Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a 2005 stop-motion animated film, the first feature-length Wallace and Gromit film. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations, and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The film was directed by Nick Park and Steve Box and shot entirely in Britain. It was released in the United Kingdom, United States and Hong Kong in October 2005 to almost universally rave reviews, including "A" ratings from Roger Ebert and Ty Burr. The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is in part a parody of the horror genre, and contains many images that parody or pay homage to specific horror films. One of the television advertisements for the film is a montage of these parody images and scenes. Peter Sallis (the voice of Wallace) is joined in the film by Ralph Fiennes (as Lord Victor Quartermaine), Helena Bonham Carter (as Lady Tottington), Peter Kay (as PC Mackintosh) and Liz Smith (as Mrs. Mulch). Gromit remains silent. Nick Park told an interviewer that after separate test screenings with British and American children, the film was altered to "tone down some of the British accents and make them speak more clearly so the American audiences could understand it all better [1]."

The vehicle Wallace drives in the new film is an Austin A35 van. In a collaboration with Aardman in the Spring of 2005, a road going replica of the model was created by brothers Mark and David Armé, founders of the International Austin A30/A35 Register, for promotional purposes. In a 500 man hour customisation, an original 1964 van received a full body restoration before being dented and distressed to perfectly replicate the model van used in the film. The official colour of the van is Preston Green, named in honour of Nick Park's home town. The name was chosen by the Art Director and Mark Armé.

Plot

Template:Spoiler In the town where Wallace and Gromit live, the annual Giant Vegetable Competition is approaching. All are eager to protect their giant crops until the contest and the duo are cashing in by running a vegetable security and humane pest control business, "Anti-Pesto". However, they are faced with two problems: the first is Wallace's weight problem and the second is the space for the captured rabbits. Wallace comes up with a terrific idea — use his brain alteration-o-matic to brainwash the rabbits, allowing them to run freely without harming everyone's gardens. While performing the operation, he presses the wrong switch and something goes terribly wrong. Soon, the town is threatened by...the "Were-Rabbit"! It is now up to Wallace and Gromit to stop it.

References and in-jokes

In the town meeting after the first strike of the Were-Rabbit, Totty has a book behind her (giving her angel wings) and Victor has two devil spikes.
Monsters in Reverend Hedges' book have comical Latin names: for example, the Loch Ness Monster is "Touristus trapus".
Real aerial dog fight noise are incorporated into the fight between Gromit and Victor's dog Philip.
Gromit and Philip interrupt the fight to load a 10-penny into a toy plane, reminiscent of A Grand Day Out.
Many of Totty's outfits make her look like a vegetable or flower.
Hutch says "the bounce has gone from his bungee". Wallace says the exact same thing in A Close Shave.
The climax of the film is reminiscent of the climax of King Kong, which was also created with stop-motion animation.
Many other horror and action movies are parodied, including Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and Screamers (a moving bump of earth following a vegetable).
The box Gromit holds up to cover the naked Wallace has a sticker saying "may contain nuts".
Wallace is shown reading a copy of Ay-Up! magazine. "Ay-up" is northern English for hello.
The eyes in the portraits of the Anti-Pesto clients flash just like those of the Tracey brothers in Thunderbirds.
The buttons on the car radio spell "mutt".
The car's license plate says "Hop 2 It".
The fridge is a Smug instead of a Smeg; the drill is a Botch instead of a Bosch.
Co-writer Bob Baker wrote for the BBC's science fiction television series Doctor Who several times throughout the 1970s. The "death" of the Were-Rabbit towards the end strongly resembles a "regeneration" as seen in the programme.

New Characters

Lord Victor Quartermaine

An upper-class bounder who is fond of hunting, he is rarely seen without his rifle and his hunting dog Philip. He wears a toupee and is voiced by Ralph Fiennes.

Lady Campanula "Totty" Tottington

A wealthy noblewoman with a keen interest in both vegetable growing and fluffy animals. For 500 years, her family has hosted an annual vegetable competition. Lady Tottington asks Wallace to call her "Totty", and develops a romantic interest in him. She is voiced by Helena Bonham Carter.

PC Mackintosh

The village policeman who judges the Giant Vegetable Contest, although, with the havoc it creates every year he would rather it didn't happen at all. He is voiced by comedian Peter Kay.

The Reverend Clement Hedges

Reverend Hedges is the local vicar. He has everything needed to kill the Were-Rabbit, having at one point been "attacked" by the beast.

Mrs.Mulch

A elderly client of Anti-Pesto. She is voiced by Liz Smith.

External links

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