Quirky
stop-motion studio Laika have finally released their fifth feature
film, Missing Link. As
always, the studio's divergence from the norm of computer generated
animation is a welcome breath of fresh air. This time, they have
brought us a colourful adventure story that focuses on adventurer
Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) who seeks out mythical creatures, much to
the disdain of others in his profession. Guided by a letter, he
discovers the Sasquach (Zach Galifianakis) whom he names Mr. Link
(and who later names himself Susan). The last of his kind, Mr. Link
tasks Frost with taking him to the Himalayas to meet with the Yeti,
his distant relations. The pair are aided by an old acquaintance of
Frost's, the feisty Adelina (Zoe Saldana) and are set back throughout
their journey by members of the adventurers guild who would do
anything to prevent Frost from succeeding.
As
always, the animation itself is beautiful to behold. Laika's
stop-motion becomes increasingly detailed with each film and every
aspect of Missing Link looks
incredibly tactile. Each element of the film has such great texture
that it feels like you could reach into the screen and touch it. The
snow especially appears almost realistic. The nature of stop-motion
and the making of this film seems even more spectacular with the
inclusion of a sped-up clip of its' production during the credits.
The amount of time and attention to detail required is a wonder to
watch and really enhances appreciation for this film and this method
of animation.
First
and foremost this film is a fun adventure that in many ways is
typical of Laika, filled with exotic locations and set in an
interesting time period. Much like The Boxtrolls, Missing
Link takes place during the
Victorian era, which nicely sets up the adventure narrative as Lionel
Frost prepares to venture into the 'New World'. The story really
takes off during its' action scenes, which are immensely entertaining
and often ludicrous. Right from the very beginning, when Frost
attempts to photograph the Loch Ness Monster, the action is fun and
captivating in its' improbability. This also lends itself to the
films' humour, which is expressed through verbal jokes and slapstick.
Much of the comedy is clearly aimed at a young audience, but there
are amusing moments for the adults in the room, too. Quite a few of
these fail to land and it sometimes seems like there is too much
emphasis being placed upon 'funny', like the film is desperately
trying to make its' audience laugh during every scene. But none of
the jokes fail so badly as to make it cringe-inducing.
Whilst
this is a relatively stereotypical family adventure film, it is
interesting in the way that the lead character isn't entirely
likable. Lionel Frost starts out as an extremely self-absorbed figure
who doesn't care for others' feelings or even safety. This is part of
what makes his character so amusing, but his (rather typical)
character arc also conveys a message about learning compassion and
gives this story a lot of heart. The characters in this film are also
notable for the way they challenge gender stereotypes. From the way
Mr. Link decides to name himself Susan to how Adalina is fiercely independent and as, if not more, capable than Frost. This film is
full of characters who are unafraid to defy stereotypes and be their
true selves.
This
theme of knowing and being yourself even in the face of adversity is
the films' main message, and part of what makes it truly a film for
our time. The villain, the head of the adventurers guild, is an old
white male who is backward thinking, anti-science and misogynistic,
all of which are quickly and clearly established in the first moments
of his introduction. Much like other Laika films, the young and the
innovative thinking are the ones who are portrayed as compassionate
and who always win the day. But the film is rather heavy handed with
its' idealism. It comes across much more starkly and simply than in
Laika's previous films, where the 'bad' people were never wholly bad.
With Missing Link, the
outdated and backwards ideals of the villains leave no question as to
their villainy, the way good and evil are shown is very black and
white. It feels as though the studio has engineered this film for
family audiences more specifically than before, which is made clear
through the more simplistic humour and the clear binary oppositions
between right and wrong. Whilst this was clearly marketed as a
family film, comparing it to the studio's previous films
(Coraline, ParaNorman, etc.)
makes this seem like a 'dumbed down' version of what came before it.
Overall this is a nice, charmingly animated tale about compassion, belonging
and being true to ones self. The stop-motion is impressive and
beautiful, but in many ways this is a stereotypical family film that
marks Laika attempting to break away from their previously more niche
audience and into the mainstream. Missing Link is
a fun adventure, but the reliance on slapstick comedy and a
simplistic portrayal of good and evil is slightly disappointing.
