Critics’ reviews

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

14 reviews from 14 publications. Critics’ score 81: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative.

Back to our review of Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

81
Positive
7
Mixed
1
Negative
0

Most critics greet Wallace & Gromit’s feature-length adventure warmly, praising its stop-motion detail, densely packed sight gags and distinctly British humour. The reviews repeatedly credit the film with preserving the pair’s homespun charm, with Gromit’s silent expressions drawing particular admiration. Praise also clusters around the affectionate relationship between inventor and dog, and comedy that gives adults plenty to enjoy without losing its appeal to children.

Reservations centre on a thin or silly plot, though most critics find enough invention in the jokes and animation to compensate. The disagreement is sharper over the action: some celebrate the elaborate chases, while the Evening Standard prefers the quieter passages of ordinary life. Time Out supplies the clearest dissent, finding the animation too close to CGI in appearance and the story superficial, with momentum fading towards the end. The spread is largely positive rather than deeply divided.

Empire
· Chris Hewitt
90*

The first big-screen Wallace & Gromit adventure is a consistently hilarious slice of Britannia that retains its charming homespun quality while delivering killer sight gags, world-class punnery and a boundlessly inventive funfair chase sequence.

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The AV Club
5 October 2005 · Tasha Robinson
85*

The critic praises the film's craft, stop-motion details, and the sweet, goofy dynamic between the inventive but dim Wallace and his loyal dog Gromit. It highlights the packed sight gags, puns, and self-aware wit that hold the frenetic story together through reckless charm.

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Evening Standard
10 April 2012 · Derek Malcolm
80*

The film is a splendid effort from Park and co-director Steve Box that remains defiantly British with knowing nods to horror films; the quiet patches of ordinary life and eccentric humour are more memorable than the action sequences.

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Screen Daily
20 September 2005 · festival review
80*

A delirious blend of whimsy and wit that charms all ages with its visual feast of puns, sight gags, and Aardman claymation. Good clean fun that rewards repeat viewing, though it offers no surprises and may struggle to attract older teens beyond family audiences.

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The Times
27 November 2005 · ★★★★ · Cosmo Landesman
80

The duo is in top form with delightful jokes and good voice work from Bonham Carter and Fiennes, though the story is a bit thin.

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Time Out
13 March 2014 · ★★★ · DA
60

The stop-motion animation is slick but too CGI-like, making the painstaking technique seem unnecessary. Wallace and Gromit's inventions drive a superficial plot full of film references and puns, though it loses steam toward the end and relies on Gromit's expressive silence.

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Los Angeles Times
5 October 2005

The film is described as irresistible and a treat, retaining the clever sensibility of the shorts while delivering wonderful cartoon chases and a monster transformation sequence. The meticulous stop-motion process and five-year production are singled out as worth every second.

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Slant Magazine
6 October 2005

The critic calls the film sublime, insightful, and resonant, contrasting its heartfelt community and humanist stamp with lesser stop-motion efforts. It singles out the bunnies' heaven-bound POV as a particularly touching and clever image.

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The Guardian
14 October 2005 · Peter Bradshaw

The film is a thoroughly delightful family movie packed with cheeky gags and buoyant fun, a model of high-IQ comedy writing crafted with flair in every frame. It delivers pure unpretentious joy without any misjudged darkness.

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The New Yorker
10 October 2005 · Anthony Lane

The review celebrates the film's virtues and predicts it will secure another Oscar, highlighting its unflagging pace, cheesy puns, and childish pleasure. It singles out the blend of Philip Larkin and Bruce Wayne sensibilities along with the absence of children on screen.

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The New York Times
5 October 2005 · A.O. Scott

The critic finds the film a solemn occasion for Gromit's feature debut, praising its soulful stop-motion animation and eccentric world despite the silly plot. The animation is singled out as a marvel, with particular appreciation for subtle details like Gromit's forehead.

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Variety
17 September 2005 · festival review · Leslie Felperin

The pic is quintessentially British and delivers a wholesome morsel for families, staying faithful to the cozy core ingredients despite some coarsening. The long-awaited feature outing for the Plasticine pals is singled out, with praise for the mutant rabbit premise.

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Eye for Film
13 October 2005 · Anton Bitel
90*

The critic calls the film one of the funniest and most entertaining of the year, a classic anti-hunting, pro-vegetarian comedy full of puns and genre parodies. They single out its pantomime-style larger-than-life characters and rapid, family-friendly delivery for particular praise.

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Digital Spy
17 October 2005 · Daniel Saney
85*

The critic praises the film's charm, humour, and animation as a successful feature-length debut that retains the Englishness of the shorts. They single out the visual impressiveness and the emotive animation of Gromit for particular note.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate