Movie Review: The Wrong Trousers

I have "The Adventures of Wallace and Gromit" on DVD, which includes the following 30-minute short films: A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, and A Close Shave. Yesterday I watched the second film, which features ex-NASA robo-pants, the machinations of penguin disguised as a chicken, and a chase sequence on a model train set. Fantastic stuff.

The Wrong Trousers is the second film starring Wallace and Gromit but it isn't necessary to have seen A Grand Day Out to enjoy it. It's not a sequel but the first scene gives a tacit nod to the first film by means of a newspaper headline. It starts on Gromit's birthday, and Wallace has spent quite a bit of money for gifts for the dog. One present is a collar and lead (leash); the other is the titular trousers, which feature vacuum-suctioning feet and can be programmed to walk the dog. Wallace, the man and inventor, is thrilled about this, but Gromit is...not. And much to Gromit's chagrin, Wallace sublets a spare room to a penguin in order to recompense the money spent for gifts. Gromit has a bad feeling about the penguin, and his suspicions are confirmed when...well, you'll have to find out for yourself.

The animation is much improved but still maintains charm, soul and inventiveness. Like the previous film, Wallace has the only dialogue in the film--if it can be called dialogue. He speaks but gets nonverbal responses. Gromit has a mouth (somewhere in that head) but doesn't use it to speak. He conveys a range of emotions with his expressive little brow and gestures. The music does a lot to give more weight to the actions, and has a sort of 1950's-B-horror-movie vibe to it. Ah, and there are so many little visual gags put in, some that are quietly tongue-in-cheek and others that are laugh-out-loud hilarious. This is cinema: great storytelling, artfully directed visuals and complementary soundtrack. A half-hour very well spent.

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