Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  British cartoon comes across well on big screen, daughter enjoyed it more than me.

• Directors C

  
  There are a lot of moments in Were-rabbit where I found the characters and the plot itself ridiculous and boring and it wasn't as good as I thought it would be considering the critical reception. The animation is amazing but I couldn't really make an emotional connection… More
  There are a lot of moments in Were-rabbit where I found the characters and the plot itself ridiculous and boring and it wasn't as good as I thought it would be considering the critical reception. The animation is amazing but I couldn't really make an emotional connection with the characters but it's great to look at and the little moments in this film made me reconsider writing a bad review.

• Candy R

  
  Wallace and Gromit catch rabbits for a living, protecting the village from rabbits eating their prized veg which is being grown for the village competition. The duo have to hunt for the giant were-rabbit. I love Gromit.

• Brad W

  
  I don't understand how this one Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, but it still is a great film. I really enjoyed this, and its hilarious beyond belief. The characters are great. But the problem was the plot, nobody wants to see the famous duo of Wallace and Groit fight a… More
  I don't understand how this one Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, but it still is a great film. I really enjoyed this, and its hilarious beyond belief. The characters are great. But the problem was the plot, nobody wants to see the famous duo of Wallace and Groit fight a Were rabit, and that was my main problem, the story was quite ridiculous, other than that, great movie.

• Bethany M

  
  Wallace and Gromit at their best.

• Dean M

  
  Brilliant funny and adventures of cheese-loving inventor and his savvy canine companion in their first featured animated film since their short films. The intricate plasticine animation is marvellous. Plenty of laughs as the exhilarating car and plane chases are adorable. I started… More
  Brilliant funny and adventures of cheese-loving inventor and his savvy canine companion in their first featured animated film since their short films. The intricate plasticine animation is marvellous. Plenty of laughs as the exhilarating car and plane chases are adorable. I started to like <i>Wallace & Gromit</i> when my best friend told me about them because he's a huge fan of claymation characters.

• Morgan S

  
  Cute Cute Cute! and Guess who does the voice of my favorite charcter!? My favorite ACTOR Ralph Fiennes. It just shows his spectacular range. A very cute movie. Enjoyable for all ages.

• Michael E

  
  a brilliant idea for a wallace and gromit film

• Chris W

  
  This was my first exposure to Wallace & Gromit so I don't know how it compares to the others, but I found this to be entertaining as all hell. Despite a few subtle (and necessary) uses of CGI here and there, this is all claymation, which is done extremely well, looks amazing,… More
  This was my first exposure to Wallace & Gromit so I don't know how it compares to the others, but I found this to be entertaining as all hell. Despite a few subtle (and necessary) uses of CGI here and there, this is all claymation, which is done extremely well, looks amazing, and I have a lot of respect for due to the time and effort it requires. The story, which is a variation on the Wolfman curse, is very unique, and absolutely hilarious. The references to both Universal and Hammer horror films are good, and don't scream ripoff. Same goes for the other film references. This film is many things: a love story, a spoof, a horror film, and a comedy. The best part is, it is accessible to literally all audiences. There are a few subtle dirty jokes and double entendres, but nothing so bad that it will negatively affect children. It is a horror film, but what makes it unique is that it is a "vegetarian" horror movie, so while it has conventions of horror films, it mostly playfully riffs on them, so little ones aren't going to be traumatized by anything. There are some really good moments of atmosphere building though, that are a nicely done throwback to classic horror (as opposed to wanton destruction and violence of later films). The cast is wonderful, with the two "name" actors not drawing attention to themselves in a distracting way. I think what I found most enjoyable about all of this is how damn cute it all is, as well as clever, inventive, and just so damn funny and unique. If you see this and are not or cannot be entertained by it in some capactity, then I don't what's wrong.

