Missing Link movie review

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B

IN A NUTSHELL: This stop-motion comedy by Laika is one that adults might enjoy more than children, like all of its other films. It’s an adventure that features the voice talents of Hugh Jackman (love, love him), Zach Galifanakis, Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Timothy Olyphant, and Zoe Saldana. While beautiful to look at, it’s rather boring.

This is the first Laika film not to be released by Focus Features. Instead, it was released by Annapurna Pictures. I thought Laika’s best film was Kubo and the Two Strings

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

The movie starts with the Loch Ness monster, something young children will probably not know about.
A lot of the vocabulary and dialogue is more for adults and will go over kids’ heads.
Some reading, so young kids won’t know what’s being said.
A bar fight
Gunfights
Two foreign languages are spoken with subtitles.
No profanity.
Very young kids might actually get bored. Some adults will too.
Some characters die.

THEMES:

Friendship
Accepting others for who they are.
Persistence
Hope

THINGS I LIKED:

The animation, color, and details were delightful.
Clever, sophisticated humor, both visual and verbal.
Some beautiful images.
Entertaining closing credits.
You get to travel the world in the movie.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Adelina Fortnight is violent and yells a lot during the first half of the movie. Her character is annoying and doesn’t add much to the story.
SPOILER: The ending is a bit of a let-down.
It’s not that innovative.

FUNNY LINES:
* “If you think can do better, Frost, you’re out of your mind…barking mad.” – Willard Stenk (Timothy Olyphant)

“Woof” – Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman)

“Do you shed?” – Adelina Fortnight (Zoe Saldana)
“Throw them into the inescapable pit of isolation and miserable disappointment.” – The Elder (Emma Thompson)
“There was a nun. We mugged her.” – Mr. Link/Susan (Zach Galifinakis)
INTERESTING LINES:

You speak with some wisdom.” – The Elder (Emma Thompson)

I state the obvious.” – Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman)

“Often, that is the same thing.” – The Elder

OTHER MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

Kubo and the Two Strings