Genres

Visitors Review

John Wayne 2012-05-17 14:07:02

The subversiveness of children's films (by the way, they love it!)

Roald Dahl knew as much as anyone that kids love things a bit darker, abit more menacing. Nick Park seems far removed from Dahl, but the truthis the dark has always been there, it's just people haven't bothered tolook.Matter Of Loaf And Death was great BECAUSE it pushed the boundaries. Itwould be so easy to coast and take Sony's Yankee dollar. But Nick Parkisn't like that.I admire him because this is his creation and he always seems to comeup with something surprise him. The clever film references, thedelightful puns (Citizen Canine!) all well handled.And seriously, didn't anyone else find Fluffie's relationship withGromit sweet? Or perhaps I'm getting sentimental in my old age. Anyhoo, I loved it.

Tommy Nelson 2012-05-17 09:17:18

This was enjoyable, but compared to classic Wallace and Gromit, it's a huge disappointment.

I could go on and on why the Wallace and Gromit shorts are some of thebest short films ever made. "The Wrong Trousers" and "A Close Shave"are especially excellent, and are just amazingly made. They use theright amount of suspense, with music perfectly placed throughout, andthey both have hilarious and original climaxes. This short...eh! It'sfunny throughout, and has some elements of those other two shorts, butthere's very little suspense, mainly because we know very quickly whothe antagonist is, what their plan is, and then just a lot of talking.It's good, but not nearly as perfect as the other ones.Wallace and Gromit are apparently now bakers, and at the worst time tooas there is an unknown baker killer on the loose. Anyways, whiledelivering some bread, Wallace happens to save the life of a breadcompany model, Piella, and they fall in love. She even has a Frenchpoodle named Fluffles that Gromit finds attractive. But, Piella ishiding a secret, and Gromit will find out what.This is a very funny short. It has some good jokes and an amusing plot.It's just with the knowledge of the other films (especially the twomentioned earlier), this one is not nearly as good. The other films hademotion, with the scenes where Gromit leaves after being unwanted, andthe scene where Gromit goes to prison, but here, there is very littleemotion. It's almost like this was a pilot for a Wallace and Gromit TVshow. It would be a good pilot for a show, but it's not cinematic somuch. It's like a gag filled kiddie show.This sounds pretty negative, but actually this is a very good short. Ithas a lot of funny gags, an interesting plot, and features an actionpacked ending, in true with the other films. Kids will love it, adultsmight be mixed, but no matter, it's meant for the younger group, andwill entertain.Nick Park has made another entertaining Wallace and Gromit film, thoughperhaps he should review the formula, because if he wants to do anotherone, maybe he can shoot for excellent instead of just good.My rating: *** out of ****. 30 mins. Not rated.

davideo-2 2012-05-06 14:03:51

Technically impressive as the others, but I don't think he'll (Nick Park) ever beat The Wrong Trousers

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning** Sunday Night * Monday Morning Wallace and Gromit have decided to set up their own baking business.One day, Wallace nearly has a traffic accident with the woman who usedto be the 'bake-o-lite' girl. They warm to each other and romancestarts to blossom-but Gromit, wary as ever (what with past experience!)suspects she's trouble, and what with the spate of serial killingsinvolving local bakers that's been going on lately, maybe he's ontosomething.After the success of 2005's film version The Curse of the Were Rabbit,Nick Park's plasticine heroes have become popular again and got enoughpublicity for a timely new episode last Christmas, that for one reasonor another I didn't get to see all the way through. But now I have, andwhile the technical animation never ceases to impress me, it's nowbecoming quite clear that in my mind, Park'll never make as great anepisode as The Wrong Trousers.The serial killing theme of this new story might have been a bit toodark and adult to feature in a family film, but one of the trademarksof the franchise, the cheesy puns, are in abundance, from vinyl recordsGromit owns by artists like Doggy Osmond and McFlea (as well as TheHound of Music!), to other clever (but not very subtle!) touches likeadvertisements for flights by Cheesy Jet. The stories in most of theshort films revolve around Wallace warming to someone (or something)he's just met and Gromit suspecting (and being proved right!) thatthey're up to no good, and this is no exception but most of it iscarried off with such technical expertise it's a minor quibble.There's nothing really wrong here, it's just that nothing has (and Idoubt ever will) live up to the standard of The Wrong Trousers for me.***

