Movie Review and Trailer: 'The Boxtrolls' Entertains, But Rarely Enthralls
Laika's first two films "Coraline" and "ParaNorman" were undisputed hits that featured brilliant animation paired with memorable storytelling.
For the company's third effort, it has continued the company's interest in the search for identity coupled with the preponderance of fantasy. But is the third film as big a hit as its predecessors?
"Boxtrolls" is set in Cheesebridge, a Victorian world that is in habited by Boxtrolls, creatures that like to ravage the town by night and store junk to build their underground world. Among the inhabitants of their community is a young boy by the name of Eggs.
Meanwhile, Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) is obsessed with acquiring a white hat (a sign of nobility and status in Cheesebridge) and makes a deal with Lord Portley-Rind to exterminate the Boxtrolls in exchange for the object.
The search for identity and one's place in society plays a crucial role for every character in this film. The Boxtrolls are trying to live their lives uninterrupted underground while Snatcher wants to be respected. Eggs has an existential crisis as he must come to terms with the fact that he is not a Boxtroll, but instead a human. Portley-Rind's daughter Winnie (Elle Fanning) gets no attention from her father and also feels like a nobody in the stuffy society. Portley-Rind comes to terms with his own position in the world later on in the story, and even Snatcher's henchmen Mr. Trout and Mr. Pickes (the hilarious duo of Nick Frost and Richard Ayoade) debate their role in the story as to whether they are the heroes or the villains. This latter comic duo also comments on the nature of their existence in the hilariously intelligent mid-credit sequence.
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There is also a heavy Dickensian influence in the film. Aside from Eggs being a species of Oliver Twist/Pip/David Copperfield, Snatcher and his obsession with position makes him come off as a Uriah Heep. Portley-Rind and his entourage's ridiculous obsession with cheese is also in the vein of Dickens' caricatures, as is the sarcastic attacks on the artificiality of the upper class. The wit and humor littered throughout the film also gives off the impression the "Inimitable's" stamp is somehow on this work.
The film's opening acts are refreshing to be sure, with the concepts of the Boxtrolls and their struggle for survival creating a gripping concept. In the middle of it all is Eggs' own dilemma, and this is where the major issues start and end. His introduction into the world and its hostility toward his adopted family and customs works magically, particularly in a hilarious ball sequence in which he tries to save them.
But then the movie starts to lose its focus with the development of a subplot regarding Eggs' past. The viewer can see the twist a mile away and the eventual revelation at the start of the film's final act is rather anticlimactic and takes away from the gravitas that has been built up all along. The eventual showdown with Snatcher is also rather lacking in intensity, despite directors Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi doing their best to up the ante. This final battle actually feels like it is better suited in a "Transformers" movie than this one, despite its fantastical element.
The other major issue with the film is about its eponymous characters. While the humans are given solid character development, the Boxtrolls themselves become non-entities after a solid introduction. There are some interactions between the monsters and Eggs, but they lack distinct personalities as individuals to really make their mark. One could argue that without them, the film would actually be stronger.
While the denouement and many story points leave a lot to be desired, the rest of the film and its elements work well enough. The animation is undoubtedly breathtaking and the pacing of the film is unrelenting.
Those expecting Laika's latest efforts to improve on the efforts of its previous works might find this entry less satisfying. However, with a tremendous cast and witty dialogue, this film is sure to entertain and enthrall audiences worldwide.
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