Missing Link (2019)

Director: Chris Butler

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family

Runtime: 95 Minutes

Main Cast: Hugh Jackman, Zach Galifianakis, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Timothy Olyphant, Matt Lucas, David Walliams

Plot: Sir Lionel Frost is desperate to join the Adventurer’s Guild and gain the respect he deserves. Mr Link is the last of his kind and longs to find his long-lost relatives in Shangri-La. Together, the two team up to help each other with their dreams.

My Thoughts: I’ve always had a soft spot for animated movies, and a fascination for stop motion. It absolutely blows my mind the amount of work and effort that goes into it, and when technology is at a place now that a similar effect could probably be created digitally, it’s a blessing that Laika Studios still make their animations this way. Hours and hours of work just to create a couple of seconds of footage! Anyway, let’s talk about Missing Link.

After falling head over heels for their last movie, Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) I was dead excited to see Missing Link, especially with that voice cast! Sadly the movie didn’t have many showings at my local and I doubt it’ll even be in the cinema very long in the UK, despite the marketing effort. It was a great movie, but it doesn’t beat Kubo for me, mainly because that gut-punch of emotions was missing.

Still, Missing Link has one of those stories that is simple enough for the younger audience with enough jokes for the adults to enjoy too. Don’t expect anything too deep and just enjoy the adventure and you’re bound to have a good time! Laika are on an absolute roll, and I can’t wait to see what they make next.

Best Bit: I loved how Mr Link took everything Frost said literally. “Throw this rope over the wall”. He throws the entire lot, grapple hook included, over the wall and as stupid as it was it just tickled me and I laughed embarrassingly loudly. There’s also the scene where Mr Link gets to pick his own name, and that was just as funny!

Worst Bit: You can probably tell by now I loved this mostly for the animation. But what didn’t sit right with me was the look of Adelina’s character. She just didn’t seem to quite fit in with the style of every other human character in the movie and it was kind of distracting at times.

Fun Trivia: Missing Link is the first Laika film to feature an all adult cast, where the last four films, all the lead roles have been performed by children.

My Rating: 4 out 5 green tweed waistcoats which Mr Link can just about squeeze into. Those poor buttons!