Aardman Animation, Ltd., aussi nommé, Aardman Studios, ou plus simplement Aardman, est un studio d’animation britannique situé à Bristol en Angleterre. Ils ont été fondés en 1972 par David Sproxton et Peter Lord, et le nom le plus connu qui y soit attaché est celui du réalisateur Nick Park. Aardman est connu, grâce à ses films, utilisant la technique du stop-motion et de clay animation, ou plus particulièrement grâce à ces personnages caractéristiques en pâte à modeler, Wallace & Gromit. Après une expérimentation de l'animation 3D pour rattraper leur retard sur cette technique, ils produisirent un court-métrage qui sortit dans les années 1990, Owzat (1997). Cette entrée sur le marché de l’animation 3D s’officialise, en 2006, avec Souris City (2006). En additionnant toutes les recettes qu’ont faites les films Aardman dans le monde, nous avons un résultat de 973,2 millions de $, soit en moyenne 163 millions de $ par film. Leurs films sont parmi les films d'animation en volume qui rapportent le plus d’argent, depuis leur début avec Chicken Run (2000), qui est, aujourd’hui, le film d'animation en volume rapportant le plus gros chiffre d’affaires de tous les temps.
Imdb explains the synopsis: "What could possibly tempt the tastebuds of an anthropomorphized bull and his tiny duck-like friend? A severed hand! Dee-lish! But be careful - we've heard that baked hand causes heartburn!"
The film features two anonymous Scottish-accented Shadow Puppets (voiced by Jack Docherty and Moray Hunter) who are sitting around a table with nothing to do. They explore and reject several options including watching television (the only thing on is 'some weird animation thing'), listening to the radio (but 'it's all the same rubbish these days' - in this case La Cucaracha) and playing chess (the white pieces have been eaten due to a bet). This is briefly interrupted when the doorbell rings and one character answers it to find a pesky dog (who is, in fact, a double-glazing salesman) before the other persuades him to enter into a game of shadow puppets. The first character is frustrated by his acquaintance's appalling representation of a cow and later his failure to recognise a rather fantastic rabbit (His misled guesses include a 'fireman chasing an igloo' and an 'Otter with two sausage strapped to his head'). After an amusing outburst from the poor fellow, his annoying partner accuses him of being 'shirty'. This leads him to explode, furiously crying "I'm stuck indoors playing 'Guess the misshapen beast' with someone who clearly wouldn't recognise a rabbit if it came to his house for tea, said 'What's up Doc?' and started burrowing into his head! There are blind people with no fingers who are better at shadow puppets than you! No wonder I'm a tad miffed!" An awkward silence follows this, until the doorbell rings and the first character goes to answer it, and finds the second character's 'cow' shadow puppet, which moos. Despite being disappointed with being wrong about a cow's appearance, he simply responds to this with a cheery "Not today, thank you." and closes the door in front of the camera, thus ending the animation.
Imdb explains "A punctilious waiter at the Steak Barn is taken aback when a diner orders the vegetarian option. Regardless of how glistening and sharp the restaurant's knives, how large the type of the menu's meat dishes, how baleful the Italian's eye when he takes the order, and how argumentative the cook, the customer steadfastly awaits crudités. Who could this naif be?"
IMDb explains: "It's Ghosts vs. Skeletons one night in a churchyard cricket match. At the outset, it appears that the Ghosts' pitcher will best all of the Skeleton's batters. That is until one dandy steps up to bat and practically lays waste to the entire churchyard."
In a Medieval castle, a marauder tries to kidnap the twin infant sons of the lord. He makes off with only one, whom he drops about a mile away. A pig rescues this baby, so one brother grows up high on the hog, the other down with the swine. One being lazy, another industrious. Years later, when a neighboring prince declares war, the brother in the castle is too soft to fight. The twins are united just before the final battle.
Wallace et Gromit, devenus laveurs de carreaux de vitres et de fenêtres, rencontrent Gwendoline Culdebelier, une vendeuse de pelotes de laine. Celle-ci est accompagnée en permanence par un chien d'aspect féroce, Preston. Pendant ce temps, dans la région, les vols de moutons se multiplient. Gromit, accusé à tort, tentera de prouver son innocence...
Un manchot vient louer une chambre chez nos héros, mettant Gromit à l'écart et gagnant les faveurs de Wallace. Le locataire s'avère être Feather McGraw, un criminel impitoyable que les autorités recherchent en pensant qu'il est un poulet grâce à un déguisement habile (consistant en un gant de caoutchouc rouge sur sa tête). Le malfaiteur projette d'employer la dernière invention de Wallace, un pantalon automatique en métal (conçu initialement pour l'armée) pour voler un diamant. Mais Wallace reste coincé dedans...
Imdb explains the plot: "A young man is in love with an image in a picture frame. To find out if the love he feels is returned he picks a flower and starts picking the petals off it."
À l'approche des vacances en Angleterre, Wallace hésite sur la destination touristique. Lorsqu'il s'aperçoit qu'il n'a plus de fromage en réserve pour manger avec ses crackers, il a l'idée de se rendre pour les vacances sur la Lune, qui est composée de fromage. Il se met alors à construire une fusée avec son chien, Gromit.
Imdb explains: "This short animated piece uses a real interview as its soundtrack. Bill Perry relates stories about his youth, his tilted house, and adventures during WWII in Bristol, England during the blitz."