Why is the short film 'Wallace and Gromit' engaging?

Nick Park (the director) incorporates the stages of Todorov's Narrative Theory in order to engage the audience. There are no twists or enigmas; it is easy to follow and events happen in a linear fashion. The film begins with an equilibrium (Wallace and Gromit peacefully living together in their home, sorting out bills over breakfast) is followed by a disruption (the penguin arriving, hijacking the trousers and stealing the diamond). The penguins arrival is clearly presented as a disruption through several strategies. For example, our first introduction to it results in a long stare between it and Gromit where the camera cuts between the penguin and him accompanied by ominous music. We can see from this that there is obvious tension, and it foreshadows rivalry between them. We see more tension further on as the penguin continues to stare at Wallace in the "techno trousers" as if he is studying him. These moments are often accompanied with tense music, encouraging us to feel negatively towards the penguin. It ends with a resolution/ new equilibrium (the penguin being captured and Wallace and Gromit receiving a big cash reward enabling them to pay their debts after handing him in to the police). This kind of narrative is easiest to understand and follow,  engaging the audience as there are not any challenging concepts for them to understand. The clear setup, conflict and resolution work extremely effectively because of the tension created and how the narrative unfolds.         

 Park also uses the sound to engage the audience. The music used in The Wrong Trousers is extremely tense, greatly increasing the tension in the film. Particularly when Gromit first sees the trousers - the soft music is replaced with a crescendo of loud, threatening music. It's almost like Gromit's response is influenced by this music, as he backs up into the wall in fear of the trousers. The music is deep and powerful, encouraging the audience to be afraid of the trousers. Similarly, when the penguin arrives he is presented as an immediate threat as the music changes and becomes more sinister upon his arrival.            

A further in which Park engages the audience is through the use of proairetic codes setups/ playoffs in the most captivating scene - the train chase scene. An example of proairetic code is when the penguin brings out a gun, the audience wonders what the resolution of this action will be. We wait to see if he kills Wallace and Gromit or if they are somehow able to avoid his gunshots. Suspense is thus created by action, rather than the viewers wish to have mysteries explained. There are eleven setups/playoffs in this scene, changing the characters fortune repeatedly. The train itself creates countless different scenarios, constantly morphing and creating new dynamics, putting the scene in perpetual motion, holding the attention of the audience. Also, the wrong trousers themselves are planted in the scene right at the start and returned to playoff in the climactic moment. Overall, these narrative techniques keep the audience glued to the screen.