A CLOSE SHAVE was, for me, the first time I was disappointed by the Wallace and Gromit series. Initially I thought A GRAND DAY OUT was interesting but flawed, while THE WRONG TROUSERS was a piece of perfection that marked the flawless highlight of the series. By contrast, A CLOSE SHAVE feels half-baked and rushed out, keen to emulate rather than innovate.
Remember how ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES fell to bits with the introduction of the wives and girlfriends and was much better when it was just Del Boy, Rodney, and Grandad? That's the case here. The addition of the friendly sheep and Wendolene is a step too far and takes the charm away from the original characters. Wallace is a cliché here and Gromit is just bland. As for the plot, it feels both muddled and predictable, and far too influenced by Hollywood instead of retaining the British angle. The whole TERMINATOR-derived climax just feels like a cheat instead of anything remotely entertaining.
Remember how ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES fell to bits with the introduction of the wives and girlfriends and was much better when it was just Del Boy, Rodney, and Grandad? That's the case here. The addition of the friendly sheep and Wendolene is a step too far and takes the charm away from the original characters. Wallace is a cliché here and Gromit is just bland. As for the plot, it feels both muddled and predictable, and far too influenced by Hollywood instead of retaining the British angle. The whole TERMINATOR-derived climax just feels like a cheat instead of anything remotely entertaining.