Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Wallace & Gromit fans (and who isn't one?) will recognize the stretch marks as endlessly clever claymation creator Nick Park milks a feature film out of his most enduring characters—hitherto known for side-splitting stop-motion 20-minute shorts. Oblivious inventor Wallace and his patient, eye-rolling pup are humane pest control entrepreneurs in this outsized adventure in which a monstrous mad bunny is wreaking havoc on their village's prized vegetable gardens. Paying hilarious homage to horror classics, Park and directing partner Steve Box get a little carried away with the sci-fi elements, but they also know that their bread and butter lies in their characters' endearing Play-Doh personalities, and despite the more ambitious comedic elements, the biggest laughs here are still the silently exasperated reaction shots of poor, put-upon Gromit. Featuring the voices of Helena Bonham Carter as a twittering love-interest ladyship and Ralph Fiennes as a twit (Wallace's stuffy, arrogant, rabbit-killing rival for the gal's affection). this one's definitely recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include audio commentary by filmmakers Nick Park and Steve Box, a 21-minute “How Wallace & Gromit Went to Hollywood” featurette, nine deleted scenes with optional commentary (14 min.), a 13-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, the award-winning Aardman Animations short film “Stage Fright” with optional commentary (11 min.), “A Day in the Life at Aardman” studio tour (9 min.), “How to Build a Bunny” on the clay-making process (4 min.), photo galleries with storyboards and behind-the-scenes photos, DVD-ROM features (including games, activities, printable bookmarks, and calendars), and trailers. Bottom line: an excellent extras package for a fun film.] (R. Blackwelder)