Animation Genius Of Park Is Amazing

The main reason to catch “Wallace and Gromit: The Best of Aardman Animation” is to revel once again in the genius of Nick Park.

Park is the Brit Claymation animator who every other year or so comes to Hollywood to pick up his Oscar for Best Animated Short. So far he’s collected statuettes for “Creature Comforts,” “The Wrong Trousers” and “A Close Shave.” (He would have won for “A Grand Day Out” as well, but it was in competition against “Creature Comforts.”)

“A Close Shave” is included in this compilation of work by London’s Aardman animation studio. The program includes TV commercials and shorts by several Aardman animators, but Park’s contributions are so strong you won’t remember anything else you’ve seen.

“Creature Comforts” features funny-heartbreaking interviews with zoo animals. The poor creatures try to keep a stiff upper lip about their living conditions (except for the jungle cat who complains that he needs to kill his meals) and in the process become a metaphor for the fate of England’s lower middle class.

“A Close Shave” offers Park’s most enduring creations - the cheese-obsessed inventor, Wallace, and his technologically adept pooch, Gromit.

In this one they have launched a window cleaning service but run afoul of a sheep smuggling ring. At the same time the toothy Wallace falls for the equally toothy proprietor of a yarn shop.

Through the braying Wallace, Park offers a view of his fellow Englishmen that is simultaneously satiric yet comforting.

Moreover, employing a luxurious 30-minute running time, Park constructs gags with the patience and care of a latter-day Keaton. His W&G epics invariably conclude with a slapstick cliffhanger involving runaway technology, sinister villains and the triumph of good, usually thanks to the resources of Gromit, who says nothing but who is obviously the smartest being on the screen.

Park piles one outrageous development upon another until it seems the whole framework will collapse; in the end, though, he always sends us out smiling and exhilarated.

Park is working on his first feature-length film. I can’t wait.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: “Wallace and Gromit: The Best of Aardman Animation” Location: Magic Lantern Cinemas Credits: Animated by Nick Park Running time: Not available Rating: Not rated