As a seasoned admirer of the enchanting world of Aardman Animations, I must say that this piece takes me back to my childhood days spent in awe of Wallace and Gromit’s whimsical adventures. Reading through it, I couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer creativity and dedication that Nick Park and his team have poured into their work over the years.
Add Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl to your watchlist
Two miniature figurines stand atop a pedestal: one is a man dressed in a brown workman’s coat; the other is a dog with exceptionally animated ears. Nick Park, Aardman Animations co-founder and four-time Oscar winner, encourages, “Feel free to interact with them.
The impressive influence Wallace and Gromit have on British culture might make it surprising to find them in miniature form as toys. Yet, there are plenty more like them! “We have a store containing 40 Gromit figures,” explains Aardman’s creative director Merlin Crossingham, who started at the animation studio as a graduate and now works closely with Park. “From standing Gromits to sitting ones, walking Gromits; you name it, we’ve got it!
In simpler terms, the two characters are the main actors in the latest “Wallace & Gromit” movie titled “Vengeance Most Fowl”. They were thrilled to learn that they would be featured on the front page of this magazine. According to Crossingham, being on the cover of “TopMob” at Christmas is quite a special honor.
The stop-motion feature, produced in collaboration with Netflix, will debut globally on their streaming platform starting from January 3rd. However, it will also air on BBC1 on Christmas Day. Crossingham expresses that there’s something unique about everyone watching at the same time, noting that we don’t often do this due to streaming and other factors. But if we could manage to unite viewers for a live broadcast, creating a sense of unity, it would be truly remarkable.
As a dedicated cinephile, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the latest installment in a series that started back in 1989 with “A Grand Day Out” – a film that could potentially bring our nation together. It’s not something that happened overnight; achieving this kind of British cultural significance has taken years. As the creator, Park, now 66, points out. This time around, we have an impressive ensemble cast including Adjoa Andoh, Lenny Henry, Peter Kay, Reece Shearsmith, Diane Morgan, and Ben Whitehead reprising his role as Wallace, a role he inherited from the late, great Peter Sallis. This might just be Wallace and Gromit’s most perilous adventure yet, with the return of an unyielding and merciless foe.
As the cunning penguin Feathers McGraw found himself behind bars following the events of “The Wrong Trousers” in 1993, it was mostly due to Gromit’s tireless pursuit. Despite my confinement and bitter resentment, I have been nursing a grudge and devising a plan for retaliation all these years. Reflecting on my past, I recall that the concept of Feathers McGraw originated when I was a student at the National Film School, struggling to make ends meet. I envisioned Wallace and Gromit as characters for a children’s book where a mischievous gang of penguins would wreak havoc with their household appliances. They were by no means sinister back then.
I don’t want people to imagine Wallace naked too much
The concept ultimately transformed into “The Misguided Pants,” a tale where the tireless inventor Wallace, who lacks discernment in choosing friends, invites McGraw into his home in Wigan, while Gromit stands by, speechless and appalled. As Park explains, “I believe people identify with Gromit because he’s silent, and at some point, everyone feels unheard or overlooked but can’t express it.” However, Wallace isn’t wicked; he’s simply imperfect. That’s why people find him appealing, right?
In the story “Vengeance Most Fowl,” Wallace introduces his newest creation, Norbot – a rather unsettling robotic garden gnome. According to Park, gnomes have always been a staple in the world of Wallace & Gromit. He recalls fond memories from his childhood when he encountered a gnome sitting in a rocking chair inside an outhouse at a friend’s house. At just five years old, he was too frightened to walk past it because it was grinning and staring at him.
However, the really terrifying thing about Norbot is that he’s a “smart gnome” and represents, albeit comically, a very contemporary fear – AI technology being taken over by those that would do us harm. “The film is actually very pro-technology,” says Crossingham. “But it’s also asking where technology originates from, who controls it and what’s it for? It’s light-hearted but also a conversation about the dichotomy between the positivity of it all and, on the other hand, thinking, ‘Wait a minute, this is getting out of hand. What is AI doing to our lives?’ It’s also partly so Wallace can say, ‘Ay aye, lad.’”
Park nods at this. “To be honest,” he says, “the joke’s the biggest reason.”
Many people may not fully grasp the unique humor of the comedian Park, who was born in Preston and has a distinctive Lancastrian wit. During the period from 1999 to 2007, Aardman Animation collaborated with DreamWorks Animation Studio, a Hollywood titan. Occasionally, their executives would question lines such as “Buckle my trunnions? What’s a trunnion?” in “The Curse of the Were-Rabbit”. It seems that similar misunderstandings may arise with Netflix. Park recounts an instance where comedian Peter Kay used the phrase “Flippin’ Nora”, and Netflix asked, “Who is Nora?” demonstrating their unfamiliarity with these colloquialisms. Park humorously mimics an American accent when relaying this story.
Park, being tranquil, slightly quirky, and fiercely dedicated to his work, doesn’t seem like the typical executive’s kind of person who they might naturally empathize with. As he puts it, “I even presented an idea that left the executives dozing off.” Yes, you guessed it – it was a concept inspired by Wallace & Gromit. But did this quirky idea get shelved? “Not at all,” he says, “it was made and won an Oscar.
For British audiences, a large part of the appeal of Wallace & Gromit and other Aardman productions like Chicken Run is the comforting malleability of plasticine, something we all know from our youth. But holding them in my hand, I find Wallace and Gromit are not quite as malleable as I might have thought.
According to Crossingham, it’s more accurate to say that Morph is the only character at Aardman who has been entirely made of clay. The tank top and legs of Wallace have always been resin, with his legs starting as clay but then transitioning to foam latex. As technology has advanced, we’ve switched to utilizing various materials for our creations.
According to Park, venturing into feature films necessitated an industrial approach. It’s similar to how Disney operates, with numerous individuals working concurrently on various aspects, while still maintaining a unique, recognizable style.
He’s never been all clay – Wallace’s legs are foam latex
The unique style of Wallace & Gromit, created by Park and Crossingham, features a charming, slightly whimsical portrayal of northern England, populated with animal characters who sometimes misbehave. This entertaining series appeals to audiences across age groups. As Crossingham explains, “Wallace & Gromit isn’t aimed at any specific demographic.” Instead, it manages to unite adults and children through shared laughter, as they find humor in the same things. Park adds that this works because there are subtle, humorous elements that are quirky and edgy, but never offensive.
Indeed, does Park ensure its content remains polite, scanning for inappropriate elements? Well, yes it does, but humorously, it relies heavily on clever wordplay (puns), a good deal of physical comedy, and subtle expressions from Gromit.
In the movie “Vengeance Most Fowl”, there’s a scene where Wallace, instead of being clothed, employs a Perspex tube to navigate down the stairs for breakfast. As mentioned by Crossingham, we’ve shot commercials featuring a bare Wallace before, but there’s usually an object strategically placed to shield his modesty. Essentially, he resembles Action Man in this scenario.
What I propose is to soften the portrayal of that area. Park looks displeased. “I don’t want people picturing Wallace naked excessively,” he explains. “However, I do ponder over romantic encounters with other brands. Could we introduce Wallace into Barbie’s universe?” Crossingham’s eyebrows rise high. “Indeed, Wallace and Ken!” This means more trouble for Gromit.
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2024-12-13 21:34