In 1989 the animated duo, Wallace & Gromit debuted to instant success. The short films "The Wrong Trousers" and "A Close Shave" earned creator Nick Park an Academy Award in 1993 and 1995! This year, their first feature film hit the big screen, WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT. When the town's vegetables are being mysteriously devoured in the night, inventor Wallace, and his canine partner Gromit, come to the rescue. Their 'Anti-Pesto SWAT Team' is on the case and on the trail of this enormous beastly rabbit that is terrifying the town's inhabitants! The love interest in the movie, Lady Campanula Tottington, is voiced by Helena Bonham Carter, and Wallace's arch nemesis, Victor Quartermaine, is voiced by none other than actor Ralph Fiennes. Carter was the voice of Johnny Depp's bride in Tim Burton's animated film Corpse Bride that came out last year. The gadgets and gizmos that Wallace and Gromit use are imaginative and ingenious. From their daily life, to the mechanisms they use in attempting to catch the fluffy monster, you are in for a wild ride with these two endearing characters! The rest of the film is packed with memorable characters as well, with zany voices and facial expressions that combine to be laugh out loud funny! The creators of this Wallace & Gromit feature, also created the successful hit Chicken Run, which was released back in 2000. This new film is just as memorable, with an equally entertaining story that adults and kids can enjoy. The claymation is astoundingly good, and in these days of computer animated features, its refreshing to see something real and fleshed out in clay moving before your eyes. The manpower that went into creating this 85-minute film was great, with progress slow and work tedious. Many comparable films are created on a computer grid, with keystrokes and mapping, but this was created the old fashioned way - with sets and pieces being manipulated manually through countless hours of physical labor! The final product is visually impressive, and will keep you smiling and laughing the whole way through. This vegetarian horror film is alongside Disney's CARS as one of my favorite animated films of 2006. Laughter is the best medicine, so be sure to put this on your list of antidotes.
