This movie taught me not to understimate Laika. I didn't really think I would like it... at all. I don't think it is as good as Coraline or ParaNorman, but it's still pretty good! All the cheese references are so cute and funny, I'm going to sing the cheese song for days...
The Boxtrolls is an incredibly weird stopmotion animation film, about a world where cheese is king - though make sure you don't get the "cheese fits", they're killer - and the citizens have become convinced the enemy is trolls that live in boxes. Throw in a cross-dressing villain and a boy who was raised by boxtrolls having to "white Messiah" them into action against a steampunk mech, and well, you see what I mean. If you embrace it, you'll have fun, and marvel at the artistry along the way. My favorite bits were the henchmen's philosophical discussions, and these actually inspired Laika Studios' usual "pull back the curtain" moment mid-credits, a rather wonderful sequence that pleasantly taps into the theme of free will and agency which is key to the film, AND metatextually reveals the truth of the puppets' existence.
One of my best friends has seen this movie like five times. He likes movies but is so busy all the time that he doesn’t get a chance to see much. He saw this film FIVE TIMES. Seeing as The Boxtrolls has recently been released on Netflix, my excuses have run dry and it was time to see the film my friend calls one of his favorite movies.
I liked it. I can’t say I liked it nearly as much as he did, but I liked it.
The Boxtrolls tells the story of Eggs, a boy growing up in the sewers and aptly named after the box he wears as weird vest/shirt thing. The Boxtrolls spend their night rummaging through the garbage while the rest of the town sleeps. This garbage is taken down below and turned into crazy inventions. They’re like little elves except stinkier and not as cute. Archibald Snatcher is a lunatic that wants to eradicate the Boxtrolls from the town in order to obtain a white hat and attend cheese parties. Yes, this film is British.
Laika, the production company that makes stop motion films, made one of my favorite animated films of all time in Coraline. The film was like a dark Grimm fairy tale and the animation was fresh and alive. Their second film, Paranorman, was also dark and surprisingly very funny. The story didn’t grasp me as much as Coraline did, but I still enjoyed it. The Boxtrolls is a bit like Paranorman but less dark. These creatures aren’t scary at all. They have animalistic little voices and are generally kind spirited and fun. All the evil and darkness comes from Archibald Snatcher, voiced terrifically by Ben Kingsley. It’s a good versus evil story arch that has been done plenty of times before, but in this case a very unique and different world. That’s what made this movie work for me. The fact that it was also gorgeously shot and animated helped out a great deal too. Kids should be able to find some great lessons tucked away in the story of the film. Pride of your personality and where you came from are themes you can’t really miss. Frankly, I just enjoyed watching the way they animated this thing, and listening to the voice acting. There was some real talent on display behind the microphone here. The three henchmen played by Frost, Morgan, and Ayoade were perhaps my favorite part of the film.
It may be my least favorite Laika film, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It’s unique, funny, and gorgeously shot and should provide for some rewatchability, but maybe not five times worth.
Also, now we know what happened to Bran Stark this season.
There weren't too many good English animation movies this year. The Lego Movie made an impression on me on a more philosophical way and I fairly enjoyed How to Train Your Dragon 2, but I think that's it. So when I heard Laika Entertainment (Corpse Bride, Coraline and ParaNorman) made a new production, it immediately got my attention. Not because Laika guarantees to bring us quality, but because I like their stop-motion approach. Over all I prefer it more than CGI. Although the screenplay of The Boxtrolls isn't that original (and actually the mid-credits scene is the best one of the whole film), it appeals to my inner child a lot. Especially the helpers of Archibald Snatcher (the bad guy) are fantastic. With the familiar voices of Ben Kingsley, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan, Elle Fanning, Toni Collette and Simon Pegg, The Boxtrolls pleases audiences of all ages. For more original English spoken animation flicks, I guess I'll check out Cheatin', Rocks in My Pockets and Song of the Sea though.
