall's annual Giant Vegetable Competition. Wallace and Gromit are on the case.
By turns antic and lovely, WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT is a fitting big screen debut for the beloved claymation stars Wallace (voiced by Peter Sallis) and Gromit (the dog who does not talk, but whose face speaks proverbial and often plaintive volumes). At once a clever send-up of classic horror movies (of 1930s-'40s sort, including Wolfman and Frankenstein), an entertaining assembly of wordplay and visual gags, and even a bit of an insightful character study, the movie reportedly took five years to make, as Nick Park and Steve Box and a crew of hundreds posed each clay figure frame by frame.
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