bob the moo 2012-05-06 04:14:12

Not their best but still great fun

Wallace and Gromit have a new business venture and it is going down astorm. Having carried out some renovation on their house, they are nowan operating bakery who deliver bread to your door. Of course, paranoidGromit is concerned about the recent murders of twelve bakers in thetown but it barely registers to Wallace. Pat of the reason for this isthat he has a new focal point in his life as the Piella, the formerBake O Light bread girl is in town and seems just as enamoured byWallace as he is by her. The romance begins while Gromit smells a rat.The Wallace & Gromit films are mostly famous for the couple of bigChristmas episodes they did that made them famous across the world andI was fine with the BBC holding this special back till Christmas Daybecause it did seem like their natural home. This film has a plotstructure similar to A Close Shave in that the twosome are running abusiness which has some sinister activity by others associated with it.The fact that it happens to be murder in this case is perhaps a littledark for Christmas Day but it didn't matter because it does not stop itbeing fun. The plot goes where you expect and I really enjoyed it eventhough I didn't particularly like Piella or Fluffles as characters –but for me it will be a while before I enjoy any character as much as Idid Feathers McGraw. The plot allows for plenty of movie references,some of which you need to "get" to find it funny but mostly you don't.Aliens and Batman are the obvious two but there are others.The comedy also works in the detail, whether it be the inventiveintricacies of the many devices that make up the house or theexpressions on the faces of the characters. Yet again Gromit comes outas my favourite character and yet again I am amazed how they manage toget such expression onto his face. Sallis brings harmless charm toWallace and it is hard to imagine that anyone could ever have done itas well as him. Lindsay is OK but I didn't like her character myself.If the film does have specific weaknesses the they are in two areas,both of which can be seen when you compare this to the mastery of TheWrong Trousers. Firstly, the pace is a bit too quick. I know it is 30minutes but there did seem to be little in the way of build before itwas into the meat and then over. The second weakness is that theclosing set piece, while being a good Aliens reference, is not in thesame league as the end of The Wrong Trousers or even A Close Shave. Itis a shame but it doesn't have the thrill or creativity of that.That said, it is still a very good piece of entertainment and it doesfeel right to have them as part of Christmas Day again. English charm,almost no jokes that would offend, inventive writing and animation anda solid plot – perhaps not as good as they have been but it is reallyhard to complain because it still delivers.

1bilbo 2012-04-30 01:09:33

Superb

This should not be compared to other Aardman productions because theyare all different and have their own qualities. The reason theseproductions are so good it that Nick Parks has retained creativecontrol - if he ever sells out to a big studio house then this - andthe terrific creativity - will vanish.Grommit has developed as a character and is very astute whilst Wallaceis still a bit of a simpleton. Throughout everything Grommit looks outfor Wallace and saves the day. Grommit's expressions are superb andconvey more than if he ever spoke - a big studio run by dead-eyedaccountants would never be able to see this.15m people watched this on the BBC on Christmas day - it will go downin history as another great achievement for Aardman studios, well doneNick!

Gordon-11 2012-04-29 11:36:32

Likable characters and entertaining story

This Oscar nominated short animated film is about Wallace falling inlove with someone he should not have. Fortunately, Gromit is present tosave the day.I have always admired the laborious effort needed to produce a stopmotion animation. In "Wallace and Gromit in A Matter of Loaf and Death", the clay figures are well made, cute, have characters of their ownand magically conveys a plethora of emotions and feelings. Wallace andGromit are both likable and vibrantly alive, creating a positiveatmosphere to engage the viewers. I enjoyed watching this shortanimation, and was entertained by it.

the_ledger_line 2012-04-24 06:10:12

The Good Ol' Days are Back! Yippee!!

