It’s been almost 20 years since Wallace & Gromit have been involved in a full length feature film caper, and the wait is almost over. Thanks to Netflix’s new trailer for the major (stop)motion picture Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, we now know that the schedule of upcoming 2025 movies will be in part kicked off by the return of our small town boys.
And believe it or not, even as a long time fan of Aardman Animations’ landmark property, there’s a laugh in this trailer that almost made me spill my morning coffee. Which leaves me tipping my gloved hat to the dastardly Feathers McGraw. As you can see above, the short but sweet footage includes a nice look at the would-be arch nemesis at the heart of Vengeance Most Fowl, looking rather comically evil.
Which, in a moment of coincidence, is the point that I needed to put down my morning cuppa. You see, it’s not just the fact that Feathers is playing Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor,” as that’s a skill that any good villain should possess. That's especially true when you're a character like Feathers, who remains a fantastic example of a villain that's stolen the show for over 30 years
And it’s not even his trademark rubber glove disguise, or the “World’s Best Boss” coffee mug. Rather, it’s a combination of those factors, along with the knowing nod that Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s feathered felon gives before taking a sip, that really does the job.
What’s surprisingly absent is any sort of footage involving Vengeance Most Fowl’s cracking contraption, the Norbot. I still don’t trust that potential mechanized menace as far as I can throw one, and they look pretty light for an automaton. However, what we do get is a spectacular collection of moments that highlight just how much blockbuster set-pieces from some of the best action movies still influence the Wallace & Gromit canon.
The train slide alone has me thinking of Gromit in a position similar to that of Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt towards the end of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning. Which once again proves why he's one of the most beloved sidekicks in all of TV and Movies, as he can take those sorts of moments with a wordless charm, letting his face do all the talking.
Not to mention my love of the James Bond movies has me wondering about Feather’s organ inclusive lair, and that periscope that we saw shown off in an earlier part of the trailer. Is this beaked bad boy taking some cues from The Spy Who Loved Me and heading to the high seas?
There’s a huge potential for a new generation of fans to be forged with the release of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, and that’s perhaps the most exciting potential staring us right in the face. With 35 years spanning that first grand day out and the cusp of this new picture’s release, it’s truly rewarding to see how the technique has evolved, while the humor remains as charming as ever.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl flies, or perhaps sails, into the digital queue on January 3, 2025. And whether you want to jump into this new movie, or revisit the wonder of The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, you can do so with the cracking contraption known as a Netflix subscription! Wensleydale, Jacob’s Cream Crackers, and World’s Best Boss mug, sold separately.
