Ah, good ol' Christmas Day. The day when TV specials are out in force, bringing additional festive cheer. And Wallace & Gromit's latest animation, A Vengeance Most Fowl, has now been shown on the BBC – ahead of its Netflix streaming date on 3 January 2025.
I've been looking forward to the latest Wallace & Gromit caper since its October reveal – where I half-forgot that it's 31 years since the previous Feathers McGraw episode aired! – as have my T3 colleagues, with international viewers no doubt eager for one of Netflix's most anticipated new movies to drop.
For those in the UK who've seen it – catch-up is available on BBC iPlayer, just in case you missed its live broadcast at 18:10 on BBC One on Christmas Day – and are looking for other family-friendly animated capers this holiday season, here's what else you can (and should) watch on the best streaming services before 2024 is over.
Fantastic Mr Fox
- Available on: Amazon Prime
- Rating: PG (UK), PG (USA)
- Released: 2009
One of director Wed Anderson's classics, this take on the Roald Dahl 1970 classic book is beautifully shot – every frame is stop-motion animated, just how Wallace & Gromit is painstakingly created.
George Clooney voices Mr Fox in fine style, but what's so appealing about this tale is its multi-generational appeal – some in the family may remember the original book at bedtime, while little'uns may have never seen or heard about it.
It's a classic story, depicting three farmers who get so hung up on trying to capture Mr Fox and his family after he steals some food to feed his family, that they lose sight of their ways. Morals abound, but charm aplenty – it's a great watch for the whole family.
Inside Out 2
- Available on: Disney+
- Rating: PG (UK), PG (USA)
- Released: 2024
Disney+ is a prime source of animated movies, and you'll find all of Pixar's extensive catalogue on this streaming service – the latest of which is the sequel to Inside Out (also very much worth watching!), which depicts emotions inside a young girl's head.
Inside Out 2 is all computer animation, of course, but there's a real style and accessibility to Pixar's vision. The instantly visible emotion carved on each character's face in this 'inside the mind' movie about growing up will captivate children and adults alike.
Viewers really loved this sequel, too, with its 95% Rotten Tomatoes score showing how its wit and comedy won peoples' hearts. The addition of anxiety (among others) as a new emotion feels very of the moment, yet something we can all understand at any age.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
- Available on: NOW / Peacock Premium
- Rating: PG (UK), PG (USA)
- Released: 2024
I watched The Super Mario Bros. Movie at the cinema upon release and loved it, and since it recently appeared for streaming on Sky Movies and NOW in the UK (it's Peacock Premium for the US) I've watched it again – and it's still right up there as a brilliant movie for all the whole family.
If you love Mario from his videogame roots back in the 80s and beyond, then you'll be impressed by the sheer volume of easter eggs that Dreamworks has snuck into this movie. And while the Hollywood cast seemed questionable ahead of release, by the end I'm sure you'll be enamoured by Jack Black's singing Bowser.
While critics didn't seem to get it, again it's the fans that loved Mario and Luigi's escapades here, with the flick netting a healthy 95% Rotten Tomatoes score. 1-Up! This one's full of action, making it a thrill-ride from beginning to end.
Wall-e
- Available on: Disney+
- Rating: U (UK), G (USA)
- Released: 2008
Back to Disney+ again, this time for a true classic that entertains as much as it pulls on the heart-strings – yet remaining poignant for its very relevant message about climate disaster.
Wall-e is a lone robot with the impossible task of cleaning the uninhabitable planet Earth – a task which he's been carrying out for 700 years. So when Eve – a probe sent back to Earth to scan whether it's inhabitable once more – appears, Wall-e is smitten.
Wall-e could well be Pixar's greatest movie – quite an astounding achievement given that there's zero dialogue for about half of the movie's. That's true power – a great measure and a strong reflection of how this flick's incredible visuals will keep viewers of any age glued to the screen.
More Wallace & Gromit
- Available on: BBC iPlayer (UK) / Amazon Prime
- Rating: U/PG (UK) / G (USA)
- Released: 1989, 1993, 1995, 2005, 2008
While the early reviews for Vengeance Most Fowl were mixed, Wallace & Gromit is a classic family animation that suits all ages – and it's got a long history, with the first 22-minute episode airing in 1989! Most have received rave reviews, with many netting 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fortunately the BBC has many of Wallace & Gromit's other capers – all bar Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) are available on BBC iPlayer right now, but you can watch that movie on Amazon Prime – so it's well worth digging into A Grand Day Out (1989), The Wrong Trousers (1993), A Close Shave (1995), and A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008).