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MichielKlitsie
Love the ending, where Richard Ayeode goes on about free will :)cg
This movie taught me not to understimate Laika. I didn't really think I would like it... at all. I don't think it is as good as Coraline or ParaNorman, but it's still pretty good! All the cheese references are so cute and funny, I'm going to sing the cheese song for days...Siskoid
The Boxtrolls is an incredibly weird stopmotion animation film, about a world where cheese is king - though make sure you don't get the "cheese fits", they're killer - and the citizens have become convinced the enemy is trolls that live in boxes. Throw in a cross-dressing villain and a boy who was raised by boxtrolls having to "white Messiah" them into action against a steampunk mech, and well, you see what I mean. If you embrace it, you'll have fun, and marvel at the artistry along the way. My favorite bits were the henchmen's philosophical discussions, and these actually inspired Laika Studios' usual "pull back the curtain" moment mid-credits, a rather wonderful sequence that pleasantly taps into the theme of free will and agency which is key to the film, AND metatextually reveals the truth of the puppets' existence.The_Comatorium
One of my best friends has seen this movie like five times. He likes movies but is so busy all the time that he doesn’t get a chance to see much. He saw this film FIVE TIMES. Seeing as The Boxtrolls has recently been released on Netflix, my excuses have run dry and it was time to see the film my friend calls one of his favorite movies.I liked it. I can’t say I liked it nearly as much as he did, but I liked it.
The Boxtrolls tells the story of Eggs, a boy growing up in the sewers and aptly named after the box he wears as weird vest/shirt thing. The Boxtrolls spend their night rummaging through the garbage while the rest of the town sleeps. This garbage is taken down below and turned into crazy inventions. They’re like little elves except stinkier and not as cute. Archibald Snatcher is a lunatic that wants to eradicate the Boxtrolls from the town in order to obtain a white hat and attend cheese parties. Yes, this film is British.
Laika, the production company that makes stop motion films, made one of my favorite animated films of all time in Coraline. The film was like a dark Grimm fairy tale and the animation was fresh and alive. Their second film, Paranorman, was also dark and surprisingly very funny. The story didn’t grasp me as much as Coraline did, but I still enjoyed it. The Boxtrolls is a bit like Paranorman but less dark. These creatures aren’t scary at all. They have animalistic little voices and are generally kind spirited and fun. All the evil and darkness comes from Archibald Snatcher, voiced terrifically by Ben Kingsley. It’s a good versus evil story arch that has been done plenty of times before, but in this case a very unique and different world. That’s what made this movie work for me. The fact that it was also gorgeously shot and animated helped out a great deal too. Kids should be able to find some great lessons tucked away in the story of the film. Pride of your personality and where you came from are themes you can’t really miss. Frankly, I just enjoyed watching the way they animated this thing, and listening to the voice acting. There was some real talent on display behind the microphone here. The three henchmen played by Frost, Morgan, and Ayoade were perhaps my favorite part of the film.
It may be my least favorite Laika film, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It’s unique, funny, and gorgeously shot and should provide for some rewatchability, but maybe not five times worth.
Also, now we know what happened to Bran Stark this season.
3.5/5
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Nightwalker
There weren't too many good English animation movies this year. The Lego Movie made an impression on me on a more philosophical way and I fairly enjoyed How to Train Your Dragon 2, but I think that's it. So when I heard Laika Entertainment (Corpse Bride, Coraline and ParaNorman) made a new production, it immediately got my attention. Not because Laika guarantees to bring us quality, but because I like their stop-motion approach. Over all I prefer it more than CGI. Although the screenplay of The Boxtrolls isn't that original (and actually the mid-credits scene is the best one of the whole film), it appeals to my inner child a lot. Especially the helpers of Archibald Snatcher (the bad guy) are fantastic. With the familiar voices of Ben Kingsley, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan, Elle Fanning, Toni Collette and Simon Pegg, The Boxtrolls pleases audiences of all ages. For more original English spoken animation flicks, I guess I'll check out Cheatin', Rocks in My Pockets and Song of the Sea though.Joker of Gotham
I´ve never seen caroline but I enjoy the Boxtrolls more than Paranorman.Its a movie with Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, it is destined to be good.
Loved the scene in the credits, this movies takes a lot of work to be done and I admire and respect that.
4/5