--- title: "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/wallace-and-gromit-the-curse-of-the-were-rabbit/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/wallace-and-gromit-the-curse-of-the-were-rabbit" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. 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 Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 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. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wallace-gromit-curse-rabbit-review/) ## The AV Club — Tasha Robinson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2005. 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. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/wallace-gromit-the-curse-of-the-were-rabbit-1798201087) ## Evening Standard — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. 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. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/a-24carrot-spectacle-7385958.html) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2005. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/wallace-and-gromit-the-curse-of-the-were-rabbit/4024432.article) ## The Times — Cosmo Landesman Rating 4/5. 27 November 2005. 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. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/article/film-the-critical-list-jgbstzmf7rx) ## Time Out — DA Rating 3/5. 13 March 2014. 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. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-curse-of-the-were-rabbit) ## 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. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-oct-05-et-wallace5-story.html) ## 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. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/wallace-and-gromit-the-curse-of-the-were-rabbit/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 14 October 2005. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2005/oct/14/1) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane 10 October 2005. 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. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/10/17/best-friends) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott 5 October 2005. 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. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/05/movies/a-new-challenge-for-an-englishman-and-his-dog.html) ## Variety — Leslie Felperin 17 September 2005. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2005/film/awards/wallace-gromit-the-curse-of-the-were-rabbit-1200523132/) ## Eye for Film — Anton Bitel Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2005. 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. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/wallace-gromit-the-curse-of-the-were-rabbit-film-review-by-anton-bitel) ## Digital Spy — Daniel Saney Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2005. 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. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a25280/wallace-and-gromit-curse-of-the-were-rabbit/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/wallace-and-gromit-the-curse-of-the-were-rabbit.md