The third of the short Wallace and Gromit films, A Close Shave, is technically by far the most ambitious of the three, and is a very entertaining movie that every W&G fan will be truly happy with. I still marginally prefer “The Wrong Trousers”, but the decision really is a close shave (groan).

Plot

There’s a sheep-napping dog on the loose, whose motives for the nabbing the sheep is unknown. One of the sheep does manage to escape and finds its way into Wallace’s house. The dynamic and somewhat eccentric tea and cheese-loving inventor Wallace has now gone into business washing windows, utilising his faithful and very long-suffering dog Gromit and a bungee rope to get the windows done in super-fast time.

Being somewhat a loner, Wallace’s life takes a very unexpected turn when he meets Wendolene while washing the windows at her wool shop. Their conversation is a bit Stilton… sorry, stilted, but still, love seems to be in the air. Wendolene has a dog that takes a real dislike to Gromit though, so the relationship seems doomed from the start…

Meanwhile the stray sheep is busy eating everything at Wallace’s home, and getting caught up in Wallace’s new invention, the “Knit-O-Matic” – leading to his discovery and subsequently being named “Shaun” – or possible “Shawn”… When Gromit is framed for the sheep-nabbing however, Wallace and Shaun must plan a daring escape – and find the real culprit…

Claymation

The clay animation is better than ever in this movie, with one of the best sequences being a motorcycle chase – with several sheep arranged in aerodynamic formation! The facial expressions of the characters are superb, and the action sequences are brilliant. Claymation has the ability to create an atmosphere that other types of animation just cannot match. It’s 30 minutes long and that seems about perfect for the storyline, which is wonderfully bizarre but packed with the little touches that have made W&G so popular. It’s very funny and as always great entertainment for young and old alike. (The reason for the romance cooling off is very funny, too.)

The music is fun and fits the action perfectly, while Peter Sallis’ voice acting for Wallace was once again perfect. Anne Reid does a good job as the voice of Wendolene. There’s really nothing to criticise but somehow I always just slightly prefer The Wrong Trousers to this – of course, watch them both and you can’t go wrong!

Verdict

One of the reasons people love this one is the sheep – they are very funny and look great – but also one of the reasons why some aren’t quite so keen on it as they do take the limelight away from Wallace and Gromit a little. Personally I think it’s good that there were more discernable characters in this one, not that there was anything wrong with the earlier ones but it feels a little different to the two preceding animations.

Yet again Park bagged the Oscar for “Best Short Film” and several other awards, following on from the success of his earlier “Creature Comforts” and Wallace & Gromit’s “Wrong Trousers”.

I can’t give you many quotes as so many of them reveal key plot elements, but I did like this one:

Wendolene Ramsbottom: “Yer dog's waiting.”
Wallace: “Aye, I'd better see to him. The bounce has gone from his bungee.”


Links

Claymation

A Grand Day Out - their first adventure

The Wrong Trousers - new adventures in mechanical clothing…

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - the dynamic duo’s first feature-length film!



Recommended: Yes