But stop-motion and claymation animation is far from dead. Two new films hit this summer using the technique not just for the occasional effect, but as the method for producing the entire movie - The Corpse Bride and Wallace and Gromit, The Case of the Were-Rabbit.

Mcfarlane Toys snatched up both of these licenses, and will be producing a much wider range of goodies for them than just the usual action figures. For Wallace and Gromit, the beloved hare-brained inventor and his smarter than average pooch, there are mini-PVC's and plush beanies, along with the action figure assortment.

Tonight's review is a first. I don't ever recall reviewing any plush figure before, and certainly not a 'bean' plush. But what the hell - they're toys, right?

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, you can always reach me at mwc@mwctoys.com. If you enjoy this review, take a minute to check out my other site at Michael's Review of the Week, and let me know what you think. Now on to the review!

"Wallace and Gromit Plush"

The set of bean plush includes two versions of Gromit, one with the hat and boots, and one just nekkid. There is also Hutch the rabbit, Philip the dog, and the main villain himself, the Were-Rabbit. Stores like Toys R Us, Meijers and Kaybee should be carrying these soon.

Packaging - Bupkis
Just in case you were wondering, there isn't any package. There's a nifty little hang tag that you should tear off immediately, but that's about it.

Likeness - Were-rabbit ***1/2; Philip, Hutch, Boots Gromit ***; regular Gromit **1/2
Okay, so this isn't about sculpting, but rather stitching, filling and shaping. Cartoon characters are cute by nature, so they tend to make great plush toys, but we all know that sometimes plush goes oh so terribly wrong. Just look at the recent Family Guy plush they have at your local Hot Topic or Media Play. *shudder*

Thankfully, that's not the problem here. A lot of that has to do with a pretty good sense of proportion, especially on Hutch, Philip and the Were-Rabbit. Gromit is a little off, with a slightly small head, thicker arms and legs, and a less pudgy torso than the actual character, but he's still recognizable in cloth form.

I did have some trouble with regular Gromit's ears, as you can see from the photos, and the bendy wires didn't want to work quite as well as I'd have liked. He ended up looking more like a rabbit than a Gromit. The version wearing the hat fairs much better, since the hat keeps the ears down on either side of his head, much more Gromit-like.

I am kind of surprised that we didn't get a Wallace, but perhaps they figured the poor guy was just too butt ugly to make a cute plush.

Scale on these is said to be 7", although I'm not sure what that means in plushie world. That's about how tall Gromit is if you stretch him out, but he's never going to be standing on his own.

Quality/Construction - ***1/2
They've used some very nice materials here, especially the soft 'fur'. The stitching is very sturdy all around, and should withstand most stuffed animal abuse from your average kid.

The eyes are also very well attached, an important factor to avoid nasty lawsuits, and all the ears have wire centers to allow them to be bent and positioned. Calling these 'beanies' is a bit of a misnomer though, since there is only beans in the very center of the body, at least from what I can tell without doing a complete autoposy.

One nice touch is that the bottom of Gromit's booted feet is a solid material, stiffer than the rest. Oh, he's not going to be able to stand or anything radical like that, but it adds some additional quality to the overall appearance.

Fun Factor - ***
These are designed for kids to have fun, so it's good to see them live up to that potential. They aren't going to be battling it out with each other, and plush never have the kind of play value that building toys or true action figures do, but kids who love the characters will be dragging these guys around with them on grand adventures.

Value - **
While these beanies are cute, they aren't cheap. I'm hoping we see them closer to the $5 range - $6 tops - at major retailers, but at the online stores I've seen so far, prices are more in the range of $6 - $7 each. That's on the high side for this size plush.

Overall - Were-rabbit ***1/2; Philip, booted Gromit, Hutch ***; regular Gromit **1/2
Okay, so this whole reviewing plush is a bit weird, but take it for what it's worth. I don't think you'll see me doing it again any time soon, but we all got to try different things once in awhile, no?

I think the Were-rabbit is the winner here, with the largest size and best plush rendition of the actual character. Philip is a close second, and poor regular Gromit is pulling up the rear of the pack. Kids should have fun with them all though, and are likely to be far less picky than I.

Where to Buy -
These should hit brick and mortar stores like Toys R Us, Meijers and Kaybee soon. Don't ask me why they weren't out in time for the movie. Other options include:

- Killer Toys lists a set of six (there are only five) for $45. They also have the series 1 figures ready for pre-order.

- Clark Toys doesn't list the plush, but does have the action figures for about $11 each.

Related Links -
As it so happens, I also reviewed the new Wallace and Gromit PVC's from Mcfarlane today.