I find it a tad strange that I would say the following as
any kind of positive, but animation studio Laika is basically the hipster haven
for animation junkies of late. I say this for two key reasons. The first one
being rather obvious, in that their focus on stop-motion animation makes them a
healthy alternative to the largely-CGI movie scene when it comes to
family-friendly entertainment. The second one is that they stand out alongside
industry titans Disney/Pixar and Dreamworks as somewhat of a lesser-known
third-party alternative, giving film geeks such as myself an opportunity to
introduce others to quality films that they might have otherwise missed.
Prior to this, Laika has released three feature films in their lifetime but they have managed to carry an astounding level of quality control between them. From the surreal horror film Coraline to the poignant love letter to all things considered beyond the norm with Paranorman to the screwball journey of personal belonging with The Boxtrolls, you’re almost guaranteed quality when it comes to this studio. With all that in mind, you better friggin’ believe that I was hyped for today’s film knowing who was behind it. But how does it actually hold up?
Prior to this, Laika has released three feature films in their lifetime but they have managed to carry an astounding level of quality control between them. From the surreal horror film Coraline to the poignant love letter to all things considered beyond the norm with Paranorman to the screwball journey of personal belonging with The Boxtrolls, you’re almost guaranteed quality when it comes to this studio. With all that in mind, you better friggin’ believe that I was hyped for today’s film knowing who was behind it. But how does it actually hold up?
