By EMMA LAUS

For those of us born in the 2000s, I think it was a universal experience to own a small collection of DVDs that would play on repeat. From age four to ten, I watched “Mary Poppins” and “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” maybe a million times. When I recently revisited “Mary Poppins,” I was sad to find it didn’t live up to my fond memories. There is no reason for that movie to be over two hours and there is just way too much singing. But
“Wallace & Gromit” on the other hand… they keep it short and sweet and there is NO singing. It couldn’t have aged better. 

Wallace & Gromit is a British film series about an inventor (Wallace) and his loyal dog (Gromit). Usually, Wallace does something stupid and Gromit is left to clean up his mess. Everything about this series is perfect and awesome. The creators use claymation, which captures the characters expressions, motions, and the overall whimsy of their surroundings so impressively. This old-school method of animation also ensures the quality stays the same; even though new content has been released for over three decades, it maintains its original charm. I wish I could become clay and live in their cute little town. 

Also, Gromit is my favorite character ever. He is so cute and smart. As much as it’s hard to feel any sort of negative emotions while watching this movie series, I often feel a burning rage towards Wallace. He takes that dog for granted and it is not alright. He’s a neglectful and unappreciative owner. If there was “The Ultimatum” for pets and their owners, Gromit would realize he could do better. 

No movie tested Wallace haters more than the most recent release “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (2024). This movie takes a strong stance against AI, with a plot revolving around Wallace’s latest invention: a robotic garden gnome. This gnome puts Gromit through hell and Wallace doesn’t even notice. Also, the evil penguin from “The Wrong Trousers” is back and more sinister than ever. My heart raced with suspense multiple times throughout the movie. Every emotion possible radiated through my body — ecstasy, anger, satisfaction and above all, gratitude that I could watch this masterpiece. I hope these movies keep coming out forever. Until then, don’t neglect your dog for artificially intelligent garden gnomes.

Featured Image: Vivian Kopka’27