(U, 84mins) Featuring the voices of Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham-Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Peter Kay, John Thomson, Nicholas Smith, Liz Smith. Directed by Nick Park Steve Box.

In the wonderful world of film, it's not often you can say with any degree of certainty or pride that British is best. But in the painstaking field of stop-motion clay animation, Bristol-based Aardman Animations, creators of Creature Comforts, Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run, are truly the mutt's nuts. Their latest beautifully-crafted offering is undoubtedly their best work to date.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit marks the feature film debut for the cheese-loving everyman and his resourceful pooch.

As Wallace might say, in between mouthfuls of Wensleydale, it's "cracking" stuff.

With only a few days to go before the annual Giant Vegetable Competition, Wallace (Sallis) and Gromit's humane pest-control business, "Anti-Pesto", is booming.

Any time a furry critter strays into one of their clients' gardens or greenhouses, Anti-Pesto is swiftly on site to neutralise the threat with nets or in dire emergencies the Bun-Vac 6000 suction unit.

Residents like Mrs Mulch (Liz Smith) and Reverend Clement Hedges (Nicholas Smith) sleep easy knowing their oversized legumes are safe until a huge, mysterious rabbit-like creature begins to decimate the town's numerous vegetable plots.

Competition hostess Lady Tottington (Bonham-Carter) implores Wallace and Gromit to catch the floppy-eared monstrosity at all costs.

The plucky duo try their best to outwit the marauding beastie but the rascally vermin always appears to be one giant hop ahead.

In desperation, Lady Tottington also turns to her slimy suitor, Victor Quartermaine (Fiennes), imploring him to hunt down and shoot the humungous critter, thereby igniting a fierce competition between Wallace and Victor for the hostess's affections.

Like Wallace and Gromit's three previous adventures (A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave), The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit is a joyous conflation of comedy, action and pungent fromage.

The screenwriters reference classic horror movies in their inimitable style, contriving some lovely visual gags.

Look closely because every frame is crammed with quirky detail, like Wallace's bookshelf (East Of Edam, Grated Expectations) or the Smug fridge on the kitchen.

As expected, the quality of the animation is breathtaking. Gromit's eyebrows have never been more expressive. The final action sequence is a particular triumph, involving various forms of transport and even a spot of slow motion.

Vocal performances are perfection, from Sallis's familiar dulcet tones as the beleaguered human hero to Bonham Carter's hysterical plumminess as the green-fingered fair maiden ("Call me Totty!").

Five painstaking years in the making, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit has definitely been worth the wait.