Vengeance Most Fowl: A Pleasant Little Movie

Vengeance Most Fowl Is A Breezy Multi-Genre Film

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl was not a movie I was expecting to exist. I only have vague recollections of the movie where we first met our evil penguin antagonist. But Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget returned, so why not this?

And now that we do have Vengeance Most Fowl, I’m pleased to report that the movie is delightful and charming. It’s not anything special, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, its understated nature is one of the best things about it.

That might sound odd, but the core magic of this little story is that it’s essentially a sci-fi horror mixed with a spy thriller, but then forced through the framework of a quant little town. The self-replicating machines plotting to ruin our main character’s lives are not some sort of heavily armored army, but goofy lawn gnomes made to help with lawn care. They have weapons like a flamethrower and know how to efficiently wield cutting instruments, but they never use them to hurt anyone.

The Movie Is Extremely Cartoony The Whole Time

And the movie runs on and is improved by a constant stream of that kind of broken logic. It’s almost never even acknowledges that something silly or outlandish has occurred. The story just kind of trusts its audience to get the jokes—and that’s super refreshing. It’s not cynical, or almost ever mean-spirited. There’s one fat joke that didn’t need to be there—but nothing else stood out. Vengeance Most Fowl is here to be a fun, light movie, and everything else is secondary.  

And yet, it’s also got some serious heart to it. I didn’t expect to have such a visceral reaction to Gromit just wanting a pat on the head, but here we are. The movie correctly focuses on stuff like that. A lot of scenes run on Wallace and Gromit’s interpersonal dynamic and how much they care about each other, though not always in ways that the other notices/appreciates. It grounds the silly conflict in very useful ways. I’m admittedly not a fan of the “no one believes the person who saw the weird thing” trope, but it’s rooted so heavily in the core emotional story arc that it smooths over a lot of the usual issues. It never really tips over into overly dramatic arguments or a “breakup.” They just have a misunderstanding caused by the penguin’s meddling and you know they’ll still love each other afterward.

Wallace And Gromit Both Get Great Moments Here

So, like, do I even have other negatives here? Even stuff that I would normally knock points for is better here than in other movies. Vengeance Most Fowl is simply what it is, and for the most part, it delivers on that. I guess if I were to look for something else, it would be odd implications. I don’t think Vengeance Most Fowl is trying to make any actual statements—it’s just trying to be fun—but it was hard to ignore two contradictions. Two running ideas/themes that the movie seems to go back and forth on.

The first is whether Mukherjee should listen to instincts instead of evidence. Because ultimately the plot doesn’t say that relying on instincts is bad, just that Mackintosh’s instincts are bad. I get the joke of “too much” evidence for a bike seat, but, obviously, Mukherjee shouldn’t ignore or not rely on evidence.

Vengeance Most Fowl Has Some Weird Story Arcs

And the second one is, like, are tools and gadgets Wallace’s weakness or his strength? Sometimes, Gromit is sad or angry that Wallace relies on technology to do things, especially early on, but other times—more towards the end of the film—technology is useful, neutral, or even lifesaving and Gromit has no issue with it. The only conclusion I can currently draw—and, again, I don’t think Vengeance Most Fowl is trying to have a conclusion really—is that Wallace needs to be more considerate about Gromit’s feelings around his inventions.  

Besides that, I can’t think of much else. The animation is, of course, incredible, especially when you think about how much work it must’ve taken for some of the shots. The police office alone is a complicated set that I assume was all handmade. And the storytelling utilizing that wonderful art form is well-constructed and briskly paced. It’s a quality movie. I like quality movies. Vengeance Most Fowl won’t ever be a favorite of mine, but I had a great time with it.   

Possibly Related Posts:

• It Came From The Archives “Dawn of the Nugget: A Slap-Stick Dystopia”
• Friday Fiction: A Dire Instance of Lying
• Doctor Who Special Reviews: Joy To The World
• New Year’s Eve Fiction: The Yearly Visit of Robert, Time Traveler
• Crypt of the Moon Spider: Overstuffed Horror