Finally! After years of being pinned down creatively by the nastycorporates at Dreamworks, Nick Park is back at doing what he does best- and it's not a disappointment! A Matter of Loaf and Death runs asimilar storyline to that of 'A Close Shave'... Wallace and Gromit arerunning their own business from home, Wallace meets and automaticallyfalls in love with a lovely English lady, with a suspicious air abouther, Gromit pursues the matter, the truth is exposed, big climax andfinish! I will take a few points off here for minor unoriginality inthe story department... plus the fact that Wallace is being portrayedas a bit of a player!! I will say that while this movie was a delightto watch (the animation has regained that wonderful 'hand touched' lookand is by no means perfectly seamless in it's execution, which I foundquite annoying in 'Curse of the Were-Rabbit', along with the ample 3Deffects... grrr!!!), the storyline and pace of the film was far tooquick for my liking. It seemed like the gags were all being forced andweren't just naturally occurring, a lot of it felt too planned (unlikein The Wrong Trousers or A Close Shave). The story was just flyingalong, and you didn't really have the time to stop and 'smell theroses' so to speak. A lot of it just seemed a tad too convenient, justfor the sake of keeping the story going and moving to the next bit.Being an animator myself, I know a half an hour time slot is not a lotto work with, but I think possibly some things could have been cut, tobring the pace back down to a nice amble - and then build up to anexciting hectic finale. It worked perfectly in The Wrong Trousers and AClose Shave.However, having that off my chest, this movie does not disappoint.Wallace and Gromit are still as charming as they ever have been, thesets are absolutely stunningly English, and there is no hint ofHollywood in any of it! What a relief! Old school Wallace and Gromitare back, and let's hope they stick around!!!

Humphrey Fish 2012-04-23 23:17:10

Very Great Short!

When I head that this was coming out, I was really excited consideringthe fact that I am a very huge fan of Wallace and Gromit, I have seenthem in A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, and theCurse of the Were-Rabbit, and then I saw them in this. And what is myopinion on this one? I can say that though it is not their best short,it is a very remarkable one! I can say that I enjoyed this one all theway through, I am giving this nine stars because of the fact that it isWallace and Gromit, and I am giving it an extra half-a-star for havinga really great plot! But boy in this short, Wallace and Gromit arereally in for it now, Wallace's life is hanging by a thread, he is thetarget for murder! But in the end, Gromit some how manages to save hisneck! This is not better than any of the previous Wallace and Gromitfilms, but it is still very marvelous and enjoyable all the same! Ifyou are a really huge fan of Wallace and Gromit and have not seen thisone yet, then you really should see it, because if you really loveWallace and Gromit, then you will really love this, because this is areally great one! I have already said this but if you really want to see a not the bestbut all the same a very great short film starring the very lovableWallace and Gromit? Then this is one that I recommend that you see it,because though it is not their best, it is really a great Wallace andGromit short! I am probably going to be owning this on DVD consideringthat fact that I own the three previous shorts and the movie, I amgoing to own the complete Wallace and Gromit collection one of thesedays! One of these days I will! 9.5/10

StephenBurg 2012-04-22 20:58:06

It's Not the Wrong Trousers...

The new Wallace and Gromit film isn't as good as the other films. Thewriting is basically a murder mystery that spoofs everything. The filmis about the duo going into a bread industry while a serial killer iskilling bakers, who Wallace falls in love with and Gromit falls for herdog. But Gromit begins to suspect her of the murders...Obviously, it'snot graphic, but there is a lot of violence. The writing is, as I saidbefore, basically a typical murder mystery that spoofs a lot of movies.The humor is very hit and miss. If you're a Wallace and Gromit fan,then you should pick this one up, but there's no telling if you'll likeor not.6/10

