Introduction
From Aardman Animations, creators of “Chicken Run,” the “Wallace and Gromit” franchise has amassed four short films, multiple television series, a feature film, and three Academy Awards. The iconic, cheese-loving duo Wallace and Gromit have been solidified as British pop-culture icons since the first animated short “A Grand Day Out” released in 1989. While most known for the stop-motion shorts, the franchise has expanded to video games and other media. The greatest of them all is the 1993 short film, “The Wrong Trousers.”
“The Wrong Trousers” is a short film in which Wallace, Gromit’s owner and inventor, makes some automatic walking trousers for his silent dog, Gromit’s birthday. The duo is in need of some cash and decides to rent out their spare bedroom to a penguin by the name of Feathers McGraw. This new tenant creates a divide between Wallace and Gromit, as well as some serious trouble.
Although, what exactly is a “cinematic masterpiece?” A cinematic masterpiece is a piece of cinema that engages the viewer throughout the entire runtime. The media should engross the viewer in the world, characters, and emotions. This does not mean that the film has to be perfect but must check all the boxes of the technical aspects as well as the emotional aspects. “The Wrong Trousers” encompasses all of these aspects and can truly be regarded as a cinematic masterpiece.
Part One: Technical Aspects
To not beat around the bush, “The Wrong Trousers” is essentially perfect on every level. While the first short within the franchise, “A Grand Day Out” was still remarkably charming and funny, the stop-motion animation was rigid. For example, only one part of someone’s face would move before another part could move. “The Wrong Trousers” improves upon this animation in quite literally every way.
The animation is amazing. All of the characters move fluidly, but I find the most impressive animation to be how the characters interact with the different props. From the way that jelly flies through the air and splats on a piece of toast to how Gromit realistically knits a sweater is spectacular. I think that the most monumental piece of animation is the chase sequence at the end. The way the artists achieved the effect of motion blur with stop-motion is impressive and created one of the most intense scenes in the entire short. Some of these scenes are so beautifully animated that it feels like the animators are showing off.
The iconic claymation designs of Wallace and Gromit stayed mostly the same, but Wallace’s head design was changed from “Grand Day” to have a wider chin to suit his toothy grin in “Trousers.” Gromit was also made a little wider and his eyes were spaced a little further apart. This style change allows the characters to embody the more cartoonish aspects of the premise and engage with the comedy more. The villain, Feathers McGraw also has a phenomenal design by having no expressions, yet being incredibly cute or menacing when needed. The
Wrong Trousers themselves have an incredibly cartoonish and unique design.
One of the most important things about this short is how very little dialogue there is. Wallace is the only character who speaks, so the film relies mostly on visual storytelling. The script allows all of the dialogue to flow naturally; the focus is on what is happening on screen. This allows the script and animation to go hand in hand and show off both the comical writing and the excellent animation.
The sets are also incredibly detailed and add more depth to the world. Every single environment looks detailed, but cartoonish enough to compliment the fun designs of Wallace and Gromit. I especially enjoy how the house started shaking when the Trousers first appeared; it was a wonderful detail that heightened the tension during the scene. Every set location feels lived in and a lot of the set designs interact with the characters, like Wallace’s bed contraption. The scenic props like rain add to the feel of each scene they are added to.
The sound design is also something to write home about. Since this is a stop-motion project, all of the sounds are done separately from the animation. The fact that all of the sound effects sound real and sync up with the animation is really impressive. From the shaking of a trash-can lid to the robotic beeps of the Trousers, this film masters the sound to make everything sound correct and good.
The music is also incredible. The orchestral score not only contains the classic and bombastic theme song but also crafts some other great pieces. The most notable are Feathers McGraw’s eerie theme, Gromit’s goodbye song and the chase-sequence music was catchy. The music always adds more fun to every scene. It breathes life into an otherwise pretty standard world.
“The Wrong Trousers” is also impeccably paced. There is action, tension, and emotion all perfectly placed throughout the runtime. Each event flows naturally into the next, and all of it is wrapped up in just about thirty minutes. It’s impressive the amount of material they packed into the runtime, and all of it works so well.
