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27 out of 43 people found the following review useful: Fairly amusing and certainly nice to look at, but..., 4 December 2008 Author: ajcstevenson from United Kingdom
Not as funny as the other Wallace and Gromit shorts, and certainly not as charming. Many of the jokes were spoofing well known films and would probably only be found funny by people that have seen them. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable enough and the animation, as always with Wallace and Gromit and with Aardman was top-notch which is great considering the fact that A Matter of Loaf and Death had the shortest production time for any Wallace and Gromit short so far.It'll please the kids, that's for sure. The adult-pleasing jokes felt sparse but hit the mark. The story lacked the usual quirky charm of Wallace and Gromit but it still pretty much worked. I enjoyed the film but overall felt it lacked elements that made the previous ones so brilliant, so for me it's a 7/10.
11 out of 12 people found the following review useful: A little bit of English clay, 27 December 2008 Author: paul2001sw-1 (paul2001sw@yahoo.co.uk) from Saffron Walden, UK
Nick Park's favourite creations Wallace and Grommit are back for another short feature, and 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' will appeal to all who loved the earlier stories. Perhaps the duo's latest outing lacks some of the freshness of their original appearances; but the detail of Park's gentle parodies of a certain vision of Englishness is as loving and humorous as ever, and the claymation approach saves the film from the curse of excess speed that mars much computer-generated animation. In some ways, the Wallace and Grommit films feel as if they belong to the world they depict, rather than our own, coarser one; long may they continue!
9 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Not their best but still great fun, 25 December 2008 Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK
Wallace and Gromit have a new business venture and it is going down a storm. Having carried out some renovation on their house, they are now an operating bakery who deliver bread to your door. Of course, paranoid Gromit is concerned about the recent murders of twelve bakers in the town but it barely registers to Wallace. Pat of the reason for this is that he has a new focal point in his life as the Piella, the former Bake O Light bread girl is in town and seems just as enamoured by Wallace as he is by her. The romance begins while Gromit smells a rat.The Wallace & Gromit films are mostly famous for the couple of big Christmas episodes they did that made them famous across the world and I was fine with the BBC holding this special back till Christmas Day because it did seem like their natural home. This film has a plot structure similar to A Close Shave in that the twosome are running a business which has some sinister activity by others associated with it. The fact that it happens to be murder in this case is perhaps a little dark for Christmas Day but it didn't matter because it does not stop it being fun. The plot goes where you expect and I really enjoyed it even though I didn't particularly like Piella or Fluffles as characters – but for me it will be a while before I enjoy any character as much as I did Feathers McGraw. The plot allows for plenty of movie references, some of which you need to "get" to find it funny but mostly you don't. Aliens and Batman are the obvious two but there are others.The comedy also works in the detail, whether it be the inventive intricacies of the many devices that make up the house or the expressions on the faces of the characters. Yet again Gromit comes out as my favourite character and yet again I am amazed how they manage to get such expression onto his face. Sallis brings harmless charm to Wallace and it is hard to imagine that anyone could ever have done it as well as him. Lindsay is OK but I didn't like her character myself. If the film does have specific weaknesses the they are in two areas, both of which can be seen when you compare this to the mastery of The Wrong Trousers. Firstly, the pace is a bit too quick. I know it is 30 minutes but there did seem to be little in the way of build before it was into the meat and then over. The second weakness is that the closing set piece, while being a good Aliens reference, is not in the same league as the end of The Wrong Trousers or even A Close Shave. It is a shame but it doesn't have the thrill or creativity of that.That said, it is still a very good piece of entertainment and it does feel right to have them as part of Christmas Day again. English charm, almost no jokes that would offend, inventive writing and animation and a solid plot – perhaps not as good as they have been but it is really hard to complain because it still delivers.
