The following contains spoilers for Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, now streaming on Netflix
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl‘s ending reiterates the emotional core of the franchise as a whole, all while setting up potential follow-ups focusing on some surprising characters. Debuting 35 years after Grand Day Out introduced audiences to the wacky inventor Wallace and his loyal dog Gromit, Vengeance Most Fowl is the second feature-length film in the series following 2005’s Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Notably though, while most entries in the series are effectively stand-alone stories, Vengeance Most Fowl serves as a direct sequel to The Wrong Trousers.
The film brings back Feathers McGraw, a deceptively brilliant and dangerous criminal who once again seeks to claim a previous diamond at the expense of Wallace and Gromit’s freedom. This time he has access to Wallace’s newest inventions, a robotic gnome dubbed Norbot, and quickly uses them to cause chaos around the sleepy English town. The sweet world and charming stop-motion animation builds to an emotional and satisfying ending that also leaves the door open for more continuations. Here’s how the ending of Vengeance Most Fowl sets up Wallace & Gromit‘s future.
Wallace & Gromit Face Old Threats And Conflicts In Vengeance Most Fowl
Feathers McGraw Is Back With A New Scheme, But Wallace And Gromit Are Still Too Crafty For Him
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl ends on a largely sweet note for the titular duo, with their emotional connection reinforced by their latest adventure. As with all the previous Wallace & Gromit films and shorts, the bond between the wacky inventor and his canine companion are tested by external forces. This time, it’s the return of Feathers McGraw, the criminal penguin who threatened them in The Wrong Trousers. After successfully framing Wallace for a series of crimes using his newly designed helper gnomes Norbot, Feathers is almost able to escape with the Blue Diamond he’d sought out years before.
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However, thanks to a restored Norbot, Wallace and Gromit are able to chase after the penguin and restore the rest of the Norbots. At the heart of the story is the threat Gromit feels of being replaced in Wallace’s life by his inventions. Wallace once again briefly loses himself in his newfound passions, as he has in previous entries of the franchise. However, even more so than before, Wallace reaffirms his love for his best friend. That connection leads Wallace and the Norbots to save Gromit at a critical junction in the film’s climax, saving him from Feathers.
What Happens To Feathers McGraw In Vengeance Most Fowl?
Feathers’ Plan Has Been Stopped, But The Villain Is Still At Large
After being placed in a prison-like zoo at the conclusion of The Wrong Trousers, Feathers McGraw has secretly been waiting for an opportunity to get back at Wallace. The Norbots turns out to be the perfect tool, as Feathers corrupts their software and uses them to turn the town against Wallace. This turns out to have been part of a long-standing scheme, as Feathers hid the Blue Diamond in Wallace’s home when he was first arrested so he could eventually break free and reclaim it. Although his plan is thwarted, Feathers isn’t actually recaptured.
Instead, the criminal penguin is able to evade the authorities and escapes to a passing train. His final scene in the film sees him departing into a tunnel. The final sequences of the film confirm that PC Mukherjee is continuing the hunt for Feathers, confirming that he remains at large by the conclusion of the film. This means Feathers McGraw could easily return. With his vengeance thwarted but his freedom ensured, Feathers could possibly make a comeback down the line to target Wallace and Gromit once again — especially considering the multiple times Feathers tried to outright kill the latter.
Wallace’s Story In Vengeance Most Fowl Builds Off Previous Films
Multiple Characters Keep Trying To Get Wallace Arrested
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl builds on several previous themes of the Wallace & Gromit movies. There have been six formal films and shorts in the franchise (excluding spinoffs like Shaun the Sheep and Wallace & Gromit’s Cracking Contraptions), with each of them reflecting on similar themes and emotional connections. Notably, Wallace being framed for a crime he didn’t commit is actually a repeating trend in the series. This was Feathers’ plan in The Wrong Trousers, as he intended to use a sleeping Wallace and his robotic pants to steal the Blue Diamond.
While the Norbots were a wildcard [Feathers McGraw] used to his advantage, Vengeance Most Fowl directly ties back to The Wrong Trousers in clever ways
Feathers’ is able to turn the local town against Wallace, causing them to lash out in a similar to the way to the mob that turned on Wallace’s pest control business in Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Perhaps the most notable connection to the past is the revelation that Feathers had successfully hidden the Blue Diamond at Wallace’s house, directly tying his defeat in The Wrong Trousers to his criminal plans in Vengeance Most Fowl. While the Norbots were a wildcard he used to his advantage, Vengeance Most Fowl directly ties back to The Wrong Trousers in clever ways.
How Vengeance Most Fowl Sets Up A Sequel
Feathers McGraw And PC Mukherjee Could Come Back For New Stories
Vengeance Most Fowl actually sets the stage for plenty of new tweaks and changes to the world of Wallace & Gromit. The most notable of these is Feathers McGraw. A prospective sequel could bring Feathers back and even potentially unite him with other previous enemies who seemingly survived their encounters with Wallace and Gromit. Luckily, the new film also sets up PC Mukherjee to be on his trail. A future Wallace & Gromit or even a separate spinoff focused on the officer could bring the focus back to that investigation.
As of writing, there have been four Wallace & Gromit short films — Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, and A Matter of Loaf and Death — and two feature length films, Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Vengeance Most Fowl.
Vengeance Most Fowl also ends with Norbot seemingly accepted into Wallace and Gromit’s home dynamic. While Wallace was initially too taken in by his technology, the ending of the film proves that’s realized the error of his ways and is making an effort to remain emotionally grounded. Gromit also seems to have grown by the end of the story, seemingly accepting the Norbots as part of his routine after they came together to save his life. This could set up the Norbots to continue helping around the town, or remain a more permanent part of the franchise’s dynamic going forward.
The True Meaning Of Vengeance Most Fowl
The Emotional Core At The Heart Of The Series Plays Out In Vengeance Most Fowl‘s Ending
Custom Image by Milica Djordjevic
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is a sweet adventure that reiterates the central themes of the entire series. At the core of the entire franchise is the connection between Wallace and Gromit. While love interests, criminal conspiracies, and wacky inventions may come between them, the pair are ultimately always going to come back together. This is reinforced in Vengeance Most Fowl’s climax, when Wallace opens up emotionally and tells Gromit that he can take any kind of blow except losing him. That friendship has driven both characters to accomplish nearly impossible feats, highlighting the impact love can have.
Even though Gromit may be frustrated by Wallace’s inventions and distractions, he never turns his back on his friend. That loyalty is also reflected in PC Mukherjee, whose similarly committed belief in justice drives her to ignore orders in pursuit of genuine justice. The series as a whole is a lovely little love-letter to genuine passion, whether that be for inventing, justice, or friendship. While the villain of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl may escape consequences, the heroes all end the story better off for their commitment to what makes their lives worth living.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl features the beloved duo as they confront a “smart” invention gone rogue. When an autonomous gnome hints at larger schemes by a vengeful adversary, Gromit must navigate perilous challenges to protect Wallace and prevent a threat that could end their inventive escapades forever.
- Release Date
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January 3, 2025
- Cast
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Reece Shearsmith
, Ben Whitehead
, Peter Kay
, Diane Morgan
, Adjoa Andoh
, Lenny Henry
, Muzz Khan - Director
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Nick Park
