Hare-raising adventures

"Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" is the first feature film for animation’s very own odd couple. Conjure up images of Gumby, Looney Tunes, Monty Python, Rube Goldberg and Pixar flung into a colossal cosmic Cuisinart and you have an inkling of the barely controlled lunacy that is Wallace and Gromit. For the few who have yet to catch the plasticene duo in their three acclaimed shorts (two are Oscar winners and one a nominee), permit me to enlighten you.

Wallace and Gromit are the brainchildren of Nick Park, a genius who is to clay animation what Walt Disney was to animation before he stopped being a cartoonist and became a legal entity.

Wallace is a cheese-adoring inventor long on sweetness, but somewhat lacking in common sense. Which is just fine because his long-suffering pet/business partner Gromit has enough brains and level-headedness for the both of them.

As Wallace cluelessly fiddles about, the mute, but facially expressive, Gromit gets his pal out of one jam after another. Oh, did I mention the wacky contraptions?

In "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," the protagonists are operating the successful pest-control business Anti Pesto. With days to go until the village’s giant vegetable competition, Wallace (voice of Peter Sallis) and Gromit have their hands full nabbing veggie pillaging bunnies. Their newest client is Lady Tottington (voice of Helena Bonham Carter), who is quite impressed with Anti Pesto’s humane methods and appears to like Wallace. Just when matters seem under control, someone or something is getting past Anti Pesto’s safeguards and destroying the giant veggies, making the townspeople very displeased. Meanwhile, Gromit has noticed Wallace has developed a taste for greens. Is there a connection?

One of the things people like most about the shorts is the all-ages appeal. Children respond to the silly, physical humor and the cool gadgets. Adults respond to the hip references and the cool gadgets. "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" successfully takes the duo to the big screen with all those assets intact. Of course it’s not just the toys that thrill, but the silly things done with them. The ingenuity combined with the madcap humor is positively infectious.

Devoted fans will not be disappointed. If there’s any justice, the ranks will increase exponentially.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
G
In area theatres Thursday
Three and a half out of four

Recommended Rental

Me and You and Everyone We Know
R
Available Tuesday

Winner of the Camera d’or Award for best first film at the Cannes Film Festival, "Me and You and Everyone We Know" is performance artist Miranda July’s auspicious debut as an actor/director/writer. July plays Christine, a quirky performance artist who falls for recently divorced shoe salesman Richard (John Hawkes). His hands full with two sons, Richard balks at what is obviously a new phase in his life. His 7-year-old has an unusual Internet romance going on and his 14-year-old is suddenly popular with the neighborhood girls.