8 out of 8 people found the following review useful: A decent effort but not quite up to the earlier standards, 2 January 2009 Author: Mr Ben from Hampshire, England
Wallace and Gromit, those two animated clay heroes who have been entertaining families at Christmas for nearly twenty years, have returned from their big screen outing to bring us "A Matter Of Loaf And Death". No doubt about it, their return has been long awaited - easily the biggest viewing figures on Christmas Day when it was first broadcast, this is their first short film since "A Close Shave" in 1995. Technically, it is very impressive and you can see the lessons learnt from their movie outing. But personally, I didn't feel it was as strong as their earlier shorts - the plot felt tired and the in-jokes and references seemed crow-barred in. But these two are so far ahead of most other family films of any length that you still enjoy yourself.For this film, Wallace (still perfectly voiced by Peter Sallis) and his long-suffering canine companion Gromit are running a very successful bakery business - Top Bun - despite a serial killer apparently targeting bakers in the area. But when Wallace falls head-over-heels in love with the beautiful Piella (Sally Lindsay), things get nasty when Gromit begins to suspect that Piella might not have Wallace's best intentions in mind and soon, he teams up with Piella's own pooch Fluffles to save his beloved master from a fate worse than no cheese!Classic Aardman animation is nigh-on unbeatable entertainment and from a technical stand-point, this sets new boundaries whilst somehow retaining its earlier charm - fingerprints are still visible on characters clothes and noses so one assumes that Aardman's undoubted success still hasn't brought anyone at the studio gloves. But while the animation has improved, there isn't as much humour in this short as the others. Gone are the glorious and original set-pieces like the train-set chase from "The Wrong Trousers" and they are replaced with endless references and in-jokes instead of their own ideas. But this is still Wallace and Gromit, still as quintessentially English as earl grey tea and still quality entertainment.
9 out of 11 people found the following review useful: The Good Ol' Days are Back! Yippee!!, 4 December 2008 Author: the_ledger_line from Australia
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Finally! After years of being pinned down creatively by the nasty corporates at Dreamworks, Nick Park is back at doing what he does best - and it's not a disappointment! A Matter of Loaf and Death runs a similar storyline to that of 'A Close Shave'... Wallace and Gromit are running their own business from home, Wallace meets and automatically falls in love with a lovely English lady, with a suspicious air about her, Gromit pursues the matter, the truth is exposed, big climax and finish! I will take a few points off here for minor unoriginality in the story department... plus the fact that Wallace is being portrayed as a bit of a player!! I will say that while this movie was a delight to watch (the animation has regained that wonderful 'hand touched' look and is by no means perfectly seamless in it's execution, which I found quite annoying in 'Curse of the Were-Rabbit', along with the ample 3D effects... grrr!!!), the storyline and pace of the film was far too quick for my liking. It seemed like the gags were all being forced and weren't just naturally occurring, a lot of it felt too planned (unlike in The Wrong Trousers or A Close Shave). The story was just flying along, and you didn't really have the time to stop and 'smell the roses' so to speak. A lot of it just seemed a tad too convenient, just for the sake of keeping the story going and moving to the next bit. Being an animator myself, I know a half an hour time slot is not a lot to work with, but I think possibly some things could have been cut, to bring the pace back down to a nice amble - and then build up to an exciting hectic finale. It worked perfectly in The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave.However, having that off my chest, this movie does not disappoint. Wallace and Gromit are still as charming as they ever have been, the sets are absolutely stunningly English, and there is no hint of Hollywood in any of it! What a relief! Old school Wallace and Gromit are back, and let's hope they stick around!!!
