...a fun little romp...
Extras:
The disc opens with a preview for "Over the Hedge," a sneak-peak for "Flushed Away."
The "Cracking Commentary" by director Steve Box and creator Nick Park feature the two dry-witted commentators discussing the origins of W&G, the different decisions made about the scenes that were shot for the film. The pair fail to introduce themselves and sound remarkably similar so it is tough to figure out who is who and what part they contributed to the final feature. The major bit that comes up repeatedly is the balancing they had to do between in transitioning the pair from their modest origins to the big screen without losing any of the charm.
As tightly-scripted and boarded as an animated feature like this must be, there were bits that had to be cut out for time or pacing. Each scene comes with a commentary from Park and Box. The quality is mediocre, washed out, and non-Anamorphic.
"How Wallace and Gromit Went to Hollywood" is an EPK featurette that seems more at home on the BBC than anywhere else. The bit deals with the history of W&G, the Plasticine animation, and the success the pair experienced over the pond and here in the States. It even discusses how W&G saved the Wensleydale dairy. I was worried that this feature would be a simple celebration of the animators; while it is that the history that is presented is nicely complex and complete.
"The Making of Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" is a slick EPK featurette that focuses more on the creation of the film than on the history of the characters. The voice recordings are the main focus, less than the excruciating work that produces the animation. As a result this featurette spends far too much time just summarizing the film´s narrative. There are flashes of the true inner-workings of the minds of Park and Box and their crew but it´s overall complimentary.
"A Day in the Life at Ardman" is a tour of the studio that produce W&G. This bit exposes the insane amount of detail that goes into the crafting of a proper claymation feature which I was dying to see. It´s a quaint and rather funny look at the Ardman crew. Similarly the feature "How to Build a Bunny" goes into depth into he construction of the characters in the film. This one specifically focuses on the creation of the rabbits that run roughshod over W&G´s town.
"Stage Fright" is a twisted short claymation feature that deals with the transition between vaudeville and cinema. There are a few giggles to be found but it´s a fairly tense drama in a silly style. There is an optional commentary from Steve Box.
"The Family Album" gives the viewer a chance to enjoy the fine details of the film that would otherwise be glazed over, particularly the signs of the world. There are also storyboards, a "Photo Album" of W&G, and some behind the scenes shots.
DWK is a section of short films featuring W&G and Wallace´s crazy inventions gone wrong. I almost missed these little bits because they were tucked away in a separate section from the rest of the extras. They are very short but extremely cute!
There are also a host of games for the kids… they aren´t particularly interesting, just press the right button at the right moment to unlock something on the DVD Rom. They tie in clips from the film and are fairly inspired, but are definitely for the kids.
Film Value:
I had never seen any of the Wallace and Gromit features so I came into the movie expecting nothing. I was pleasantly surprised by how quaint and fun the film ended up being. The movie is a fun little romp that is bolstered by a wonderful soundtrack. It´s easily recommended.
The disc opens with a preview for "Over the Hedge," a sneak-peak for "Flushed Away."
The "Cracking Commentary" by director Steve Box and creator Nick Park feature the two dry-witted commentators discussing the origins of W&G, the different decisions made about the scenes that were shot for the film. The pair fail to introduce themselves and sound remarkably similar so it is tough to figure out who is who and what part they contributed to the final feature. The major bit that comes up repeatedly is the balancing they had to do between in transitioning the pair from their modest origins to the big screen without losing any of the charm.
As tightly-scripted and boarded as an animated feature like this must be, there were bits that had to be cut out for time or pacing. Each scene comes with a commentary from Park and Box. The quality is mediocre, washed out, and non-Anamorphic.
"How Wallace and Gromit Went to Hollywood" is an EPK featurette that seems more at home on the BBC than anywhere else. The bit deals with the history of W&G, the Plasticine animation, and the success the pair experienced over the pond and here in the States. It even discusses how W&G saved the Wensleydale dairy. I was worried that this feature would be a simple celebration of the animators; while it is that the history that is presented is nicely complex and complete.
"The Making of Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" is a slick EPK featurette that focuses more on the creation of the film than on the history of the characters. The voice recordings are the main focus, less than the excruciating work that produces the animation. As a result this featurette spends far too much time just summarizing the film´s narrative. There are flashes of the true inner-workings of the minds of Park and Box and their crew but it´s overall complimentary.
"A Day in the Life at Ardman" is a tour of the studio that produce W&G. This bit exposes the insane amount of detail that goes into the crafting of a proper claymation feature which I was dying to see. It´s a quaint and rather funny look at the Ardman crew. Similarly the feature "How to Build a Bunny" goes into depth into he construction of the characters in the film. This one specifically focuses on the creation of the rabbits that run roughshod over W&G´s town.
"Stage Fright" is a twisted short claymation feature that deals with the transition between vaudeville and cinema. There are a few giggles to be found but it´s a fairly tense drama in a silly style. There is an optional commentary from Steve Box.
"The Family Album" gives the viewer a chance to enjoy the fine details of the film that would otherwise be glazed over, particularly the signs of the world. There are also storyboards, a "Photo Album" of W&G, and some behind the scenes shots.
DWK is a section of short films featuring W&G and Wallace´s crazy inventions gone wrong. I almost missed these little bits because they were tucked away in a separate section from the rest of the extras. They are very short but extremely cute!
There are also a host of games for the kids… they aren´t particularly interesting, just press the right button at the right moment to unlock something on the DVD Rom. They tie in clips from the film and are fairly inspired, but are definitely for the kids.
Film Value:
I had never seen any of the Wallace and Gromit features so I came into the movie expecting nothing. I was pleasantly surprised by how quaint and fun the film ended up being. The movie is a fun little romp that is bolstered by a wonderful soundtrack. It´s easily recommended.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]18134[/release]