Missing Link

The first association which came to my mind when I started watching this film was that it reminded me of a similar animated story Smallfoot (2018). They both involve going on adventures and dealing with such humanlike mythical creatures as Yeti. Besides, the atmosphere of both films is quite alike.

General impression of the film is very pleasant, the plot is easy-going and undemanding, although every now and then the viewer comes across unexpected plot twists along with the adventurous spirit of the three main characters - the ambitious investigator Sir Frost, his passionate ex-girlfriend Adelina and the adorable Sasquatch.

To some extent, I found the film a bit predictable with many clichees, but nevertheless it kept my interest till the end. It is worth seeing if you want something chilling and relaxing.

The first thing that has to be said when talking about 'Missing Link' is that it looks absolutely incredible. With each film, Laika's stop motion animation has improved and this is no exception. While the world might not be as visually interesting as some of their previous creations, what's there looks phenomenal and the characters are animated even better. The movements and facial expressions are so fluid, to the point where it genuinely looks computer generated. The care and craft it must have taken to create this is extraordinary. Where Laika's latest is not up to par, however, is in its narrative and characters. The characters themselves are fun and have entertaining interactions, but nobody really has any arcs or development, and they're all pretty much bottled down to having one trait. Sure, Lionel Frost changes by the end of the narrative, but it feels completely forced, unrealistic and unearned, which is something that can't be said about any of the protagonists in Laika's previous works. The actual story itself is very simple and quite generic, but luckily the globe-trotting adventure includes several locations and scenarios for the characters to be in, which are all entertaining. The relationship between Frost and Mr. Link leads to some entertaining interactions, and the situations they find themselves in are all fairly humorous, too. So, while it's not all that original and there aren't really any arcs, it is entertaining throughout. Surprisingly, the action sequences are well done and actually quite thrilling, while still retaining the fun 'adventure feel'. It's also, like the rest of Laika's works, not afraid of pulling its punches and is more mature than the average animated feature. Overall, it's arguably the worst film that Laika has produced thus far, but it is still very entertaining and has great animation. 7/10

This is a small film that not many audiences were aware of. I became aware of this via Hugh Jackman's Instagram. Other than that, I had never heard of it. Then suddenly it was out in cinemas. The reason I went and saw it was because it was the only film in the cinema, at that time, I hadn't seen. My wallet has become aware of this. I'm glad that I went and saw this because it has been one of the better films of the year so far. POSITIVES! All the actors involved with the project do a terrific job. Jackman is fantastic, Saldana is just as awesome as ever, and Galifianakis was a perfect choice to voice the lovable sasquatch. There is a tonne of great humour for both children and adult audiences to understand and applaud. Chris Butler does an incredible job directing this stop motion animation. Getting these well-received lively performances but also great animated work. The film is edited together to create a classic adventure film and it keeps you very well involved. The animation itself was fantastic. It was an awesome throwback to the classic animated films with its tone and ambiance. The character design was amusing but not off-putting. But there is also awesome artwork in the background. There is some good sound design that's not just a repeated soundboard. An entertaining score from Carter Burwell and some amusing original music. MIXED! The plot and writing are familiar and that makes it predictable. Where the story goes and the character arcs are foreseeable but the fact that they are entertaining and have a lot of charm, it's easy to overlook those aspects! CONCLUSION! So, Missing Link is vastly enjoyable, and I'll recommend it to anyone that enjoys an entertaining animated movie but also to any fans of stop motion. All the cast are great in those roles, especially Galifianakis as the endearing "title character". There is some great humour in the script for all audiences to enjoy but also some hilarious physical humour. My favourite sequence is on the boat when our characters are on the run from one of the antagonists and the boat is on the harsh seas. If you were a fan of Kubo and the Two Strings, this is from the same studio. But this film has a touch of familiarity in its script and that makes it predictable.

I think this movie is a mixed bag.

The animation is well made.

The big names are there.

On paper the story is funny.

.....but

For me the characters never become likeable, at all.

'Mister Link' himself has his moments, sure, but Hugh's en Zoe's characters feel unpleasant, cold and shallow.

I don't know what causes this for me, but my best bet is a combination of the way they look (their faces just look unpleasant, emotionless) and the bad dialogue (no character depth, no charm).

Even when these characters show their so called soft side it doesn't feel right somehow.

To be honest, I thought Hugh was portraying a bad guy the first part of the movie.

Not bad, but not great.

.....but that's of course my personal opinion ;-)

Missing Link is plagued by over-simplified caricatures of protagonists and even worse antagonists. The lack of depth reaches into its comedy too, with a joke repertoire that seems to restate itself over and over again. The first act introduced some interesting characters and had some funny moments, but by the end I was fairly disappointed because there was no growth from there. The impressive stop-motion animation was brilliant, and saved this film.