Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Foul.The Wallace & Gromit movies made a stellar comeback with the release of the Netflix film, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. This long-awaited, feature-length sequel depicted another meticulously-crafted, stop-motion adventure centered around Wallace and Gromit, who encounter their old adversary, thief Feathers McGraw. There's a lot to enjoy and appreciate in this acclaimed animated film, particularly the clever Easter eggs hidden throughout the movie.
There are several hidden details involving the characters in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and their surroundings that reference previous films in the franchise or other popular films and TV shows in smart and often humorous ways. Some are somewhat overt, while others are cleverly hidden in the background or inserted through jokes from the characters.
10 Cape Fear
Wallace & Gromit Pays Homage To A Classic Revenge Thriller
When looking for films similar to Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, one can easily see that Martin Scorcese's 1991 crime classic thriller Cape Fear was a huge inspiration for the story. Like Cape Fear, this Wallace & Gromit film depicts a criminal mastermind seeking vengeance against the film's protagonists for putting him in jail years prior, with his plan including turning everyone else against them.
Feathers McGraw is even seen doing pull-ups in his prison cell, similar to Robert De Niro's character, Max Cady, in Cape Fear. In addition, both films depict a climactic battle between the heroes and the villain on a boat going down a river. However, since Vengeance Most Fowl is a family film, it's no surprise that Feathers had a much better fate than Cady did in the end.
9 Gromit's Original Design
A Poster Features A Dog Resembling An Older Version Of Gromit
Image via BBC.
In Chief Inspector Mackintosh's office, there is a billboard painted with posters that depict several characters. Mukherjee is particularly drawn to the Wanted poster of the villainous Feathers McGraw. But beneath said poster, there is another poster of great intrigue, as it depicts a dog that looks a lot like Gromit. That's because this is based on the prototype design for Gromit.
When Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park was a young student at England's National Film and Television School, he first designed Gromit as a dog with brown fur and a large grin. This version of Gromit is a far cry from the less-animated animated dog that has starred in several classic films over the years. However, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl cleverly invokes the franchise's humble beginnings by adding a poster featuring the original version of Gromit.
8 Gromit's Book Collection
Apparently, Gromit The Dog Is A Huge Bookworm
Two running gags in the Wallace & Gromit franchise are the use of pun names and Gromit reading books. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl continues and combines these gags multiple times throughout the film. For instance, when the robot gnome Norbot walks into Gromit's bedroom at nighttime, the latter is shown reading A Room of One'sOwn by legendary author Virginia Woolf.
It's a sophisticated reading choice, but the author's last name is spelled "Woof" on the book's cover.Likewise, when Gromit sits at the dining table the next day, he is seen reading John Milton's epic Biblical poem, Paradise Lost, with the poet's last name spelled "Stilton." Coincidentally, A Room of One's Own entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2025, just two days before Vengeance Most Fowl premiered on Netflix.
7 007
Feathers McGraw Invokes A Classic James Bond Villain
Image via BBC
Though Feathers McGraw doesn't say anything throughout this Wallace & Gromit film,like Gromit, his actions say a lot about his character as a classically evil and conniving penguin. For example, when Gromit investigates Feathers's activities at the local zoo, the former sees the criminal mastermind from afar, sitting in a black, spinning chair and stroking a white baby seal. This shot of Feathers is a clear reference to Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the iconic villain from Britain's 007 film franchise.
This powerful adversary of spy James Bond is best remembered for how he often sat in a black chair and stroking a furry, white cat as he plotted his evil schemes, making him a popular symbol of villainy. Such a sinister criminal persona fits Feathers McGraw like a red rubber glove in Vengeance Most Fowl.
6 Lou Reed
Gromit Has An Interesting Taste In Music
Image via BBC
The puns seen in the Wallace & Gromit films aren't limited to books. Specifically, when Norbot charges himself in Gromit's room at the end of the day, one can see a cover for the music album Walkies on the Wild Side by Roo Lead on the floor. This gag is very much a parody of the world-famous singer Lou Reed, and his album Walk on the Wild Side. The term "walkies" is also a British term for taking dogs for walks, making it understandable how it would appeal to a canine like Gromit.
