Missing Link

Audience Reviews

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Harry M Apr 28, 2019 Manages to be forgettable in every way from story to character to humor. Nothing to have it stand out, even its animation felt bland to me, that this is the same company that made Kubo and the Two Strings makes me more disappointed that I wasn't impressed visually. See more

Theodore R Apr 28, 2019 Ever since "Coraline" ten years ago, Laika easily impresses at the minimum and amazes at the maximum with their cinematic storytelling, creative craftsmanship that regenerated the stop-motion medium. That very flair remains constant across their feature-length treats, improving upon each other with entertainment values of each presentation increasing â" well except for the okay third feature "The Boxtrolls" with the downgraded interest. Their latest fun masterpiece "Missing Link" made first impression out of being immediately compelling, then later to find it a continuation of the studio's spectacular specialization with a hearteningly delightful adventure full of brilliant inputs. Mr. Link, a legend tired of living in solitude with a fun and curious attitude and an appearance that stirs hesitance but getting to know him will find a sweet, friendly heart. The lonely Sasquatch recruited fearless explorer Sir Lionel Frost to take him to his supposedly long-lost relatives in the mythically hidden place labeled as Shangri-La. With the help of another explorer Adelina Fortnight, their far-reaching venture to something of a tall legend faces peril and aspiring views, particularly Mr. Link stepping into the larger world, all in helping their friend, at the same time the family value grows while undiscovered. The typically very well-animated "Missing Link", consisting carefully detailed scenery, stars a more charming cast with Hugh Jackman as Frost, Zoe Saldana as Fortnight and Zach Galifianakis as Link, becoming a small, humbly dynamic ensemble that bolsters the charm throughout with fun witty humor and sweetening heart that occasionally triggers a responsive smile after being attached to the characters' arcs. They had nicely fulfill the outfitting roles for an adventurous journey, which is perfected by a spirited, fitting score composed by Carter Burwell. Writer-director Chris Butler again triumphs with a wonderfully captivating, fun story after "ParaNorman" and "Kubo and the Two Strings", as well meaningful when taking it further by demonstrating a thematic communication from the aforementioned value to finding yourself without paying attention to the inner potential individuality. It's a fresh spin with two-fold parallels, but there is a mixed complication in what it has been paired with to the polar opposite, conventional antagonistic force that rather shakes up and forcibly accompanies the story's thought independence. Although, it serves as a nice moral juxtaposition to support the message further. From how it was made to how it was written and handled then voiced, "Missing Link" enriches the studio's constantly creative craft, eclipsing the previous artwork as their best yet with enough anticipation for future feature presentations. (A-) See more

Abraham S Apr 28, 2019 The stop-motion animation wizards at Laika have made some of the most charming and visually impressive movies of the last few years, including The Box Trolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, and ParaNorman. They've built up enough trust that I will see anything that they attach their name to. Missing Link is probably their least successful big screen effort yet, though that still means it's only perfectly fine rather than great-to-amazing. It's a heartfelt buddy comedy about a Bigfoot creature (voiced by Zach Galfianakis) that seeks out mentorship from a dashing adventurer (Hugh Jackman). It's a sweet story but not fully emotionally engaging because the characters are fairly simplistic. There isn't a lot of depth here and, surprisingly, more crass jokes aimed at a younger audience than their earlier output. From a visual standpoint, it's beautiful with vibrant colors and fluid animation that has become indistinguishable from CGI nowadays. The action set pieces, usually appearing at a regular clip with each new location change, are fun and have their clever moments, like a capsizing ship that reminded me of the spinning Inception hallway. It's an amusing, lower tier animated movie for Laika, but I'm worried that there might not be more of these movies the way they're going at the box-office. Laika was treading financial water with excellent movies, and anything "less than" seems like it could possibly tip the independent animation production company over for good. Missing Link is a cute, mostly harmless, mostly entertaining movie that just doesn't have the same ambitions and level of execution that previous Laika films have had. With that being said, it's still worth a watch on the big screen for any animation aficionado. Nate's Grade: B See more

Theodore G Apr 26, 2019 Hilarious entertainment for adults and children alike. A makes a great point.

Hermione P Apr 24, 2019 If you aren't attending these films with an appreciation for the craft, I could understand the beginning being ho-hum to some. I personally found the imagery enough to occupy me during the average beginning. The rest of the film however keeps a nice pace and is continuously beautiful to look at. It is light on laughs but I was caught up in more than one action sequence. The heart of the film is definitely genuine and not sappy. When it comes to Laika Studio offerings, this definitely ranks on the higher end. See more

Ron S Apr 24, 2019 Laika never disappoints. Super funny.

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Missing Link

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