In Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, the latest feature from Aardman Animation and Netflix, Feathers McGraw, the claymation duo’s most feared foe, is back, and he’s out for revenge. In 1993’s The Wrong Trousers, Wallace and Gromit busted the penguin mastermind for stealing a giant diamond. Feathers was sentenced to life in a zoo. Netflix’s new movie starts with Feathers safely locked away and Wallace and Gromit going about their lives as local heroes.
However, given Feathers’ absolute diabolical genius, commitment to being extra as hell, and sheer determination in the face of insurmountable odds, I think he should go free. I understand his drive for vengeance.
[Ed. note: This post contains light setup spoilers for Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.]
Allow me to present my evidence: Feathers knows how to take advantage of the bumbling humans around him, and use their incompetence to his advantage. In a world where the animal companions seem to be continuously shortchanged — Vengeance Most Fowl kicks off with Wallace refusing to pet his dog Gromit, or spend any time with him! What the heck! — Feathers sees right through this bullshit and isn’t afraid to take what he wants.
He’s also adorable. In a freaky way. With his beady, expressionless eyes and stoic face, Feathers inspires terror. I want to give him a wee kiss on top of his round head. I think it’s hilarious that he knows how to shoot a gun without any opposable thumbs.
Everything is stacked against Feathers, but he intelligently identifies the best ways to achieve his desired goals by poking holes in the status quo. He turns the community against Wallace, local hero! He takes advantage of humans’ reliance on technology by hacking Wallace’s robot gnomes to be his own minions! He uses the fact that local law enforcement is more concerned about their reputation than actually helping the community!
I’m not defending his crimes. He did, in fact, steal a priceless jewel. But much like Ocean 11’s Danny and Rusty, Mr. Wolf in The Bad Guys, and DC Comics’ Catwoman, he’s got the kind of style and flair that turn him into a relatable protagonist instead of a hissworthy antagonist. I know I’m rooting for him.
Feather’s fate in Vengeance Most Fowl is open to interpretation — maybe my plea has already been heard, and writers Mark Burton and Nick Park don’t want their feisty criminal penguin remanded to the carceral state any more than I do. But just in case: Let Feathers be free!
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is streaming on Netflix now.
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