Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

"A Matter of Loaf and Death" is another quality entry to the Wallace&Gromit franchise and we should be thankful to Nick Park that he added another chapter to their story, even if it was the first time that he lost at the Oscars (to Logorama). He won the BAFTA and Annie though, so it's not all bad awards-wise. When this one came out it had already been 13 years since the last Wallace&Gromit-short film. Of course, in-between was the full feature. Thankfully Peter Sallis, in his late 80s then, in his early 90s now, is reaching a Methusalem age and could once more lend his unique voice to Wallace.This film is mostly about a series of murders and the victims are all bakers. Now the problem is Wallace and Gromit have opened a bakery not too long too and when Wallace falls in love with a feisty lady (and Gromit with her posh poodle), complications arise pretty quickly. It's the usual formula of the well-written main characters accidentally being sucked into the world of crime and the outcome is a good one. The animation is tops as well, although that's pretty much a given with Park and Aardman. I think this may be my second favorite from the series. Wrong Trousers is unreached, but it's about the same league quality-wise like Grand Day out and superior to Close Shave, which I'm not really a fan of."A Matter of Loaf and Death" was Nick Park's last directorial effort to this day, but he's still at an age where we can hopefully expect a couple more chapters to the story. He's easily one of the most defining animation artists of the last 25 years and this is another excellent example.

With 3 of the best and funniest short films in years and a fantastic feature length movie they where at the top of their game! This did not ruin Wallace and gromit, it just wasn't as good as the other shorts. It's problems aren't that a problem for me apart from Wallace never says cheese in the whole film!The mayor problem for me is the pop culture joke and violence because that's not Wallace and gromit. I don't hate it as some people hate it. It's totally not on par with the other shorts with its cartoon sound affects and the other stuff. A romantic girl for gromit is new and I might not like her as much in here, there could be great possibility's and the very end with their coming together. OK I am really mad at how long that bomb takes to explode, REALLY!!!!! Not the best and probably the least liked but I recommend a watch and see if you like it

Wallace and Gromit's latest short film, Nick Park's "A Matter of Loaf and Death", is a charming new tale of the eccentric inventor and his brilliant and trusty canine companion, though it just doesn't quite measure up to the previous efforts, both short and feature length.Wallace and Gromit are now spending their time in the world of baking, owning the popular and busy "Top Bun" bakery which is built into their home. Wallace is still the goofball he always has been, bumbling yet strong of heart. Gromit seems to be more of the brains of the operation, and they spend their days baking and delivering breads and pastries, and utilizing Wallace's technical "genius" to get moving. Like the other shorts, we begin with a delightful "Waking Wallace" sequence, and see his Rube Goldberg like contraptions at all new heights, as he weaves through intricate chutes and slides, in maybe the single most impractical and hilarious alarm clock you could imagine. Wallace then meets Piella Bakewell, a former model for a popular bakery chain, whom has since ballooned up a little bit, but is ever charming and charismatic. Wallace takes an instant liking to her, and they develop a romance. But Gromit is concerned that Wallace's new love may be the infamous murderer whom is killing bakers all around the city.And so, their new adventure begins.The film is full of heart and humor, like the other outings (including their shots "A Grand Day Out", "A Close Shave" and "The Wrong Trousers", as well as their feature-length venture "Cure of the Were-Rabbit"), but there are some major issues holding it back in the end.For one, the humor is much more "American" and mainstream. It feels like many jokes were written on the fly, and the movie does teeter on being nothing more than an average parody at times. It just feels too basic, compared to the amazingly planned and played-out previous installments. In addition, the ratio of hit-and-miss is far more lopsided now than it has been before. Some of the gags fall flat as a pancake.Also, my other big complaint is that the film just doesn't have the "wow" factor of the other installments. There is no grand sequences, the plot is too predictable, and the character development is a little more by-the-books. Even the climax, which is usually magnificent (think about the amazing chase from "Wrong Trousers" and over-the-top action of "A Close Shave"), is a bit "blah" this time around.Finally, the film is actually quite dark. The main storyline is a murder-mystery, and there are a few moments that are borderline unfriendly for young audiences.But the continued marvelous performances (especially Peter Sallis as Wallace and the silent Gromit's incredible body language and personality) and the abundance of jokes that thankfully work make up for the shortcomings. It was still a blast to watch, and it left me eager for new adventures from the duo.I give "A Matter of Loaf and Death" a good 7 out of 10. While it's the first Wallace and Gromit adventure I didn't give a perfect 10 to, it's still a grand tale and is more than worth seeing. I'm just waiting for their next cracking adventure!

Even though it debuted on British television in 2008, Nick Park's newest installment in the (mis)adventures of his claymation pals Wallace and Gromit finally hit the States last year, just in time to be nominated for an Animated Short Oscar. I never had any interest in checking the work out, no matter how fun it appeared, but relented when Curse of the Were-Rabbit was released as a feature length film. Suffice it to say, my first foray into the world was not very good as the film fell flat for me and plodded along to its end. However, now having experienced A Matter of Loaf and Death, seeing how the material works in a condensed medium, I have to admit that the result was much better. By compacting all the humor in less than thirty minutes, the warm-hearted antics of naïve and imbecilic Wallace with stoically intelligent dog Gromit really do excel.The premise is pretty stripped-down, concerning the duo in their new bakery, right in the midst of a serial killing spree of bakers. There have been twelve deaths thus far and no evidence in sight to find who is behind it all. To be honest, it doesn't take very long to discern who is the culprit, so the fun really becomes watching Wallace bumble through life and Gromit do his best to save him. Once the Bake-O-Lite singer enters the fray, the plot continues on at a quick pace, never feeling slow or unwelcome. An ex-commercial model for the brand, Piella just happens to be bicycling down the road our titular bakers are delivering bread on, door-to-door like newspapers. She loses control and speeds down a hill where Wallace puts caution to the wind to save her, eventually beginning a budding relationship that never quite seems right—especially after Gromit inspects the bike post-accident.What really makes this work succeed, besides the endearing voicework from Peter Sallis as Wallace and Sally Lindsay as Piella, are the massive amounts of sight gags. Sure it is always entertaining to watch Gromit work in his silent, but very expressive way, however, I hadn't known how subversive the comedy really was. I don't think a lot of that mature subject matter traveled across the Atlantic when the feature film was released, probably needing to tone it down a little to make it palatable to a broader audience. Being that A Matter of Loaf and Death was created specially for English television viewers, Park and company was able to keep their subtle innuendoes intact. Even those seemingly simplistic instances of bread rising and oven temperatures increasing become so much more than sheer bakery visuals when inter-cut with the blossoming romantic courtship of Wallace and Piella. It isn't as though the references are too obvious for a younger audience, but they do make it a tad more fun for the adults watching. The inclusion of a Ghost homage definitely put a smile on my face too.Completely deserving of a nomination—even though I believe it should have come last year, dealing with actual release dates rather than whenever Hollywood decides to allow us Americans to watch—Park seems to be back in the swing of things after the devastating fire that destroyed much of his clay constructed worlds at Aardman Studios. I would never suggest that he stay away from features and stick specifically to shorts, but I do believe something can be said on the subject. Perhaps Were-Rabbit just didn't have the depth to succeed, and maybe it originated as a short and later was wrongly expanded, I really don't know. Unless a plot is fleshed out that can handle the extra length, hopefully Wallace and Gromit will continue on with their adventures in small increments—staying relevant and always working their somewhat family-friendly magic.