Over the past 35 years,Wallace and Gromithave grown to become familiar faces in the world of animation, with the wonky inventor and his loyal pooch capturing the hearts of generations. Created by Nick Park, there have been four short films, two features, two TV series, and numerous spin-offs, includingShaun the Sheep. One of the most popular stop-motion franchises in the world, every single one of these projects has been well-received, with the franchise receiving seven Oscar nominations and winning three of them. Their latest release,the acclaimedVengeance Most Fowl, is sure to gain another Oscar nomination.
Nick Park has an incredibly strong track record with these characters — it’s impossible to describe any of the titles in which they’ve appeared as ‘bad.’ Every singleWallace & Gromitrelease has its merits, and that’s something not many franchises can say. It’s difficult, therefore, to rank them all, but there are a couple of projects which just take things to another level. It’s rare that a franchise can be as consistent asWallace & Gromit, and this is something that should be cherished.
8Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention (2010)
World of Inventionbrought an educational aspect to the world ofWallace & Gromit, with each episode highlighting a different area of scientific discovery. The format consisted of Wallace and Gromit, in their usual plasticine form, presenting a series of live-action segments about a variety of different inventions highlighted in each episode. This series was interesting and insightful, but given its nature as a sort of mini-documentary rather than a narrative series, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the otherWallace & Gromitprojects.
7A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008)
Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death
The final short film to feature the iconic duo,A Matter of Loaf and Deathsaw Wallace and Gromit open a new bakery — but they are up against ex-model Piella Bakewell (the ‘Bake-o-Lite Girl’). This is another excellent entry into theWallace & Gromitcanon, but it feels a little overcrowded at some points. There’s a lot going on, and the transition from film to digital gives the short a slightly different look to the earlier films that doesn’t quite match the right vibe. It’s still a thoroughly enjoyable story, though.
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6Wallace & Gromit’s Cracking Contraptions (2002)
Wallace & Gromit’s Cracking Contraptions
In the early noughties, a series of two-minute shorts were released, each one of them chronicling a different invention of Wallace’s.Cracking Contraptionswas a tightly-written and fun look at the many different occupations which Wallace takes up in between appearances in shorts and features, and is a masterclass in short-form comedy. While significantly shorter than any other projects featuring these characters, the series is impressively engaging and can be watched as one, 25-minute block.
5The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
In 2005, Nick Park and co. took his clay creations to the big screen in the firstWallce & Gromitfeature film.The Curse of the Were-Rabbitwas a star-studded success, featuring the voice talents of Peter Sallis as Wallace (having voiced the character in every project until his death),Ralph Fiennesas Lord Quartermaine,Helena Bonham Carteras Lady Tottington, and even a small role forMark Gatiss. Telling the story of a giant part-human-part-rabbit, this movie was more cinematic than the short films, and it translates these characters from the TV to the theater perfectly,incorporating a huge number of references and Easter eggs.
4A Close Shave (1995)
Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave
A love story for Wallace felt like a natural direction to take the short film series, and it helps makeA Close Shavejust perfect (and yet, the franchise has somehow reached even greater heights). Combining a romance, a window-cleaning job for Wallace and Gromit, and an underground sheep farm, this short is utterly bonkers, but it all just works. The plot threads tie together perfectly, the antagonist is genuinely threatening, and there’s a real emotion to the character work achieved. Sublime.
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3A Grand Day Out (1989)
Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out
The first-everWallace & Gromitshort film,A Grand Day Outhit its stride from the moment the theme music kicks in. Narrowly losing out on an Oscar win to Nick Park’s other 1990 entry, the equally superbCreature Comforts, the characters of Wallace and Gromit refused to stop here.A Grand Day Outfeatures innovative use of stop-motion with a delightfully eccentric story, and instantly etched these characters firmly into audiences’ minds. It’s probably the most simplistic film of the bunch, but there’s a purity and efficiency to it that is a joy to behold.
2Vengeance Most Fowl (2024)
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The newest Wallace and Gromit film features the return of the villainous penguin Feathers McGraw from The Wrong Trousers (1993), who takes revenge on the inventor and his dog by reprogramming their robotic garden gnome.
The firstWallace & Gromitproject for almost 15 years,Vengeance Most Fowlsees the return of the dastardly Feathers McGraw, who originally appeared 30 years ago inThe Wrong Trousers. Taking a fan-favorite villain and trying something new is always a risky move for a franchise, but here it really pays off. Additionally, Nick Park shares directing duties in a rare move, collaborating with Merlin Crossingham to great results.
This is also unique amongWallace & Gromitfilms in that it is the first project not to feature Peter Sallis as Wallace. Instead,Ben Whitehead has taken over— and he does a stellar job, as does Reece Shearsmith, voicing the maniacal gnomes that Feathers uses to take his revenge.Vengeance Most Fowlis a hilarious success, a joy from start to finish that is also a potent commentary on our modern reliance upon technology.
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1The Wrong Trousers (1993)
Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers
The first of three Academy Award wins for the claymation franchise,The Wrong Trousersis not only the greatestWallace & Gromittitle, but maybe the best stop-motion short ever made. It is an incredible feat to create a story around a penguin who is also a cat burglar, but even more incredible to do so while ensuring that every aspect of production — cinematography, character work, performances, dialogue, jeopardy, action — is dialed up to 11. Truly,The Wrong Trousersis a comic masterpiece that ranks among the best comedy shorts of even Chaplin and Keaton, and it deserves every last drop of the huge amount of acclaim it’s received since its release.