Tweekums 2012-04-22 08:07:16

Another amusing outing for Wallace and Gromit

Watching Wallace and Gromit has become a Christmas tradition so it isalways good when a new story is added to their collection.This outing finds the two of then running the Top Bun bakery,unfortunately there is a serial killer on the loose who is murderingbakers. As the duo are out delivering their bread they rescue Piellawho's bicycle's brakes fail at the top of a steep hill that runs downto a pit full of crocodiles in the local zoo. It is love at first sightfor Wallace who recognises her as the "Bake-O-Lite girl" who used tofeature in bread adverts even though she has clearly put on as fewpounds since then. Gromit is suspicious of her immediately and when heinvestigates he discovers evidence that she is the murderer. Being adog he can't just tell Wallace what is going on so it is up to him tosave the day... with some help from Piella's put-upon poodle Fluffles.As with all of the Wallace and Gromit shorts the animation is top notchand Peter Sallis is perfect as the voice of Wallace. The story howeverwasn't as good as The Wrong Trousers or A Close Shave. Many of the gagswere clearly aimed at adult viewers, with references to films likeGhost and Aliens which younger viewers won't have seen. That said it isstill much better than most programmes on television today and is wellworth watching.

Mr Ben 2012-04-13 03:10:33

A decent effort but not quite up to the earlier standards - 80%

Wallace and Gromit, those two animated clay heroes who have beenentertaining families at Christmas for nearly twenty years, havereturned from their big screen outing to bring us "A Matter Of Loaf AndDeath". No doubt about it, their return has been long awaited - easilythe biggest viewing figures on Christmas Day when it was firstbroadcast, this is their first short film since "A Close Shave" in1995. Technically, it is very impressive and you can see the lessonslearnt from their movie outing. But personally, I didn't feel it was asstrong as their earlier shorts - the plot felt tired and the in-jokesand references seemed crow-barred in. But these two are so far ahead ofmost other family films of any length that you still enjoy yourself.For this film, Wallace (still perfectly voiced by Peter Sallis) and hislong-suffering canine companion Gromit are running a very successfulbakery business - Top Bun - despite a serial killer apparentlytargeting bakers in the area. But when Wallace falls head-over-heels inlove with the beautiful Piella (Sally Lindsay), things get nasty whenGromit begins to suspect that Piella might not have Wallace's bestintentions in mind and soon, he teams up with Piella's own poochFluffles to save his beloved master from a fate worse than no cheese!Classic Aardman animation is nigh-on unbeatable entertainment and froma technical stand-point, this sets new boundaries whilst somehowretaining its earlier charm - fingerprints are still visible oncharacters clothes and noses so one assumes that Aardman's undoubtedsuccess still hasn't brought anyone at the studio gloves. But while theanimation has improved, there isn't as much humour in this short as theothers. Gone are the glorious and original set-pieces like thetrain-set chase from "The Wrong Trousers" and they are replaced withendless references and in-jokes instead of their own ideas. But this isstill Wallace and Gromit, still as quintessentially English as earlgrey tea and still quality entertainment.

jaredmobarak 2012-04-12 19:25:11

Curse that prevailing southwesterly … Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death