Part Two: Film Review
Not only is “The Wrong Trousers” a technical marvel, but it also works as an entertaining short film. First off, the main duo is incredibly charismatic. Wallace and Gromit balance each other out to create a pair that is always fun to watch. Wallace’s scientific antics always get him into trouble, and Gromit always being there to save the day never gets old. I especially like the emotional aspect of their relationship that heightens when Gromit decides to leave. The music swells, and Gromit’s eyes well with tears as he turns over a photo of Wallace, his best friend. It genuinely surprised me how emotional this scene was. It is impressive the way that Wallace and Gromit’s relationship is built in such effective ways when Gromit can’t even speak!
While Wallace and Gromit may be the leads of this short, the real scene stealer is the villain, Feathers McGraw. With a cute and cuddly design, one would not expect such a tiny guy to be one of the greatest villains in cinematic history. McGraw’s character is fun to watch because the audience is smart enough to determine that he is the chicken on the “Wanted” poster, and watching Wallace be completely oblivious to that while Gromit is trying to tell him that is extremely comical. His cute design is offset by lifeless eyes and an eerie musical theme that makes every confrontation with McGraw feel frightening. Feathers was always this elusive character, and his first real confrontational moment was when he pulled a gun on Gromit. I audibly gasped the first time I watched this short out of sheer surprise. It is such a great moment that still provides a bit of a shock every time it happens.
The plot is also simple, yet effective. The summary could be dumbed down to, “Wallace and Gromit make a pair of robotic legs, get a new roommate, and hijinks ensue.” This may be simple, but it allows for the comedy and fun of the short to be on full display. The characters do not need any intense development, and the plot reflects that.
The short truly shines in the comedic aspects. This is filled to the brim with so much dialogue and visual humor. Since two-thirds of the main cast have no speaking lines, the film relies on a lot of visual humor. It is astounding how many of these jokes got hardy chuckles or big laughs out of me. I always found Wallace’s ears flapping in the hairdryer to be comical, and Wallace jumping up and down in the background while he’s wearing the Trousers was funny. The dog door changing to a penguin-shaped door after Feathers moved in is also really funny, and advances the strife between Feathers and Gromit.
Even the dialogue comedy is funny, although maybe unintentionally. I just find classic British phrases to be funny in one way or another, so I cracked a grin when Wallace said, “Down to our last few coppers” after emptying a piggy bank. Lines like this are scattered throughout the runtime and I find that they add to the comedic effect nicely. Wallace’s dopiness is entertaining when he just wants Gromit to have a good birthday but does not understand exactly what Gromit wants.
One standout scene is the train chase at the end. The train is constantly shown and foreshadowed throughout the runtime, and to finally see it in action is awesome. The fast-paced action combined with the frightening sound of gunshots makes for a really intense scene that is beautifully complimented by the animation. Not only the train going fast but also how the animators were able to capture a motion-blur effect to have Gromit rapidly place down train tracks is some of the most impressive stop-motion I have ever seen! Everything about this scene is utterly fantastic from Wallace coming to Gromit’s assistance in the laundry cart to Feathers being caught in the jar. Not only is this scene beautifully animated and tense, but it makes for one of the most well-rounded scenes in any short film I’ve seen. This climax melds tension and humor in a very satisfying way.
Part Three: Blake’s Review
Touching on a more personal aspect of this short; my brother Blake had seen a clip of Wallace and Gromit and wanted to watch them with me. Since then we’ve watched all of them, and have had such a wonderful time hanging out and watching Wallace and Gromit. Since I wanted to do this review, I knew from the start I wanted to include Blake in it. Here’s what he had to say:
“‘The Wrong Trousers’ is a gem of a short film. You can tell the care that has been put into the animation and it still has this charm of being able to see the fingerprints left on the clay in certain shots. The dynamic with Feathers and Gromit not being able to speak really lends well to the animation and style. Gromit is great because he’s so expressive with just his brow and Feathers doesn’t even have that! Just lighting, music, and circumstance give this character the easy win for the best Wallace and Gromit villain ever. I also like how Wallace fits into the dynamic by being this big ol’ idiot, it meshes well with Gromit’s and Feathers’ sophisticated rivalry.”
Conclusion
I think “The Wrong Trousers” is spectacular because its simple plot allows for more character-building and emotional moments. The most interesting part of the world is Wallace and Gromit, so being able to sit back and watch the duo get in all sorts of trouble is wildly entertaining. Throw Feathers McGraw into the mix for some fun twists and turns.
This short manages to build tension, emotion, and excitement all in a thirty-minute runtime that is exquisitely paced and a blast to watch. “The Wrong Trousers” is certainly my favorite short film, and for all of those reasons, it should be considered a cinematic masterpiece.
