METROSPECTIVE - The Metropolitan

Things that go bump in the nigh
DVD releases feature Claymation monsters and amorous narratives
Dvd reviews by Joe Nguyen
nguyejos@mscd.edu

     Wallace and Gromit don’t disappoint in their debut on the big screen.
     Directors Steve Box and Nick Park’s feature is a solid continuation of the dynamic duo’s adventures from their days as short films. With its creative story, expertly varied cinematography and delightful characters, it’s no wonder “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature this past Sunday.
     The story focuses on the duo’s humane pest-control business, “Anti-Pesto.” Wallace, voiced by Peter Sallis, teams up with his faithful pet to find and capture a giant rabbit that terrorizes the town just as the annual giant vegetable competition is about to take place.
     This original and well-written story is skillfully transferred onto the big screen. The directors paid painstaking attention to the smallest of details during the production of the movie, a process that took five years to complete. The result is a feature filled with stunning imagery and is delicately integrated with exquisite music.      The directors manage to incorporate a host of narrative elements, from the comedic to the dramatic, and fit them perfectly into the Claymation format. The film incorporates all the character’s quirks from the original films and adds cinematic depth, style and emotion.
     When Wallace and Gromit want to rid a garden of pesky rabbits, they use an elaborate suction gizmo. As a rabbit is sucked into the contraption’s main chamber, the perspective of the animation is third person as the bunny zooms toward an angelic light. Combined with an epic, angelically-sounding track, it creates the impression that the rabbit is on its way to heaven.
     The film is filled with such clever visual and contextual puns. As the hulking were-rabbit monster teeters on the edge of a rooftop, the town police officer, PC McIntosh, whose name is a joke in itself, yells, “Stand back, there may be a large rabbit dropping!”
     The biggest strength in “Wallace & Gromit” is its variety of colorful characters. Gromit, who doesn’t speak, says more with his furrowed clay brow and animated body movements than many real actors do. His sighs and pensive stares fully communicate his thoughts and emotions to the audience. The painstaking animation process has imbued these characters with an affecting amount of life and personality.
     Victor Quartermaine, voiced by Ralph Fiennes (“The Constant Gardener”), is the essential over-the-top supervillain. His utter lack of morals and grizzly canine sidekick add a good-versus-evil dynamic to the story.
Still, it is the rabbits that steal the show in the end. Their jovial antics are a perfect combination of cuteness and hilarity, captured perfectly in clay.
     The DVD is chock-full of special features. Beyond the typical inclusion of a director’s commentary and deleted scenes, there are many eye-catching and informative elements. A documentary explores the history of the duo, from their conception to their big-screen foray. The film also explores the technical aspects behind the animation, starting with early storyboarding and documenting the actual filming. The footage also includes interviews with the voice actors and the directors.
     The “How to Build a Bunny” feature shows an in-depth look at, well, how the clay bunnies were made. With a simple wire, clay and something called “fluff tape,” model-making team leader Harriet Thomas creates a number of bunnies showing a wide range of emotions.

   “ The Family Album” is an interesting pictorial element that includes signs, storyboards and behind-the-scenes pictures. This option of the DVD shows pictures of Wallace and Gromit depicted in various fictional scenes, such as Gromit’s first birthday and his graduation day from Dogwart’s University.
     Animated shorts have not had a good tradition of making their way to the big screen. Thankfully, “Wallace & Gromit” stays true to its roots as it breaks barriers and presents an enjoyable experience for the entire family.

Eros
Warner Home Video 104 minusts $27.99