ironhorse_iv Review of The Boxtrolls

The Boxtrolls (2014)

This movie is indeed kinda square. Still, it was alright.

[7/10 · 28 October 2014]

I'm don't want to be trolling here, but this movie is pretty mediocre. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of things that the film does so well, but there are so many things that they could had done to make it, more appealing. Boxtrolls was too comically distorted. Produced by Laika, the film has the same feature that 2009 Coraline & 2012 ParaNorman. The film will disturb some young viewers while thoroughly also bored some of their parents. Directed by Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi, this 3D stop motion animated fantasy-comedy film based on the novel Here Be Monsters! by Alan Snow is about a human boy, Egg (Voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright), a human boy raised by trash-collecting trolls, as he attempts to save them from Archibald Snatcher (Voiced by Ben Kingsley), a pest exterminator. While, the movie concept is pretty new, it follows a very cliché story. Still, I enjoyed the film. The first half of the film was kinda boring as it's establishing its world, but the second half, humor and action made up for it. The movie has a lot of heart, toward it. I loved some of the overarching themes that the movie presented, like family, standing up for yourself, and how to be a better parent. Viewers watching it could see the film as a metaphor to the Holocaust. Like the trolls, the Jews were killed off due to negative propaganda & misguided hate. A lot of people believe the movie is social commentary about same-sex marriage since the first teaser trailer include that in their statement. Yet others might look at it, as a movie about social class warfare, between mistreatment of the poor to the self-centered snobbish of the rich. Anyways, whatever, people see in it. Each one seems to never get fully conceived or given a rather ham fisted resolution. The plot is paper thin with continuity inconsistencies & things left unexplained. The movie is so cobbled together story wise. I believe that characters that needed to be more fleshed out for me to care more about. Eggs is pretty good as the main role. Still, it's a bit off for somebody like Egg whom was raise by Boxtrolls to speak English, very well and know the meaning to those words. The boxtrolls are pretty cute. You really feel invested in the relationship between them and Eggs. The box-trolls are cute as all hell, and are not there just to be toy-selling comic relief; they have purpose. Yet, they play second fiddle to their own movie. The adult characters are just bad. The entire town really, but a special mention should go to Lord Portley-Rind (Voiced by Jared Harris) are just downright 'I want them to die' annoying. When did Nigel Thornberry became such a dick?! The villain, Archibald Snatcher and his henchmen were pretty menacing and lot the humor, about him wanting cheese despite him, being lactose intolerance. One thing, I don't get is why he has a cross dresser persona of Frou Frou. Did he need a whole other persona to continue the myth that the Boxtrolls were really monsters? He's already doing that as Snatcher. I guess it was meant as a way for him to try and integrate himself more into the upper classes, but because that's not especially clear, it seems a bit thrown in there. Winnie (Voiced by Ellie Fanning) comes off as too much of a bossy for me to really like her or for me to believe that Eggs would either. It doesn't hurt the character or the film, but it makes it harder to believe that the movie was somewhat shoehorning them as love-interests. Another problem of the character is that Fanning voice over comes across more adult like, than childlike. After all, this girl hasn't yet reach puberty. The other voice acting is alright for the most part, but for her, she was a bit jarring. The stop-motion animation was the right balance of gross design-wise so that it's still appealing to look at. The movie remind me of Tim Burton & Harry Selick 1993's Nightmare before Christmas mixed with Nick Park's Wallace & Gromit films. I love the steam punk feel to it. It remind me of the game, Bioshock Infite. The movie does have charming moments. Surprisingly, I did get a little choked up at a couple of scenes. The movie also has that odd British Mothy Python type of humor. Yes, the movie does contain excessive use of potty humor and naughty gags, but it wasn't too overbearing. The one scene at the party, alone, was the highlight of film. It was just funny. I didn't even mind the horrible cheesy puns. One thing, I didn't like is the singing. While, there isn't a lot of music, the music, they played were just annoying. Another fault is how loose the movie is to the book. It felt like leftovers, most of the time. I just wish, it was more faithful to the book. Overall: The movie pacing is a bit rush. The movie watches more like a quirky, hour and half long short than a thought-provoking, groundbreaking film. Still, go see this movie & stay for the credits for the cover song "Little Boxes" by Malvinia Reynolds & a world discussion between Snatcher's henchmen. Films like these, will gather a cult-following. Still, I kinda wish, they made the film, a little more appealing.