Missing Link review

MISSING LINK:

AN EXQUISITE VISUAL FEAST FOR THE EYES WITH A FUNNY AND TOUCHING STORY ABOUT A FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN MAN AND…SASQUATCH TO BOOT! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

ANNAPURNA PICTURES

(From left to right) Sir Lionel Frost, Mr. Link, and Adelina in Missing Link

            The missing link between ape and man is discovered with outrageous results in Missing Link the latest stop-motion animated film from Laika. I’ve been a supporter of Laika Animation ever since the release of Coraline ten years ago and their last film Kubo and the Two Strings I consider one of the best animated films to come out of recent years so I’m always looking forward to a new stop-motion animated film from this group even when it doesn’t quite live up to Coraline and Kubo like ParaNorman or Boxtrolls.

            Missing Link was no exception though the trailers looked more along the line of Boxtrolls as visually stunning but mostly catering towards kids which isn’t a bad thing and I wasn’t really expecting an emotional powerhouse judging by its marketing. Still, it’s always a treat to see stop-motion animation on the big-screen as it doesn’t quite get as much mainstream attention as computer-animation. 

            How does Missing Link hold up compared to the rest of Laika’s library? While it isn’t quite up to standards as Coraline or Kubo and the plot of a human befriending a mythical creature and embark on an adventure is nothing new, this is a gorgeously animated, very witty, and heartfelt film. Sure, we’ve seen this premise before in movies like Harry and the Hendersons and just last year with Smallfoot, but what I appreciate about the team at Laika is they’re able to take these familiar plots and make it feel fresh and new which is exactly what they do with Missing Link.

            The film follows a struggling investigator known as Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by Hugh Jackman-X-Men franchise, Les Miserables (2012), The Greatest Showman) who has continuously searched for proof of the existence of various mythical creatures. One day he is summoned to the Pacific Northwest upon receiving a letter acknowledging the presence of a sasquatch.

            It turns out the person who wrote and sent Frost the letter…isn’t even a person but rather the sasquatch himself, Mr. Link (voiced by Zach Galifianakis-The Hangover trilogy, Puss in Boots, The Lego Batman Movie) who is tired of living a life of solitude and recruits Frost to guide him on an adventure to find his lost-lost relatives in the valley of Shangri-La. Along the way they are accompanied by adventurer Adelina Fortnight (voiced by Zoe Saldana-Star Trek (2009 trilogy), Avatar, Marvel Cinematic Universe) and this fearless trio embarks on their journey halfway around the world to help their new friend find his family.

            The film also features the voices of Stephen Fry (Blackadder, V for Vendetta, The Hobbit 2 and 3) as Lord Piggot-Dunceby, David Walliams (Stardust, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Dinner for Schmucks) as Lemuel Lint, Timothy Olyphant (Scream 2, Live Free or Die Hard, The Grinder) as Willard Stenk, Emma Thompson (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Nanny McPhee 1 and 2, Men in Black 3/International) as the Yeti Elder, Matt Lucas (Doctor Who, Alice in Wonderland (2010)/Alice Through the Looking Glass, Paddington) as Mr. Collick, Amrita Acharia (Game of Thrones, Acquitted, The Good Karma Hospital) as Ama Lahuma, Humphrey Ker (The Penny Dreadfuls) as General Pugh, Adam Godley (Love Actually, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The X-Files: I Want to Believe) as Lord Bilge, Neil Dickson (A.D., Lionheart, Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision) as Mr. Roylott, and the late Jack Blessing (Moonlighting, George Lopez, ParaNorman) in one of his final film roles as McVitie.

            Overall, Missing Link is beautifully animated, sasquatch-sized fun for the whole family and definitely one of the better sasquatch related films compared to its competitors. Sure, it doesn’t really have the nightmare-fueled edge of Coraline or the emotional depth of Kubo and the Two Strings but sometimes a simple story about two polar opposites embarking on an adventure with a lot of wit, heart, and very charming characters are enough.

            I’m not kidding these are some very likable and funny protagonists, you would think the investigator would be too full of himself and egotistical but within that ego lies a good heart and really all he wants is to be accepted into a society of great men. However, the one I was most concerned about was Mr. Link but he quickly won me over, he’s a sasquatch who happens to speak and understand the English language, and is also a surprisingly good writer but he takes things very literally.

I was worried his literal mindset would overstay its welcome and get stale after a while…not really. Early on in the movie there’s a scene in which Frost and Mr. Link are breaking into someone’s house to steal a map for their journey and Frost tells him to throw a grappling hook over a fence but he throws the entire thing including the rope and after they finally make it in and find the map locked in a chest Mr. Link drags the chest across the floor instead of simply lifting it up thus making noise and waking everyone up, Frost comments on the noise making and says “Why don’t you play a trumpet while you’re at it?” To which Mr. Link responds with “I don’t know how to play a trumpet”.

Moments like that lead to some great comedic moments and it’s done in a way that shows Mr. Link being literal, but it doesn’t mean he’s stupid. I found his literalism very humorous and actually pretty adorable and both Frost and Mr. Link have amusing chemistry together.

Missing Link is a funny and charming fish out of water story that is sure to appeal to kids, adults, and animation enthusiasts alike. While I felt Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings hit harder on an emotional level, it’s still an entertaining and sweet adventure about the friendship between a man, a woman, and a sasquatch with gorgeous animation and witty dialogue to boot. 

With a character as funny and huggable as Mr. Link, it’s hard for me not to recommend this film to anyone. Whether you got kids or not, you’re guaranteed to have Bigfoot-sized fun witnessing this legend.