This is one of the 10 animated films you must see in your lifetime: this little classic from 19 years ago was created with the precision of a goldsmith.

A few years ago, after long and lively discussions to decide the best animated films of all time, journalists from the AlloCiné editorial team came up with a list of 10 must-see feature films of the genre. his life

The result: a rich and eclectic selection that represented many eras, different nationalities, famous monuments created by key studios, but also small arthouse films made by animated goldsmiths.

One of the 10 animated films you must see in your lifetime

Between Disney’s The Lion King and Pixar’s Up There, the excellent Wallace and Gromit: The Mystery of the Rabbit, signed in 2005 by the brave and talented British artists from Aardman Studios, sits at the center of this list.

After starring in three legendary short films that made them mascots for a small English studio, Wallace and his sidekick Gromit are back (this time to the movies). Their new mission: save the vegetable garden!

Excellent average on AlloCiné

Thanks to their company Anti Pesto, they clean the surrounding gardens of all the rabbits that try to invade them, a few days before the big annual vegetable competition. But the pumpkin in the soup can cancel the party: the rabbit destroys and devours all the vegetables in its path.

Rated 3.78 out of 5 stars by AlloCiné viewers and 4.9 out of 5 stars (!!) by the press, this first Wallace and Gromit feature is a true tour de force. Especially commendable compared to most productions signed by other studios, it perfectly masters the demanding and delicate technique of stop-motion.

The art of stopping the patient

At Aardman, in fact, animation is an art cultivated with patience, like tending a garden. So it is perhaps no coincidence that The Mystery of the Were-Rabbit talks about growing vegetables, because its authors sprinkled it with persistence and thoroughness. Stop motion (or frame-by-frame animation) requires expert precision and sometimes a whole day’s work for just one second of film. The amount of work is monumental, but so is the harvest.

After the brilliant Chicken Run, the second feature film from English studios is a real gem, with a devastating British humor and which gives a certain feeling of authenticity: every setting we see on the screen really exists, every object has. Formed by hand, modeled at the cost of long efforts, and the result is definitely reflected.

Wallace and Gromit will also be back in the spotlight later this year in a second feature film, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, which will be revealed on Netflix.

(Re)discover all the hidden details of the movie…