Additionally, instead of the human Reed, Gromit's album cover depicts a dog who is most likely the film's version of the singer, Roo Lead. This gag is even more hilarious and ironic considering the fact that animals don't even talk in the Wallace & Gromit films.
5 Moon Cheese
Feathers Finds A Small Tribute To A Classic Wallace And Gromit Film
As Feathers McGraw tries to hack into Wallace's computer from his prison cell, the former is asked to prove he isn't a robot by clicking on the photos of cheese on his screen. However, the evil penguin has trouble deciding if one picture of the moon is actually cheese. Surprisingly enough, Feathers clicks on the photo, and he gains access to Wallace's computer.
This moment is a clever reference to Wallace and Gromit's 1989 short film, A Grand Day Out. In this low-budget short film, Wallace and Gromit spend their holiday building a rocket and flying to the Moon for a picnic, as the hungry Wallace believes the moon is made of cheese. It's a funny tribute to Wallace and Gromit's first-ever film, which was nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 63rd Academy Awards.
4 Peter Sallis
Wallace Has A British Icon's Outfit In His House
Image via BBC
When Chief Inspector Mackintosh and PC Mukherjee interrogate Wallace at his house about the Norbots' string of burglaries, a distinctive coat and a tweed hat can be seen hanging near the front door. This is the outfit traditionally worn by Peter Sallis's character, Norman Clegg, also known as Cleggy, in Last of the Summer Wine, the longest-running TV sitcom in the world.
Wallace including Cleggy's outfit in the film isn't just a tribute to a British TV icon, it's the movie's director, Nick Park, paying tribute to an old friend and partner. Sallis had long collaborated with Park as the original voice of Wallace in the Wallace & Gromit franchise since A Grand Day Out. Though Sallis passed away in 2017, actor Ben Whitehead took his place as the new Wallace in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.
3 The Office
Feathers McGraw Can't Beat Michael Scott As A Boss
The Office is easily one of the most popular TV sitcoms in the world, and since it started out as a series on the BBC, it's no surprise that a British film like Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl referenced it. This Easter Egg is found when Feathers McGraw is on board his submarine, playing the pipe organ like the Phantom of the Opera. When he's finished playing, Feathers can be seen sitting in a chair, drinking from a coffee mug that says "World's Best Boss."
Such a mug is one of the most recognizable items belonging to Michael Scott in the U.S. version of The Office. Ironically, Michael made a reference to Wallace & Gromitduring a phone call with David Wallace in the cold open of season 3, episode 23 of The Office.
2 Anton Deck
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl introduced a new character to the franchise: Anton Deck. This upbeat reporter is frequently seen on television behind the desk for Up North News. He's not a particularly major character, but he's actually another prime example of Wallace & Gromit's clever brand of humor.
It's not obvious at first, but the character's name is actually a pun on Ant & Dec, a British television duo famous for hosting hit shows like Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Britain's Got Talent, Limitless Win, and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! In a statement on X, Anton's voice actor Muzz Khan revealed that Aardman Animations reached out to Ant & Dec for permission to do the gag, and the duo happily gave their blessing. Their names are even listed in the Special Thanks section of the film's credits.
1 The Wrong Trousers' Train Scene
Vengeance Most Fowl Takes Its Predecessor To A New Level
Image via BBC
Wallace and Gromit first encountered Feathers McGraw in the 1993 short film, Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers. Not only does Vengeance Most Fowl bring back Feathers as the main antagonist. The film also recreates the famous climax from The Wrong Trousers, in which Wallace and Gromit chase the villain on their model train set as he tries to steal the Blue Diamond.
The third act of Vengeance Most Fowl may have shown Wallace and Gromit pursuing Feathers on a boat, but the group's chase ends up on the top of an actual moving train that derails and crashes in a fiery explosion. Such a sequence encapsulates how the movie is a bigger and better sequel to The Wrong Trousers, showing how far the Wallace & Gromit franchise has gone in the decades since its early days in short films.
Source: X
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
- Release Date
- January 3, 2025
- Runtime
- 79 minutes
- Director
- Nick Park
- Writers
- Mark Burton
- Producers
- Claire Jennings
Cast
Reece ShearsmithNorbot (voice)- Ben WhiteheadWallace (voice)
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