Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-rabbit
Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter

THERE’S usually no middle ground when it comes to children’s television shows making the transition the big screen; they either excel or fall flat. Thankfully, Nick Park has managed to bring his lovable duo into the cinema without losing any of their small-screen charm.

The Curse of the Were-rabbit opens with everyone in the town preparing for the annual giant vegetable competition. Guarding their crops from the ever-present rabbit threat are Wallace and Gromit with their pest-control outfit, Anti-pesto. When an enormous vegetable-ravaging beast starts terrorising the town every night, it’s up to Anti-pesto to catch the monster and save the veggie comp.

Naturally, a hilarious chain of misadventures and plot twists follow in the lead-up to a hare-raising finale.

This is one for the kids, so it’s reasonably simplistic and predictable, but that doesn’t detract from the entertainment value of the film and there are plenty of humorous subtleties aimed squarely at the adults in the audience. TCOTWR opens in close competition with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but only the cruellest of parents would force their kids to choose one or the other.

Rating: 5 Stars

– Pte John Wellfare