Review: Missing Link

Release date: April 12, 2019
Running time: 95 minutes
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Zach Galifianakis, Zoe Saldana

Explorer Sir Lionel Frost is about to make his greatest discovery, leading to the adventure of a lifetime.  Missing Link is the new movie from Laika Studios, the animation house that specializes in stop motion animation.  I love these types of movies and relish every time a new one comes out.  In our world of increasingly digital movies, there is something unique and refreshing about the craft of stop motion animation.  

As with all Laika Studios movies, the animation is the first thing you notice.  And thankfully, Missing Link does not disappoint.  The animation is beautifully done with painstaking attention to detail for the variety of characters and landscapes.  With stop motion animation, there is always a fear that the set variety will be lacking due to time and resources, but thankfully Missing Link spans desserts, lush forests, snowy mountains, rough oceans, and everything else in between.  And to populate these various locales, the film introduces a menagerie of characters from the human, to the animal, and somewhere in between.  The voice acting makes these characters come alive, with the chemistry between the main characters evident from the get go.  

And as you would expect from a movie geared towards a younger generation, the various characters develop throughout the film, with fairly simple motivations and learning important lessons throughout.  That being said, even though it is a film geared towards kids, there are plenty of jokes and situations that will keep older audiences entertained.  And despite the whimsical trailers, there are several fight scenes and situations that might be too intense or scary for very young kids.  

Missing Link is another lovingly-crafted Laika original, that will take viewers on a beautifully animated journey.  The animation is a treat for the eyes and if you are a fan of this type of film making, make sure to see it.

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