There is a rabbit problem in town and eccentric inventor Wallace (Peter Sallis) has started up a pest control company with his loyal dog Gromit. Lady Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter) is holding the annual vegetable competition at her home and calls in Wallace and Gromit to deal with the rabbits infesting her gardens. Wallace is instantly smitten with Lady Tottington, but she is also being courted by the money-grabbing Victor Quartermaine (Ralph Fiennes). However, people's vegetables are still being eaten during the night and eye-witnesses report a monstrous rabbit is on the loose. The vicar thinks that the beats is a were-rabbit, but nobody believes him. Lady Tottington chooses Wallace’s humane way of catching the beast over Quartermaine's plan to just shoot the thing. It is up to Wallace and Gromit to catch the beast before the vegetable contest, but it isn't long before Gromit begins to suspect that there might be some truth in what the vicar claims.

I have loved Aardman Animations ever since I first saw Morph as a kid. I really enjoyed Creature Comforts and Rex the Runt too. Let's not forget the original Wallace and Gromit films as well. I never get tired of watching that chase scene with the toy train from The Wrong Trousers either. Thankfully, Wallace and Gromit's first (and, unfortunately, only) feature length film was just as good as I hoped. Wallace and Gromit returned for another short film in 2008, but it looks doubtful that there will be any more as voice of Wallace, Peter Sallis, passed away earlier this year.

The people at Aardman clearly like their old horror films, which is quite funny as Peter Sallis popped up in a few of the old Hammer horrors (most notably in Curse of the Werewolf and Taste the Blood of Dracula). I shouldn't have to tell you where most people know Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes from. They would both go on to make their Harry Potter debuts a couple of months after this film was released.

It is always amazing how much character Gromit has for a creature that doesn't even speak. All he has to do is raise an eyebrow and you know all there is to know about the situation. It is clear who is the brains out of Wallace and Gromit. Poor old Gromit might usually end up getting the worst out of the trouble Wallace gets them in to, but you have to admire his loyalty to Wallace. Gromit really is a good boy!

I enjoyed watching this film so much that I might give the shorts another watch. I have some more Aardman films on my watch list (Flushed Away is coming soon and I'm just waiting for Early Man to be released on DVD). There's only one last thing for me to say about this film... Cracking film, Gromit!

My rating: 4 stars.