Simply put, Nick Park is one of the most original and inventive filmmakers working today. The fact that he works with little plasticine clay figures in stop-motion animation (a technique pioneered by Willis O’Brien in 1933’s “King Kong”) makes him even more remarkable. This set collects the first three “Wallace and Gromit” short films and aside from having a great time watching them, you can chart Park’s growth as a filmmaker and comic genius. Set in the kind of England found only in movies, Wallace (voiced by Peter Sallis) is a hare-brained inventor who loves cheese and Gromit is his silent, expressive and highly intelligent dog. In “A Grand Day Out” (1989), Wallace decides to build a rocket and take a “cheese holiday” to the moon. In “The Wrong Trousers” (1993) Wallace rents out a spare room to a penguin that’s also a master criminal. “A Close Shave” pits Wallace and Gromit against a robot dog that’s rustling the local sheep. “A Grand Day Out” was nominated for an Academy Award; “The Wrong Trousers” and “A Close Shave” both won Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film. All three have won BAFTA Awards for Best Animated Film. Loads of extras come with this set, including a behind-the-scenes look at how the characters are animated. Watch the shorts first and then watch how Park and his team do it – you’ll be so amazed by the pain-staking detail and time-consuming process that you’ll want to watch the features again. Striking visuals, non-stop action, slapstick humor, quirky funny characters and a rich and satisfying story are packed into each 30-minute film.
