Wallace and Gromit are cashing in with their humane pest-control outfit, "Anti-Pesto." With only days to go before the annual Giant Vegetable Competition, business is booming, but Wallace & Gromit are finding out that running a "humane" pest control outfit has its drawbacks as their West Wallaby Street home fills to the brim with captive rabbits. Suddenly, a huge, mysterious, veg-ravaging "beast" begins attacking the town's sacred vegetable plots at night, and the competition hostess, Lady Tottington, commissions Anti-Pesto to catch it and save the day. Lying in wait, however, is Lady Tottington's snobby suitor, Victor Quartermaine, who'd rather shoot the beast and secure the position of local hero - not to mention Lady Tottingon's hand in marriage. With the fate of the competition in the balance, Lady Tottington is eventually forced to allow Victor to hunt down the vegetable chomping marauder. Little does she know that Victor's real intent could have dire consequences for her...and Wallace & Gromit.

Sometimes you see a movie knowing you’re not the target audience and you thoroughly enjoy it and become a big fan of the movie despite it not being for you. Other times you see a movie not meant for you and you like it but you will never love it like it’s target audience will and does. Sadly the latter is how I felt about Wallace & Gromit, don’t get me wrong the movie was fun, it was silly, it was funny, and it was fanciful but it just wasn’t entirely for me. The movie is a kids movie, a smart and intelligent kids movie which I appreciate and some studios like Disney have completely forgotten how to make but all the same it’s a kids movie and I really wasn’t in the mood for such a light hearted affair. Later on I may enjoy the movie more when I am in a different mood but at the very least I can appreciate the movie for what it was: light heartened entertainment and humor. The movie has that quirky, silly style only a Wallace & Gromit movie could have and the children will love it. They are different and they are proud of being different, claymation isn’t dead nor should it be. The movie does overplay you being more familiar with the characters than I am or was and sometimes that hurt the movie but when all was said and done I did leave the theatre with a smile.

Claymation like puppetry is becoming an art form of the past, which is such a shame. When I watch a movie like Revenge of the Sith and Yoda is no longer a puppet I feel bad for audiences and filmmakers who don’t realize why puppets and other forms like claymation worked. It’s because the audience had more of an imagination; when I was a kid I had no trouble believing Yoda or Kermit the frog was real, its all the cynical attitude of today’s youth forced upon them by filmmakers that don’t believe they have the imagination to watch anything that isn’t computer animated and generated. That’s why I love movies like Wallace & Gromit for the pure fact that they still have imagination and aren’t afraid to buck the trend a little and give us a fun, funny movie in a dated format and style. The movie is imaginative, outright silly at times and all audiences whether young or old you will at least leave with a smile on their face.
3.5 stars out of 5