In Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, an annual Giant Vegetable competition takes center stage. For over five-hundred years the Tottington family has sponsored  this important contest for the local village -- and each year the competition has been held under clear skies without a single complication to ruin the festivities.  

Unfortunately, this year Lady Tottington (voice of Helena Bonham Carter) is dealing with a rabbit infestation at her palace. These animals have dug tunnels and constructed boroughs in her garden -- and they are not only destructive but survive by eating vegetables.

To ensure the rabbits do not threaten the competition, Lady Tottington calls in Wallace (voice of Peter Sallis) and his mute dog Gromit of Anti-Pesto Pest Control to remove the critters and deal with them humanely.

Wallace, who is also an inventor, uses a new device that sucks the rabbits out of their boroughs so he and Gromit can remove them and place them in holding pens back at the office. But Lady Tottington’s suitor Victor Quartermaine (voice of Ralph Fiennes), who's addicted to hunting and always brandishes a rifle, doesn't understand why he cannot simply shoot and kill “the vermin.” 

Wallace and Gromit successfully trap the animals and take them back to the office, depositing them into holding cells. Wallace is mindful of one thing -- there are simply too many rabbits in his holding pen that cannot be released, for they will go right back to destroying crops and vegetables meant for the competition.

There's only one option left. His latest invention, a mind manipulation machine, must be tested on the rabbits. It should get rid of their destructive behavior and their cravings for vegetables as well as their negative thoughts, wants and desires.

Wallace, who knows a thing or two about addiction because of his incessant appetite for cheese, makes a potentially dangerous decision to use the invention on himself and a rabbit nicknamed Hutch. He hopes to eliminate his own desire for cheese and Hutch's craving for vegetables.

Despite Gromit accidentally hitting one of the wrong levers, it would appear Wallace has indeed rehabilitated Hutch so that it will be safe to release him and the other rabbits into the wild.  The evidence? Hutch, when offered a carrot, would not eat it.

While Wallace and Gromit have had a breakthrough, it's doesn't last long. Hutch becomes enormous and continuously gets larger, requiring a bigger cage with an industrial sized lock to contain him and keep him out of trouble. When something starts destroying the village's vegetables again, Wallace and Gromit think the culprit is Hutch.

The ravaging of vegetables does not stop, causing the villagers to believe a beast or supernatural being -- a “were-rabbit”-- is responsible. Lady Tottington looks to Wallace and Gromit again to capture the creature and restore order.

Will Wallace and Gromit succeed? Will Victor thwart their attempts and kill the beast? Is danger imminent?

I found Wallace and Gromit to be an artistic and amusing delight. It features solid voice work and a brisk pace set by directors Jack Park and Steve Box. A candidate for the Best Animated Picture Award at the upcoming Academy Awards, this intelligent and engaging film is more than worthy of such an honor. 

(Released by DreamWorks and rated "G" for general audiences.)