‘Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ thrills at AFI Fest premiere, officially joining 2025 Oscars race
On Sunday, October 27, “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” had its worldwide premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The animated Netflix movie thrilled audiences at AFI Fest, earning a rapturous applause following its brisk 79-minute runtime. Prior to the screening, co-director Merlin Crossingham welcomed the crowd and revealed, “We only finished this film about two weeks ago, and we haven’t seen it with an audience yet.”
Co-director and franchise creator, Nick Park, added, “It’s amazing for me to think back when I created ‘Wallace and Gromit’ in college. Now, here we are in this amazing theatre.” “Vengeance Most Fowl” is the sixth movie in the series overall, and the second feature-length film following 2006’s Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature, “Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.”
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In this installment, Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified when Wallace invents a “smart gnome” that seems to develop an evil mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past (Feathers McGraw) might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master…or Wallace may never be able to invent again!
Movie critic Tori Brazier of Metro UK wrote, “A wonderfully nostalgic film that’s truly worth the years of painstaking work stop-motion animation requires. Marrying the higher stakes and Feathers’ return with firmly sticking to the previous recipe for success makes it everything you hoped it would be.”
William Bibbiani of The Wrap said, “This is more like a very long Wallace and Gromit short film. That’s a wonderful thing to be. It’s got great heroes, a memorable villain, and more whimsy than is probably recommended by medical science.” Daniel Howat of Next Best Picture stated, “Another delightful entry in the series and a reminder of the charms that can only come from something handmade. It’s one of the best-animated films of the year.”
Positive reviews should give Netflix cause for celebration as it launches the movie’s 2025 Oscars campaign. Prior to the premiere, the film sat in sixth place in Gold Derby’s Oscar odds for Best Animated Feature. It seems likely the film will rise considering its Oscar-winning predecessor and overwhelmingly high praise from critics.
“We’re always waiting for that idea,” Park shared during the Q & A following the screening. “This one started as something else. What if Wallace invented a smart gnome, or a robot to help Gromit with his garden chores? Very well-meaning. I thought about the idea on-and-off for a few years as a short. But there was something missing. That villainous element and a motivation that was clear, but also very personal.” He then teamed up with screenwriter Mark Burton (“Shaun the Sheep Movie”), who fleshed out a feature-length script.
Crossingham added, “There’s a lot of pressure when fans love characters as much as they do. Working with Nick within the ‘Wallace and Gromit’ world, you have to be very, very careful that the humor and the fun of Wallace and Gromit is maintained and persevered. Even within the studio, I think it’s fair to say there was a lot of excitement. I’m pretty thankful to Nick for trusting me with directing it, but also very relieved to see it screen in the theatre, so thank you very much.”
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