Also checked out the new Laikia-produced animated film Missing Link. Laika is a studio that makes mostly stop-motion pictures that I should like… but never really do. So I didn’t go into this one with high hopes.
Missing Link is about an English big game hunter (but not really since he doesn’t actually hunt animals) who is laughed at by the other big game hunters so he decides to cross the Atlantic and hunt down Big Foot. The hunter is voiced by Hugh Jackman and the Big Foot (named Susan) is played by Zach Galifankis… because, yes, the Big Foot talks… and sounds exactly like Zach Galifanakis in full of Zach Galifinakis mode. This allegedly is the source of the majority of the film’s comedy and, to be fair, he did speak the single line I thought was funny.
I really disliked this film. It has an unappealing and weirdly cheap looking art style, the humor might appeal to five year olds only, and the main character’s personality randomly changes depending on the scene. Of course, it’s a kid’s film so you could argue that things like “character” and “theme” shouldn’t matter since they’re just trying to amuse five year olds. But if that’s the extent of a film’s ambitions, I’ll just watch Pixar movies (because even Cars gets that right).
Also, and this would be reading too much into the film except that it’s IN the film, they try to cram in a theme about evolution vs. creationism (I guess). I say “I guess” because they definitely refer to evolution (derp – the movie is called Missing LInk) but they don’t have the courage to outright reference religion. Instead they just have villains who are outraged by the very idea of a missing link or that Big Foot/Yeti might reflect an alternate evolution from apes. Or something. It’s muddle and confusing so if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want such a message, don’t worry: It’s too terribly told to matter.
There are a couple neat and inventive action scenes in the film which is the only reason it’s not complete garbage. I can’t argue they weren’t trying at least on that level. But, for everything else, it fails. It’s not funny (to me), the art style is not great, the story is pedestrian, and the characters and theme are muddled. Not that you were gonna go see this one… but don’t.
Score: 62