Monsieur Link

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.

Tonight, I finally watched "Missing Link". Part of it is because it just won the Golden Globe award--winning against a bunch of animated sequels. Most of it, however, is that Studio Laika changed distributors and "Missing Link" was difficult to find. For example, my daughter lives in Philly....and no nearby theaters were showing it! This is so bizarre, as the Laika films are works or art...and a lot of fun. And, "Missing Link" is no exception.

The story is a humorous tale about an adventurer who wants to be accepted by the more famous 19th century adventurers (though they were generally jerks). So, he goes off in search of various cryptozoological creatures to impress them. But, after meeting Bigfoot, he learns that one of these jerks just wants to shoot the poor thing...and Bigfoot is really nice! So, the pair run away...searching for Shangri La and the so-called Abominable Snowmen. After all, this discovery will REALLY bring Sir Lionel fame...and Bigfoot really wants some friends...and he assumes these distant cousins will embrace him as one of their own.

I can clearly see why "Missing Link" won this prestigious award. First, and I mention it above, it's wholly original...not some remake or sequel. Second, and more importantly, it's simply gorgeous...and artistic triumph. It also didn't hurt that the film has a lovely sense of humor...and it's a film that will appeal at least as much to adults as kids. Well worth seeing....but so sad that its distribution was so incredibly limited.

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

Oh, how utterly delightful!! The animation is interesting, different, and simply beautiful. What a wonderful story and great script! The film had so many hilarious (subtle) one-liners. Most of the humor was just naturally funny. I absolutely loved the characters and Hugh Jackman voiced Sir Lionel Frost to perfection.

This is a great action adventure for young and old. Director Chris Butler's directorial debut 'ParaNorman' (2012) is one of my favorite animated films. Now, with only his second film as director, 'Missing Link' will be added to my list of favorite animated films. This was sensational. I loved it!

The ending leaves the door wide open for a sequel, and personally, I can't wait!!

Missing Link is a beautifully crafted film that I never would've guessed was stop motion. The background and the details in them are breathtaking! The special effects and visuals are some of the best I've ever seen. Hugh Jackman and Zach Galifianakis were great as Sir Frost and Mr. Link. However, everything else falls flat. The story was unengaging and inconsistent, the jokes were hit or miss, and almost all of the characters feel one dimensional. The movie was so boring that me and my family were arguing about the character designs mostly the noses and I'm trying to see the flaws in the stop motion process where i saw very few. The heart of the movie is in the right place but the execution was a massive disappointment