• Richard C

  
  C

• Jeremy S

  
  Absolutely Delightful, one of the most thoroughly enjoyable films of the year. Hilarious and clever. Sure to put a smile on your face. Will win the Oscar for animation in the 78 th Academy Awards for sure.

• Daniel M

  
  Both Chicken Run and Curse of the Were-Rabbit are at heart homage projects; they are the filmmakers paying tribute to the films and genres they admire, using well-known voices or characters to draw us into the story. Where Chicken Run took on stiff-upper-lip war movies like The Great… More
  Both Chicken Run and Curse of the Were-Rabbit are at heart homage projects; they are the filmmakers paying tribute to the films and genres they admire, using well-known voices or characters to draw us into the story. Where Chicken Run took on stiff-upper-lip war movies like The Great Escape and The Guns of Navarone, Were-Rabbit takes the much-loved duoâ??s comedy, puts it together with Hammer and John Landis, and comes up with a winner. The initial success (or relief) with Curse of the Were-Rabbit is that the central characters whom we know and love successfully translate from the small screen to the big screen. So many television series, like Rising Damp and Porridge, have come a cropper on the big screen, spinning out crazy storylines and pointless set-pieces which take the characters out of their element and therefore dilute the jokes. The great success of Curse of the Were-Rabbit is that the relationship between the central duo remains the focus of the film. No matter how big the set-pieces, or how star-studded the voice cast, we always come back to their long-suffering friendship. Much of this success lies in the look of the film, not just in its visual style but its great cinematography. Aardmanâ??s affinity for plasticene and wire modelling over CGI and digi-mation has allowed them to make their characters as realistic and involving as possible. If you compare the look of this to A Grand Day Out or even The Wrong Trousers, you will understand just how far they have come. Add in the excellent lighting and the top notch score (produced by modern maestro Hans Zimmer) and you have all the ingredients for a sparky character comedy. On top of this, the film is unrelentingly funny. Although the film tips its hat towards horror in both its subject matter and its visual, its approach to comedy is far closer to Zucker Brothers comedies like Airplane! and The Naked Gun. The beauty of stop-motion animation is that it allows filmmakers to fill each individual frame or scene with more gags or visual tropes than the audience has time to take in. Sometimes this is done for the sake of visual beauty, on other more infamous occasions â?" like Who Framed Roger Rabbit â?" it allows the animators to have some fun. In this every joke has another joke attached to it, and you find yourself wanting to rewind the film a few second back to spot something you saw out of the corner of your eye. What this means is that for the most part the more parochial, British sitcom jokes carry through. There are occasional moments where the humour delves too deeply into the territory of the Carry On films or Up Pompeii, which will seem overbearingly retrograde for viewers of a certain age. But for most of us such occasions will either whizz by without a second thought or be covered up by a series of jokes more suited to our tastes. This strange mix of so-called â??British humourâ?? with more universal comedy like physical slapstick, puns and parody make this film an irresistible treat, particularly for the film buffs out there. The film references a number of great and much-loved horror films, from the Hammer version of Dracula (the Vicar crossing the cucumbers in place of candles) to King Kong (Wallace hanging onto the flagpole, being surrounded by planes and then falling to his death). But the two biggest influences on the film are An American Werewolf in London (both in being a horror comedy and in the transformation sequence) and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Not only do we start with what we think is the monster (as happens in the novel), but for a long time Wallace is unaware of his deranged alter ego. The cast of Curse of the Were-Rabbit fit snugly into their roles with such ease that you might almost accuse them of playing themselves. Aside from the usually solid Peter Sallis as Wallace, Helena Bonham Carter is really enjoyable as Lady Tottington. Having played a monkey in Planet of the Apes and a one-eyed witch in Big Fish, she draws on her Merchant Ivory roots to play the slightly crazy rabbit-loving landowner. Ralph Fiennes is great as Victor Quartermaine, drawing on the great comedic villains of Basil Rathbone and Vincent Price, and adding in his own particular brand of snarling cruelty so that he chews up every bit of scenery he stands on. There is also a gallery of good supporting performances from the likes of Peter Kay and Liz Smith, who lift some of the quieter moments with some well-timed off-beat one-liners. In the end, Curse of the Were-Rabbit passes the test of all great comedies; it was funny at the time, and it remains funny on repeat viewing. It isnâ??t flawless, and it may not be the best thing that Aardman makes (although considering the mixed response to Flushed Away, stop-motion is clearly what they do best). But it stands in solid company with the earlier outings of Wallace and Gromit as a genuinely enjoyable family film which will entertain people of all ages. Only time will tell whether it enters into the pantheon of great animated childrenâ??s films, but in the meantime we should embrace Nick Parkâ??s touching film, which trumps much of Pixarâ??s output from the same period and brings a warm and happy glow to the viewer.