Even though it debuted on British television in 2008, Nick Park'snewest installment in the (mis)adventures of his claymation palsWallace and Gromit finally hit the States last year, just in time to benominated for an Animated Short Oscar. I never had any interest inchecking the work out, no matter how fun it appeared, but relented whenCurse of the Were-Rabbit was released as a feature length film. Sufficeit to say, my first foray into the world was not very good as the filmfell flat for me and plodded along to its end. However, now havingexperienced A Matter of Loaf and Death, seeing how the material worksin a condensed medium, I have to admit that the result was much better.By compacting all the humor in less than thirty minutes, thewarm-hearted antics of naïve and imbecilic Wallace with stoicallyintelligent dog Gromit really do excel.The premise is pretty stripped-down, concerning the duo in their newbakery, right in the midst of a serial killing spree of bakers. Therehave been twelve deaths thus far and no evidence in sight to find whois behind it all. To be honest, it doesn't take very long to discernwho is the culprit, so the fun really becomes watching Wallace bumblethrough life and Gromit do his best to save him. Once the Bake-O-Litesinger enters the fray, the plot continues on at a quick pace, neverfeeling slow or unwelcome. An ex-commercial model for the brand, Piellajust happens to be bicycling down the road our titular bakers aredelivering bread on, door-to-door like newspapers. She loses controland speeds down a hill where Wallace puts caution to the wind to saveher, eventually beginning a budding relationship that never quite seemsright—especially after Gromit inspects the bike post-accident.What really makes this work succeed, besides the endearing voiceworkfrom Peter Sallis as Wallace and Sally Lindsay as Piella, are themassive amounts of sight gags. Sure it is always entertaining to watchGromit work in his silent, but very expressive way, however, I hadn'tknown how subversive the comedy really was. I don't think a lot of thatmature subject matter traveled across the Atlantic when the featurefilm was released, probably needing to tone it down a little to make itpalatable to a broader audience. Being that A Matter of Loaf and Deathwas created specially for English television viewers, Park and companywas able to keep their subtle innuendoes intact. Even those seeminglysimplistic instances of bread rising and oven temperatures increasingbecome so much more than sheer bakery visuals when inter-cut with theblossoming romantic courtship of Wallace and Piella. It isn't as thoughthe references are too obvious for a younger audience, but they do makeit a tad more fun for the adults watching. The inclusion of a Ghosthomage definitely put a smile on my face too.Completely deserving of a nomination—even though I believe it shouldhave come last year, dealing with actual release dates rather thanwhenever Hollywood decides to allow us Americans to watch—Park seems tobe back in the swing of things after the devastating fire thatdestroyed much of his clay constructed worlds at Aardman Studios. Iwould never suggest that he stay away from features and stickspecifically to shorts, but I do believe something can be said on thesubject. Perhaps Were-Rabbit just didn't have the depth to succeed, andmaybe it originated as a short and later was wrongly expanded, I reallydon't know. Unless a plot is fleshed out that can handle the extralength, hopefully Wallace and Gromit will continue on with theiradventures in small increments—staying relevant and always workingtheir somewhat family-friendly magic.

disdressed12 2012-04-09 09:19:31

OK,but running time is actually only around 30 minutes not 87

while i enjoyed this latest animated Wallace and Gromit feature,a fewthings disappointed me.the biggest thing,(and i'm sure others havementioned this)is the running time.both the the artwork on the DVD andthe case list it as being 87 minutes.however,the actual running time isaround the 30 minute mark.not sure why the discrepancy.the other thingthat disappointed me was the lack of humour compared to Wallace andGromit and the Curse of the Wererabbit.there were some humorousmoments,but not as many as i expected,and what humour there was,wasmuch more subtle.although there many amusing moments,there were no reallaugh out loud moments here for me,i did however like the story,butbecause the film was so short,i don't feel they developed itenough.still,overall,it was a pleasant watch.for me,Wallace and Gromitin A Matter of Loaf and Death is a 6/10

Framescourer 2012-04-08 16:58:57

Zippy , inventive short, perfect for Christmas Day

An unsurprising but thoroughly satisfying short in the tradition ofWallace and Gromit's other adventures. Cheese only features in an earlywaking dream as the plucky Yorkshire duo have taken up bakery. Theirterrace-windmill conversion is named Top Bun, which is the first of asubtle blizzard of puns/movie references embedded in the film. Isuggest you ditch the round of charades you're on and try to see whocan spot them first.There is nothing to really startle the audience who hold The WrongTrousers as the enduring gold standard, especially as the expansiveWere Rabbit has covered almost everything that the two can get up to.Nonetheless, Nick Park comes up with some new ideas and the animationis a wonder. 6/10

P. T. 2012-04-05 05:35:11

It seems some things don't get better with age....................

