I’d heard of Wallace and Gromit before this movie came out, but I had never fully seen a short film or completely understood what they were all about. The claymation film definitely brought the characters to life. It’s interesting to go through the special features on the DVD and see how miniature the sets are and how much detail is put into the lives of these two friends.

I was surprised by how funny the movie turned out to be. There are a ton of jokes in there that both children and adults alike can enjoy. Wallace and Gromit are not the typical master-and-pet comic stereotype. Gromit does not talk and uses very human facial expressions to hold up his end of the dialogue and Wallace is a crazy inventor-dude who loves cheese and treats Gromit as a real friend.

The supporting characters were also great. Ralph Fiennes as the pompous Victor was a personal favourite; I’m always so amazed by how fluidly Fiennes can slip in and out of certain characters. In Wallace & Gromit, he is able to shed his serious side and be a bit more playful in the role. But I guess Fiennes playing a malicious, ugly, bald guy isn’t all that new — Voldemort, anyone?