The following contains spoilers for Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, now streaming on NetflixWallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowlbreaks a series' long precedent. In many ways, the latest entry fromWallace & Gromitfeels right at home alongside the earlier films and shorts focused on the titular pair.Wallace and Gromit’s various movies and shortsover the years, with plenty of good natured riffs on sci-fi adventures, murder mysteries, and horror stories. Throughout, the franchise has maintained some core concepts and characters that have allowed the duo to bounce between adventures that can take decadesto craft.
While it’s beena long time since the lastWallace & Gromitmovie, the pair are right at home in their latest adventure. The movie follows many of the tropes of their previous stories, with the good-natured duo thwarting a deceptively dangerous villain all while enjoying themselves. However, the film does subvert one series-long tradition in a way that could define the future stories focusing on the pair.
Wallace & Gromit Has It’s First Returning Villain In Vengeance Most Fowl
The Return Of Feathers McGraw Breaks A Series' Long Precedent
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowlsubverts the series' long tradition of introducing new villains for each story bybringing back Feathers McGraw. AlthoughWallace & Gromithave been going on strong for over thirty-five years, the series has never really concerned itself with a tight continuity. Each story focuses on the sweet-natured inventor Wallace and his loyal canine companion Gromit as they on adventures in their sleepy English town and beyond. However,Vengeance Most Fowldirectly builds off one of their most iconic adventures, 1993’sThe Wrong Trousers.
I Visited The Set Of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl - Here’s What I Learned About The New Movie
16 years after their last movie, Wallace & Gromit are back in Vengeance Most Fowl, and we were on set to witness the claymation magic.
That short introduced the nefarious penguin criminal, Feathers McGraw. However, the duo were able to uncover his scheme and turn him over to the police. Imprisoned in a zoo ever since,Vengeance Most Fowlfocuses on his efforts to reclaim the diamond he stole and frame Wallace for the crime, getting revenge while also finally claiming his prize. The film gives Feathers a genuine loathing for Wallace and Gromit,with a vendetta against the pair that almost results in Gromit’s demise. It’s a far cry from the more one-off villains of the series' past.
There Have Been SixWallace & GromitMovies And Shorts, With Five Main Villains Across Them
At the time of writing, there have been sixWallace & Gromitfilms and shorts, with the first five all introducing their own villains. While they all eventually gained a dislike for the titular pair, none of them became series' wide threats. In fact, each of them seemed to be dealt with by the end of their respective storylines. Almost every villain in the series has proven surprisingly dangerous, actively trying to kill Wallace and Gromit. However, their efforts were in vain,with the villains each suffering a major defeat by the end of the story.
Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Vengeance Most Fowl
Feathers McGraw
Both Preston and Piella were killed at the conclusion of their adventures (although Preston’s robotic nature allowed him to be rebuilt as a less evil dog). Victor was chased off by a mob at the end ofCurse of the Were-Rabbit, and hasn’t been seen since. Meanwhile, the Robot endedA Grand Day Outthankful for his encounter with Wallace and Gromit, as the pair inadvertently helped him realize his dream of becoming a skier.This makes the return of Feathers McGraw all the more surprising, especially given howVengeance Most Fowlconcludes.
Wallace & Gromit Sets Up Feathers McGraw As A Series Nemesis
Feathers McGraw’s Escape Means He Could Easily Return In The Future
The ending ofWallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowlsees Feathers McGraw successfully evade both the titular pair as well as the police. Although he isn’t able to escape with his long-sought after Blue Diamond, Feathers does manage to avoid being recaptured and brought to justice.This could set up Feathers as a major adversary for the series, potentially returning to bedevil Wallace and Gromit again in the future. What makes this an exciting prospect, beyond his presence in two of the most critically acclaimed entries in the series, is his role as a foil to both main characters.
[Feathers McGraw’s] feud with both characters would give him plenty of reason to return in future stories…
Vengeance Most Fowlhighlights that the criminal penguin is just as skilled with technology as Wallace. This means he could return with his own inventions instead of simply corrupting Wallace’s, setting the stage for an inventive battle of wacky machines. Feathers is also a mute antagonist, making him a direct counterpart to the voiceless Gromit. His feud with both characters would give him plenty of reason to return in future stories, potentially even bringing back prior villains like Victor.Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowlcould even be the beginning of Feathers' ascent as the franchise’s central villain.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Cast
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl features the beloved duo as they confront a “smart” invention gone rogue. When an autonomous gnome hints at larger schemes by a vengeful adversary, Gromit must navigate perilous challenges to protect Wallace and prevent a threat that could end their inventive escapades forever.