As a fan of the original three 'Wallace and Gromit' short films I waspleased to hear that there would be a fourth outing for the duo. Sadlythough, 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' doesn't live up to the standardsset by Nick Park's earlier works. There were several reasons for this:Firstly, the pacing of the film was far too rushed, thus preventing theviewer from ever really getting involved with the story on screen. Muchof the film seems to jump from one scenario to the next, never givingthe story time to build up, as so wonderfully demonstrated in 'TheWrong Trousers'.Secondly, there seemed to be far greater use of music this time round,but rather than setting the mood, it seemed too 'obvious' in places,and merely felt forced, and comic in nature. In fact I can barelyrecall a moment of silence within the film at all. Conversely, take thescene in 'The Wrong Trousers' with Gromit hiding in a box and thePenguin slowly advancing towards him. The use of music (andrestraint)is so effective, chilling and suspenseful, and really createsatmosphere.Thirdly, the humour has changed somewhat over the years. In the earlierfilms, there were more subtle visual gags that weren't so overtly putforth, whereas in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' there seems to be agreater if not equal emphasis on verbal dialogue, which doesn't seem tohave quite the same appeal. Plus, much of the humour seems to be'spoof-like' in nature resulting in contrived humour.Forthly, 'Piella Bakewell' is simply not that interesting of acharacter, and ends up more being more annoying than menacing. Also,the whole end sequence falls flat, not only on its own terms, but incomparison to both 'TWT' and 'ACS'.In summary, it seems that in an attempt to cram in as much as possiblein 30 minutes of airtime, and the desire to throw all restraint out ofthe window, much of the charm, build-up and true brilliance of theoriginal shorts has been lost. Nevertheless, any adventure with Wallaceand Gromit is a welcome one, and much requested by fans. Perhaps NickPark might study his earlier films, picking up on the techniques thatmade them so good in the first place. Who knows, maybe next time'Wallace and Gromit' will go on an adventure in anothercountry...................

Robert 2012-04-04 23:15:06

Starting to become a bit too clique with movies

This movie, obviously, had many improvements with the technology, theclay frame by framing, the special effects, etc. However, I feel thatthe plot has started to change a little from the classic stories thatare simple and easy, to something with a bit more movie humor. And thatisn't bad, if done correctly. But if pushed to it's limits, if moviereferences are taken, it starts to become more of a clique.Anyhow, the movie was still enjoyable. I feel that younger children maybe scared by a few of the more intense scenes, but I wouldn't knowsince I'm way past that age. However, I am very impressed that thelanguage is very mild. The violence, while intense, wasn't thatterrible. Not that much blood. Just a few adult like jokes, etc.Overall a good movie, however a few of the comical movie clique jokescould have been minimized a bit.

Jackson Booth-Millard 2012-04-04 19:41:54

Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death

It had been 13 years since we had last seen the two lovable Plastercinecharacters in A Close Shave, and at Christmas we were entertained bythis half hour adventure. Wallace (Peter Sallis) and Gromit are nowearning a living turning 62 West Wallaby Street into a bakery, with awindmill, many mixing machines and ovens, and "dough to door" service.Recently 12 local bakers have been murdered, Gromit seems to beconcerned, but Wallace isn't worried, he's too "dough-eyed" for localbeauty and bread enthusiast, Piella Bakewell (Coronation Street's SallyLindsay). It is when Gromit discovers her dark plan, yes, she is thebaker killer, that she is determined to do anything to stop him ruiningher plan to kill Wallace. In the end it is the two dogs, Gromit andPiella's own poodle Fluffles (Melissa Collier) who save the day. Awelcome return, and I'm sure this film will nominated for or winanother Short Animated Film Oscar for creator Nick Park. Wallace andGromit were number 11 on The World's Greatest Comedy Characters, andthey were number 15 on The 100 Greatest Kid's TV Shows, and as part ofAardman Animations, they was number 15 on The 100 Greatest Cartoons. Itwas nominated the Oscar for Best Short Animated Film, and it won theBAFTA for Best Short Animation. Very good!

planktonrules 2012-04-03 21:51:49

It's Wallace and Gromit--so what's not to like?!

