This film is a PG, was released on April 5th 2019, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS
Introduction
Stop-motion is my favourite form of animation. Sure, what we see from CGI nowadays has infinite levels of fascination and intricacy, but the tactility and characterful charm of stop-motion makes it much better and more satisfying to watch. However, we don't get an awful lot of stop motion in the mainstream these days. Of course, we get Aardman, but they don't give us frequent offerings, and there's also Wes Anderson, but his stop motion films are few and far between. But, there is one other stop motion animated film studio we do see a lot of, but I just can't bring myself to like them.
I'm of course talking about Laika. What I don't like about their films is that they have mostly enforced the stereotype of stop motion being a genre for supernatural / horror films. While this does work for some people, I like the idea of stop motion being as universal as CGI in terms of genre, hence why I like Aardman so much. However, Laika's last film, Kubo and the Two Strings, which I think is one of the best animated films of the decade, began to show they're venturing into new, more adventurous areas, and this was somewhat confirmed by Missing Link.
Thoughts Going In
I had fairly high hopes for this film. From the trailers, it looked quite entertaining and like something I was sure to enjoy. There wasn't much throwing me off, so I was fairly sure it'd be absolutely fine.
The Story
Famously unsuccessful explorer Lionel Frost is desperate to join a society of adventurers. He sees his chance when he receives a letter from the 'Missing Link' - the supposed link between mankind and apes. When he finally meets the link, he learns that he only wrote to him because he needs help getting to species like him, in the Himalayas. So, Frost and the link, later called Susan, along with Frost's ex-wife, set out on an adventure.
What I Liked
The thing I liked most about Missing Link was the tone. It feels so much like an Aardman film. It has plenty of heart but also a lot of comedy. This was good to me because it shows Laika's progression out of the supernatural into other genres. There were countless jokes that landed, a good mix of slapstick along with clever, talky jokes. Even when one didn't work, it didn't matter because there were plenty of others that did. So, the tone of this film and the comedy really benefited it as well as the studio's future.
The animation was gorgeous. Part of the wonder of stop motion is the tactile nature of the characters and settings. Here, because all the small details like the textures and materials are real, it looks so carefully handled and has a high fidelity, and when you arrive in bigger areas like mountain ranges or the ocean, there is a great sense of scale to them. It's not quite as good as Aardman's work where you can literally see the fingerprints of the animators nor does the character design have the same level of charm, but this is a beautifully animated film.
Another great thing that is both a strength and a weakness, but more of the former, is its simplicity. I love to go and see films that have huge, expansive casts, giant amounts of effects, as well as intricate and complex storylines and character arcs. But, that doesn't mean that the complete opposite can't work. I don't mind to see a film that is just a straight forward, here-to-there story with simple characters. Sometimes it doesn't matter if a film will have a huge impact or not, what matters is whether I enjoy the film as I'm watching it. And I'm glad to say that I enjoyed Missing Link as I was watching it.
What I Didn't Like
Despite the fact that I praised the simplicity of the film, it is also a weakness. In the long run, this is really just going to be remembered as a film that I saw and enjoyed on one occassion and maybe never again. This film could've added some more nuance and depth into the story to make it a bit more long lasting and beyond a harmless, fairly straight-forward film. This also means it is deep within the shadow of Laika's previous film, Kubo and the Two Strings, which had such a clever narrative to accompany its gorgeous visuals.
Conclusion
As a whole, Missing Link isn't the most memorable film I've seen so far this year nor is it one I think I'll be rewatching immediately, but that doesn't matter. This is a beautifully animated, thoroughly entertaining, and easily enjoyable film that anybody can get something out of. Honestly, I think a lot of studios that are desperate to make the next record-breaking film or the next awards-season hit should take notes from a film like this. There's absolutely nothing wrong with just having a plain film that people will see and enjoy once, like I did. I don't know if I will see this again, but I'm happy that I saw it and managed to get something out of it when I did.
I'm going to give Missing Link an 8/10
Another great thing that is both a strength and a weakness, but more of the former, is its simplicity. I love to go and see films that have huge, expansive casts, giant amounts of effects, as well as intricate and complex storylines and character arcs. But, that doesn't mean that the complete opposite can't work. I don't mind to see a film that is just a straight forward, here-to-there story with simple characters. Sometimes it doesn't matter if a film will have a huge impact or not, what matters is whether I enjoy the film as I'm watching it. And I'm glad to say that I enjoyed Missing Link as I was watching it.
What I Didn't Like
Despite the fact that I praised the simplicity of the film, it is also a weakness. In the long run, this is really just going to be remembered as a film that I saw and enjoyed on one occassion and maybe never again. This film could've added some more nuance and depth into the story to make it a bit more long lasting and beyond a harmless, fairly straight-forward film. This also means it is deep within the shadow of Laika's previous film, Kubo and the Two Strings, which had such a clever narrative to accompany its gorgeous visuals.
Conclusion
As a whole, Missing Link isn't the most memorable film I've seen so far this year nor is it one I think I'll be rewatching immediately, but that doesn't matter. This is a beautifully animated, thoroughly entertaining, and easily enjoyable film that anybody can get something out of. Honestly, I think a lot of studios that are desperate to make the next record-breaking film or the next awards-season hit should take notes from a film like this. There's absolutely nothing wrong with just having a plain film that people will see and enjoy once, like I did. I don't know if I will see this again, but I'm happy that I saw it and managed to get something out of it when I did.
I'm going to give Missing Link an 8/10
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