7 out of 8 people found the following review useful: Does not disappoint., 10 January 2009 Author: Boba_Fett1138 from Groningen, The Netherlands
This was the first Wallace & Gromit short to be made after the big world wide theatrical release and success of the full length animated movie "Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit". By now the entire world and- not just England anymore, knew who Wallace & Gromit were. This of course made expectations higher than usual and putted on pressure on Nick Park and the rest of the crew. "Wallace and Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death'" however does what all other previous Wallace & Gromit shorts had also already done in the past and that is to bring some cracking and good looking simple entertainment.It's probably not as hilarious to watch as the previous Wallace & Gromit shorts but the movie is nevertheless entertaining and of course impressive as well to look at. The animations and possibilities have all advanced, which provides "Wallace and Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death'" with some even more impressive looking sequences.The movie is probably less hilarious to watch because of its story. It's a quite sinister- and more of a thriller type of plot. All other Wallace & Gromit movies already sort of had this but this movie just a bit more than others. I must say that the movie even tends to drag a little at points but luckily the movie has more than enough redeeming qualities to qualify this movie as simple a great- and highly entertaining movie.Another triumph for the Aardman studios.8/10
8 out of 11 people found the following review useful: The subversiveness of children's films (by the way, they love it!), 2 January 2009 Author: John Wayne from The Orchestra
Roald Dahl knew as much as anyone that kids love things a bit darker, a bit more menacing. Nick Park seems far removed from Dahl, but the truth is the dark has always been there, it's just people haven't bothered to look.Matter Of Loaf And Death was great BECAUSE it pushed the boundaries. It would be so easy to coast and take Sony's Yankee dollar. But Nick Park isn't like that.I admire him because this is his creation and he always seems to come up with something surprise him. The clever film references, the delightful puns (Citizen Canine!) all well handled.And seriously, didn't anyone else find Fluffie's relationship with Gromit sweet? Or perhaps I'm getting sentimental in my old age. Anyhoo, I loved it.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: "Gromit, I have a bomb in my pants", 7 May 2009 Author: TheLittleSongbird from United Kingdom
I do agree with the other commentators that it isn't quite as good as Wrong Trousers or Close Shave, but there is still plenty to enjoy here. I can see completely why it was the most watched Christmas programme on British Television. Technically, it is a wonder. Even after thirteen years, the claymation is so good. And there are plenty of visual jokes to delight even the fussiest adult or child, like Puppy Love by Doggy Osmond. I just have to mention the ending, it was hilarious, with Wallace shouting "Gromit I've got a bomb in my pants". It was so silly I couldn't help laughing, so much so my sides were really sore. Sally Lindsey was impressive as Piella Bakewell, and Peter Sallis still proves that at 87 he could still do a competent job as ever as Wallace. Gromit still delights with his priceless facial expressions, and the little dog was enough to make you go "awww!" The storyline was quite dark in tone, even more so than the predecessors, but the constant visual jokes kept my family entertained. If I had one quibble, it would be that the pace of the episode was a bit too fast, but overall this was hugely enjoyable. 9/10 Bethany Cox.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Another amusing outing for Wallace and Gromit, 26 December 2008 Author: Tweekums from United Kingdom
Watching Wallace and Gromit has become a Christmas tradition so it is always good when a new story is added to their collection.This outing finds the two of then running the Top Bun bakery, unfortunately there is a serial killer on the loose who is murdering bakers. As the duo are out delivering their bread they rescue Piella who's bicycle's brakes fail at the top of a steep hill that runs down to a pit full of crocodiles in the local zoo. It is love at first sight for Wallace who recognises her as the "Bake-O-Lite girl" who used to feature in bread adverts even though she has clearly put on as few pounds since then. Gromit is suspicious of her immediately and when he investigates he discovers evidence that she is the murderer. Being a dog he can't just tell Wallace what is going on so it is up to him to save the day... with some help from Piella's put-upon poodle Fluffles.As with all of the Wallace and Gromit shorts the animation is top notch and Peter Sallis is perfect as the voice of Wallace. The story however wasn't as good as The Wrong Trousers or A Close Shave. Many of the gags were clearly aimed at adult viewers, with references to films like Ghost and Aliens which younger viewers won't have seen. That said it is still much better than most programmes on television today and is well worth watching.
6 out of 8 people found the following review useful: Zippy , inventive short, perfect for Christmas Day, 25 December 2008 Author: Framescourer from London, UK
An unsurprising but thoroughly satisfying short in the tradition of Wallace and Gromit's other adventures. Cheese only features in an early waking dream as the plucky Yorkshire duo have taken up bakery. Their terrace-windmill conversion is named Top Bun, which is the first of a subtle blizzard of puns/movie references embedded in the film. I suggest you ditch the round of charades you're on and try to see who can spot them first.There is nothing to really startle the audience who hold The Wrong Trousers as the enduring gold standard, especially as the expansive Were Rabbit has covered almost everything that the two can get up to. Nonetheless, Nick Park comes up with some new ideas and the animation is a wonder. 6/10
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