This latest Wallace and Gromit short is sure different in some waysfrom the first short, A GRAND DAY OUT WITH WALLACE AND GROMIT. Thefirst film used simpler technology--mostly because Nick Park had beenworking on much of the film on his own before he came to work forAardman. The characters were clearly made of clay (with fingerprints onthem) and the sets were much simpler. In contrast, in A MATTER OF LOAFAND DEATH, the characters look like they were computer generated (Idon't think this is true, however) because they were much smoother andthey appeared to be using soft poseable plastic dolls. Also, thebackgrounds and additional characters are light-years ahead of thefirst film. All this is to be expected, as the company has grown andlearned a lot over the years--as well as picking up several Oscarsalong the way for their great work.Now this isn't saying that the new film is total perfection. While itis very cute and watchable, it does suffer from two things. Perhaps theearlier films were a bit funnier. In fact, I saw a couple of theseolder shorts again just a few days ago and I think the humor was a bitbrighter and sillier. Another minor problem is that this film remindedme an awful lot of WALLACE AND GROMIT IN A CLOSE SHAVE. Both filmsfeatured Wallace falling in love and in both cases, the ladies ended upbeing very wicked, indeed! In fact, when I first started watching AMATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH, I automatically assumed that lady was thekiller--just like the lady in this previous film was the sheep-napper.And, like in the other film, it's up to Gromit to save the day becauseWallace is too big a doofus to realize what is happening...which, bythe way, reminds me a lot of WALLACE AND GROMIT AND THE CURSE OF THEWERE-RABBIT.So, as you can see, there isn't much new under the sun in this film.However, its handled so well and beautifully that you can still enjoythis rather derivative yet engaging film.UPDATE--2/18/10 I just went to a show of the Oscar-nominated animatedshorts. This film was one of the five. However, when compared to theother four films, this was my least favorite as it didn't innovate atall and other Wallace & Gromit films are better. This isn't to say it'sa bad film or I hated it--I just can't see it deserving the Oscar. Myprediction is that LOGORAMA will win, though my very favorite is thesomewhat morbid THE OLD LADY AND THE REAPER. Stay tuned in March to seeif I am correct.

TheLittleSongbird 2012-03-27 15:58:03

"Gromit, I have a bomb in my pants"

I do agree with the other commentators that it isn't quite as good asWrong Trousers or Close Shave, but there is still plenty to enjoy here.I can see completely why it was the most watched Christmas programme onBritish Television. Technically, it is a wonder. Even after thirteenyears, the claymation is so good. And there are plenty of visual jokesto delight even the fussiest adult or child, like Puppy Love by DoggyOsmond. I just have to mention the ending, it was hilarious, withWallace shouting "Gromit I've got a bomb in my pants". It was so sillyI couldn't help laughing, so much so my sides were really sore. SallyLindsey was impressive as Piella Bakewell, and Peter Sallis stillproves that at 87 he could still do a competent job as ever as Wallace.Gromit still delights with his priceless facial expressions, and thelittle dog was enough to make you go "awww!" The storyline was quitedark in tone, even more so than the predecessors, but the constantvisual jokes kept my family entertained. If I had one quibble, it wouldbe that the pace of the episode was a bit too fast, but overall thiswas hugely enjoyable. 9/10 Bethany Cox.

Boba_Fett1138 2012-03-27 08:34:25

Does not disappoint.

This was the first Wallace & Gromit short to be made after the bigworld wide theatrical release and success of the full length animatedmovie "Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit". By now theentire world and- not just England anymore, knew who Wallace & Gromitwere. This of course made expectations higher than usual and putted onpressure on Nick Park and the rest of the crew. "Wallace and Gromit in'A Matter of Loaf and Death'" however does what all other previousWallace & Gromit shorts had also already done in the past and that isto bring some cracking and good looking simple entertainment.It's probably not as hilarious to watch as the previous Wallace &Gromit shorts but the movie is nevertheless entertaining and of courseimpressive as well to look at. The animations and possibilities haveall advanced, which provides "Wallace and Gromit in 'A Matter of Loafand Death'" with some even more impressive looking sequences.The movie is probably less hilarious to watch because of its story.It's a quite sinister- and more of a thriller type of plot. All otherWallace & Gromit movies already sort of had this but this movie just abit more than others. I must say that the movie even tends to drag alittle at points but luckily the movie has more than enough redeemingqualities to qualify this movie as simple a great- and highlyentertaining movie.Another triumph for the Aardman studios.8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/