• Anthony L

  
  Good fun. The little bunnies in the floating tank are brilliant!

• Kyle F

  
  A spectacular film, "Wallace and Gromit" is as charming as it is funny. The settings and characters are full of great color, and the soundtrack is simple yet effective. The best animated movie, and perhaps the best movie, I've ever seen.

• Gordon A

  
  This grew on me second time round and now rates up there with 'Close Shave', if a little behind their masterpiece 'The Wrong Trousers'. Full of their trademark visual invention, awful puns and cute animals.

• Tim S

  
  A fun time at the movies, I loved it.

• Tim S

  
  Nick Park is like Walt Disney with clay.

• Craig S

  
  <u><b>Directed by:</u> Steve Box, Nick Park.</b> <u><b>Starring:</u> Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes.</b> It's always a worry when a classic show is adapted for a big screen debut. You always have the worry of… More
  <u><b>Directed by:</u> Steve Box, Nick Park.</b> <u><b>Starring:</u> Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes.</b> It's always a worry when a classic show is adapted for a big screen debut. You always have the worry of losing the spark that made the show so great. Unfortunately, it does happen in adaptions nowadays and this adaption was bound to be a problem, especially when American company Dreamworks is behind a British idea....but Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit does brilliance beyond what I expected. The story returns to the classic antics of the show. Wallace and Gromit have set up a pest-control unit called "Anti-Pesto", so they can protect the neighborhood from the pesky rabbits eating all the towns crops, especially when the annual Giant Vegetable Competition is coming up. But when an experiment goes wrong, a giant rabbit is let loose on the town, causing mayhem....but is the rabbit as it seems? I held off of seeing this film for 2 years, I was not wanting such a classic show that I grew up on to be ruined by modern Hollywood, but I am so glad that I saw this, because I was wrong. The show was always engaging, funny in a sharp and witty way that only the British can hit and always inventive and refreshing....this film goes beyond. The inventive characters and their antics are as refreshing as ever and in top form here. They are shown the respect they deserve and are matched together with a thoughtful story and brilliantly sharp and charming wit that is sure to impress the kids with its simplicity and fun....and adults with its engaging characters and cheeky adult innuendo in its sneaky appearances that never offend. The voice acting is about as great as you can get, Peter Sallis, despite getting on in age, is still as sharp and charming as he always was and its a hit....and with brilliant supporting voices such as Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes, its a winner. Anything you would expect from a good adaption of a classic show is here, but unlike you would expect. After nearly 20 years of Wallace and Gromit, you would expect a slow decline and a bad taste in your mouth. This film is the best showcase of the duo ever created. With its sharp and very charming wit, engaging and refreshing story, great voice acting and the inventive ideas as fresh as ever, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is everything you could ever ask for. Brilliant.

• danny d

  
  i loved this flick. great subtle humor and very clever. you really have to pay attention to this film to get some of the nuances behind the humor and that gromit is a great character.

• Dean !

  
  A good entry in the Wallace and Gromit series. The characters look mored detailed than before and animation smoother. Has a good voice cast. Perfect for all ages.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings