Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a 2005 clay-mation animated film, the first feature-length Wallace and Gromit film. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations. The film was directed by Nick Park and Steve Box and shot entirely in Britain. It was released in the United Kingdom, United States and Hong Kong in October 2005 to almost universally rave reviews, including "A" rating from Roger Ebert and Ty Burr.
The film won an Academy Award for best animated feature film of the year at the 78th Academy Awards on March 5, 2006. The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is in part a parody of the horror genre, and contains many images that parody or pay homage to specific horror films. One of the television advertisements for the film is a montage of these parody images and scenes. Peter Sallis (the voice of Wallace) is joined in the film by Ralph Fiennes (as Lord Victor Quartermaine), Helena Bonham Carter (as Lady Tottington), Peter Kay (as PC Mackintosh), Nicholas Smith (as Rev. Clement Hedges), and Liz Smith (as Mrs. Mulch). Gromit remains silent.
Nick Park told an interviewer that after separate test screenings with British and American children, the film was altered to "tone down some of the British accents and make them speak more clearly so the American audiences could understand it all better [1]."
The vehicle Wallace drives in the new film is an Austin A35 van. In a collaboration with Aardman in the Spring of 2005, a road going replica of the model was created by brothers Mark and David Armé, founders of the International Austin A30/A35 Register, for promotional purposes. In a 500 man hour customisation, an original 1964 van received a full body restoration before being dented and distressed to perfectly replicate the model van used in the film. The official colour of the van is Preston Green, named in honour of Nick Park's home town. The name was chosen by the Art Director and Mark Armé.
Plot
| Spoiler Warning: The following contains important plot details of the entire film. |
In the town where Wallace and Gromit live, the annual Giant Vegetable Competition is approaching. All are eager to protect their giant crops until the contest and the duo are cashing in by running a vegetable security and humane pest control business, "Anti-Pesto". However, they are faced with two problems: the first is Wallace's weight problem and the second is the space for the captured rabbits. Wallace comes up with a terrific idea — use his "Mind-Manipulation-O-Matic" to brainwash the rabbits, allowing them to run freely without harming everyone's gardens. While performing the operation, he presses the wrong switch and something goes terribly wrong. Soon, the town is threatened by ... the "Were-Rabbit"! It is now up to Gromit to stop it, because he realizes who's the Were-Rabbit....
Cast
References, in-jokes, goofs and mistakes
- In the town meeting after the first strike of the Were-Rabbit, Totty has a bible behind her and a lamp above her head, giving her angel wings and a halo, and Victor has two devil horns.
- Monsters in Reverend Hedges' book have comical Latin names: for example, the Loch Ness Monster is "Touristus trapus".
- The book on obscure monsters is authored by Claude Savagely.
- Real aerial dog fight noise are incorporated into the Snoopyesque fight between Gromit and Victor's dog Philip.
- Gromit and Philip interrupt the fight to load a 10-penny into a toy plane, reminiscent of A Grand Day Out.
- Many of Totty's outfits make her look like a vegetable or flower.
- Hutch says "the bounce has gone from his bungee". Wallace says exactly the same thing in A Close Shave.
- The climax of the film is reminiscent of the climax of King Kong, which was also created with stop-motion animation.
- Many other horror and action movies are parodied, including Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and Screamers (a moving bump of earth following a vegetable).
- The box Gromit holds up to cover the naked Wallace has a sticker saying "may contain nuts".
- Wallace is shown reading a copy of Ay-Up! magazine. "Ay-up" is northern English for hello.
- The eyes in the portraits of the Anti-Pesto clients flash just like those of the Tracey brothers in Thunderbirds.
- The buttons on the car radio spell "mutt".
- The car's license plate says "Hop 2 It".
- The fridge is a Smug instead of a Smeg; the drill is a Botch instead of a Bosch.
- Co-writer Bob Baker wrote for the BBC's science fiction television series Doctor Who several times throughout the 1970s. The "death" of the Were-Rabbit towards the end strongly resembles a "regeneration" as seen in the programme.
- Totty defends Wallace by applying "pansy spray" to Victor.
- Books in Wallace's collection include "East of Edam", "Fromage to Eternity", "Swiss Cheese Family Robinson", "Waiting for Gouda" and "Grated Expectations".
- A large carrot sign advertises "Harvey's" vegetable shop, a play on the film Harvey, about a man who befriends an invisible six foot three and a half inches tall rabbit
- "PC Mackintosh" was never said or mentioned. PC Mackintosh never said what his name was.
- This was the last DreamWorks movie to use full opening credits.
- This was the last DreamWorks movie to be rated G.
- This was the last DreamWorks Animation movie to be distributed by DreamWorks Pictures.
External links
- Official U.S. site
- Wallace & Gromit's Van
- International Austin A30/A35 Register
- The Secret of the Were-Rabbit
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