I remember going to the theater with my family to see The Boxtrolls (Based on the Alan Snow novel: Here Be Monsters) for the first time and I remember absolutely adoring it. This stop-motion movie is the 3rd one to come out of the evergrowing Oregon studio, Lakia. Their track record of making creative and spooky films like Coraline and Paranorman so it was rather new of them to try a different tone as this film goes for a more adventurous comedy than a kid-friendly horror flick. While I will admit my love for this movie has diminished slightly as I get older, The Boxtrolls will always hold a special place in my heart and there are plenty of likable aspects that keep me coming back for more.
In the village of Cheesebridge, extermination Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsly) is out to exterimate little michiouvious creatures named the Boxtrolls. The village believes that the Boxtroll’s have stolen and supposedly killed a little baby boy but in reality the Boxtroll’s have adopted the little boy as one of their own and named him Eggs. Egg’s (Isaac Hempstead Wright) grows up into a young boy and is discovered by a girl named Winnie (Elle Fanning) while salvaging for parts. Winnie discovers that the boxtrolls are not what the townsfolk say they are and with the help Eggs try to convince the town to set the captured boxtrolls free from the grasp of Archibald and his goons who have secret plans to take over the village of Cheesebridge.
If the story sounds familiar then you’d be right to compare it to Disney’s Tarzan as they have similar storylines that involve a fish out of water story and both have a greedy villain for our hero to overcome. Yeah, I admit it’s not the most original story to come from Lakia, but what it lacks in originality it more than makes up for in humor and charm. The way the story is told is very delightful and funny and a lot of that just comes from the characters being their quirky selves whether it's the mischievous Boxtrolls or the friendship between Eggs and Winnie. The main goal of our villain doesn’t make the most sense but it's just so fun to watch regardless because of how over the top it is. I think many people who don’t like this movie, while they're not wrong, are kinda missing the idea that this is a different kind of movie from the previous two Lakia movies that are horror related and it’s trying to be something different in tone which I can really respect. It’s different but it’s still uniquely Lakia and there is enough charm and likability that still makes it good from my perspective.
The Characters on paper are technically cardboard cutouts of other well-known animated characters, but they do their part so well in the overall story that in the end, they get a pass due to how likable all of them are. Much like how the humorous tone affects the story it also affects the characters as they are much more silly and over-the-top when compared to something like Coraline. Eggs is very likable as the main character and his interactions with the real world are both funny and genuine. The Boxtrolls are almost like the Despicable Me Minions of the movie, but the difference is that their quirky personalities do not overthrow the other characters and they are shown for the exact right time that they are needed to. Winnie is also a good character as she is confident yet also friendly once we get to know her more. Archibald Snatcher is almost like a Wallace and Gromit villain in all the best ways possible and even when he’s not funny it still feels like he is having a blast in the role he is given.
It wouldn’t be a Lakia movie if I didn’t get to see some impressive stop motion animation and thank heavens the brilliant minds at Lakia have not lost any of their magic. The village town is very artistically presented and if you look at it from afar you can see how everything is stacked on top of one another. The real showstopper for me was the Boxtroll’s hideout as it looks unlike anything in the human world as it houses a lot of contraptions that almost remind me of the ones from Wallace and Gromit. The character designs have that distinct Lakia style with a hint of realism and I like some of the creative ways that the Boxtrolls use their boxes to stack against one another or to crouch and hide from the exterminators.
The Music is conducted by Dario Marianelli who would later go on to make the music for Paddington 2. Much like The Boxtrolls themselves, it’s quirky and also comedically upbeat which matches the tone of the movie but it never strays from doing what is needed when the scenes get intense or melodramatic.
Even though I’m starting to see Coraline and Paranorman as better movies, The Boxtrolls is still much better than people give it credit for as this movie has something to offer for both kids and adults. Trust me when I say this movie could have had no effort or creativity whatsoever because it has all those things even if it can’t match up with the other movie Lakia has created. Still being a pretty good movie is alright by me and I still consider this another success from one of the best stop motion studios.
(Final Grade: B+)