Grombit, Norbot, and Wallace in Wallace & Grombit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Netflix)

Wallace and Gromit are truly some of animation’s most accessible characters. Maybe it’s because one of them never speaks. Even after four shorts, a feature film, and countless stop-motion shorts and ads, the cheese-loving British inventor and his loyal dog keep finding new ways to delight audiences with their everyday misadventures. Now, in collaboration with Netflix, they’re back for Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, another cracking movie that delivers on the thrills, twists, and cheeky British humor one would expect from an Aardman Animations production.

Arriving nearly 20 years after their first movie, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Vengeance Most Fowl begins, like most “Wallace & Gromit” stories, with a man relying on one too many inventions. Wallace (voiced by Ben Whitehead) has always been a tinkerer. In his mind, there’s no remedial task you can’t solve with homemade gizmos—even the most basic ones. Putting on clothes, spreading jam on toast, patting Gromit’s head—you name it, he’ll invent it. His latest creation? Norbot (Reece Shearsmith), a “smart gnome” designed to assist Gromit with backyard gardening. Despite Gromit never wanting help in the first place. Unlike most of Wallace’s inventions, this one not only works but quickly catches the neighborhood’s attention, convincing Wallace to turn Norbot into a full-blown gnome-for-hire business to aid everyone’s household needs.

As a follow-up to Nick Park’s Oscar-winning “The Wrong Trousers,” Vengeance Most Fowl cleverly ties the gnome story to the fate of penguin jewel thief Feathers McGraw, who once tried to manipulate Wallace’s technology for criminal gain. Now doing hard time in the local zoo, Feathers sees a broadcast of Wallace’s invention and spots a new instrument of vengeance. Through a devious yet amusing hacking process, the penguin turns Norbot evil, commanding him to create an army of gnomes to do his bidding. Before long, Wallace’s reputation is in tatters, even putting him on the radar of The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’s incompetent Chief Inspector Albert Mackintosh (Peter Kay) and bright-eyed cop PC Mukherjee (Lauren Patel). Naturally, it’s up to the ever-inquisitive Gromit to uncover the real culprit and clear Wallace’s name before it’s curtains for them both.

The setup is easy to grasp, full of clever references, wordplay, and innuendos that will fly over kids’ heads on first viewing. That’s what makes the duo so delightful for adults. Demographics young and old will find much to enjoy in the detail Park and co-director Merlin Crossingham bring to their sets. With all the moving vehicles, contraptions, parody gags, and marching gnome activity—including a musical number—it’s easy to forget this universe is made out of clay. In an era where Hollywood risks handing the future of entertainment culture to AI, the handcrafted indents and smudges on each Aardman character model and location feel all the more refreshing. Ironic, certainly, for a story about how overreliance on technology has unforeseen consequences—even when made with good intentions.

Whitehead, who initially faced an uphill climb replacing the late Peter Sallis as Wallace’s voice, now replicates the inventor’s distinct blend of enthusiasm and ego on cue. But the real talent belongs to the characters who don’t speak. Gromit, with little more than a strategic eyebrow raise, conveys his thoughts instantly. The same goes for Feathers, a creature without even an eyebrow to arch quizzically. Yet just by cracking his neck or wiping his forehead, we know exactly what this foul (or rather… fowl) bird is up to—a feat that makes his actions no less sinister or hilarious.

One could nitpick Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl in comparison to its predecessors. The climax, however elaborate, doesn’t quite achieve the iconic status of the toy train chase in “The Wrong Trousers” over 30 years ago. But it’s hard not to be swept up by the imaginative charm of this world and the creativity Aardman imbues within every Claymation shot. This is Wallace and Gromit’s introduction to a new generation of fans, one that, regardless of the move to streaming, will likely be enjoyed for generations to come. Preferably with some tea, crackers, and a slice or two of Wensleydale.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl begins streaming in the United States on January 3.