In the past few years, Laika Animation Studio has proven itself to be a shining light in a world of mediocre animation studios with sucussful films like Coraline and ParaNorman. This year’s animated movie is The Boxtrolls: The story of an orphaned boy named Eggs who was raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collecting trolls called the Boxtrolls. An evil exterminator named Archibald Snatcher targets the Boxtrolls and Eggs has to save his family from Snatcher and learn the secret of his life. Featuring the voice talents of Ben Kingsley, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, and Tracy Morgan.
Looking at Laika’s other two features, Coraline and ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls fails in comparison to those fantastic films and becomes a weak link in a chain of movies with breathtaking stop-motion animation art and story. The Boxtrolls is thinly held together by a string of story points and plots. The movie slowly moves along and gives viewers a half-witted attempt at a story that could have been amazing but just seems to fall short and goes for the clichéd tale we’ve seen several times before instead of branching out and being something different like their two other films.
Other than The Boxtrolls’ amazing animation, the movie really has nothing going for it. It’s boring. It moves at a snail’s pace and has some really gross moments. Now, kids mostly won’t mind the gross bits. Adults will for sure. But the slowness of the movie will have some kids falling asleep halfway through. I know I did. Typically, kids don’t care about plot or story, but if the story they’re given is so weak that even they take notice, then you know something is off.
The movie takes you on the adventure of Eggs, a boy who is kidnapped/orphaned who is found and raised by the Boxtrolls. Convincing the whole town that the Boxtrolls are evil and must be destroyed, the movie’s villain, Archibald Snatcher, makes a deal with Lord Portley-Rind, the town’s leader, that if Archibald rids the town of all Boxtrolls he can become one of the town’s elite members. Thus begins a chain reaction of “comedic” events that brings Eggs to the surface to interact with humans for the first time.
There, of course, he learns that humans aren’t all bad, just as the humans learn that everything they have been told about Boxtrolls is wrong. Eggs becomes friends with Lord Portley-Rind’s daughter, Winnie, and they both end up seeing Archibald Snatcher for who he really is: an evil Boxtroll-killing, cross-dressing villain who has an extreme allergic reaction to cheese, which he can’t stop eating. Leading to some of the most disgusting animation of animated human characters ever. The cheese makes his body swell up and look angry. Like if you touched him he’d just explode. It’s gross. Kids will love it, but man, vomit-inducing is a phrase I’d use to describe it.
The movie has some good points: The animation, as I said, is top notch and absolutely beautiful. Each character and setting is one wonder after another. It’s just such a shame it’s filled up with so much boredom and grotesqueness. The voice talents of the cast are not instantly recognizable but when you do recognize them they add something to the movie. Assuming you like the talents of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, for example. Basically, the voices could have been anyone, but it’s nice knowing they’re actors you might enjoy.
Overall, The Boxtrolls isn’t bad, but it is far from good. Some kids and families might have fun with it. But in having a look back and knowing what amazing movies Laika has done in the past, this new flick just makes you disappointed in them. Beautiful animation moving around a boring, disgusting story just don’t cut it anymore. We expect, and frankly, deserve better from Laika Studios at this point.