I’m not the biggest fan of animated entertainment, but I have consistently enjoyed the “Wallace and Gromit” stories (and other projects) of Nick Park, the British writer, director and animator whose sense of humor is nicely aligned with my own.  He loves animals and the mischief they get themselves into, and credits them with more intelligence than the people who care for them.  Gromit is the canine hero we need for these troubled times, especially with crazy chickens on the loose.

Merlin Crossingham and Nick Park’s film begins with Wallace and his dog Gromit foiling the robbery of the Blue Diamond by Feathers McGraw, chicken extraordinaire.  Feathers eventually escapes prison, sabotages Wallace’s new invention, Norbot (a helpful garden gnome), and plots his revenge.  Wallace is oblivious so it’s up to Gromit to ferret out the sneaky chicken, track down the Blue Diamond and keep himself and Wallace out of jail.

It’s a wild story, all the more so because its antagonist is a mute chicken with very little personality — just enough to pique our interest.  Wallace is annoyingly dense, matched by the chief of police.  Only constable Mukherjee (voice of Lauren Patel) and Gromit prevent complete anarchy in this tale.  While the story is truly goofy, the style used to tell it is insidiously cute.  Film fans will note references, camera angles and in-jokes to classic and noirish projects from Cape Fear and Aliens to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Shawshank Redemption.  References like these are a great deal of fun to recognize, and I’m sure that British audiences will spot even more.

For family-friendly fare one can hardly go wrong with an Aardman Productions film like this.  We even spotted the farmer from The Shawn the Sheep Movie in one late scene.  And the moral that crime doesn’t pay is beautifully rendered, thanks to Gromit and his quick thinking.  If you enjoy stop motion animation, or just good old-fashioned British comedy, this adventure is a treat.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  4 February 2026.