The Boxtrolls Review

LAIKA is a studio that specializes in stop-motion animated films. They have been around for almost a decade doing contract work for films such as Corpse Bride and are responsible for a very funny segment in A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas. But what they are most well-known for is their two films, Coraline and Paranorman. These two films changed the game for stop-motion animation, it allowed the sub genre to develop more creative and detailed worlds while having relatable characters and intense stories to go with it. In my opinion, these films make LAIKA the Pixar Studios of stop-motion. But as Pixar stumbled early by releasing A Bug's Life after their masterpiece Toy Story, LAIKA has made a similar mistake with their latest The Boxtrolls. It's a decent film that takes risks throughout, but in the end it never reaches the high-caliber quality that Coraline and Paranorman have.

The main positive that this film has going for it is the fact it is not afraid to be too dark or intense for children. The film deals with the theme of dealing with differences and being equal with one another, but the film does not sugarcoat the extremes that conflict this theme. It also deals with genocide, a theme that is hardly ever shown in children's films. The film deals with these themes bravely and openly and it doesn't tone it down to avoid scaring children. The fact the film even has this theme and handles it well gives it major respect points from me.

The stop-motion animation, per usual from LAIKA, is astounding to look at. The details of the setting and characters are all so refreshing to look at. The hard work that is put into making these films is amazing and it truly shows here. However, while Paranorman and Coraline develops the world around them, The Boxtrolls really doesn't do that. The camera quickly glances at the world around the characters every so often, but in not enough time for us to truly feel we're entering the world of the story like those other two films did.

The voice casting works well here too. Richard Ayoade and Simon Pegg's characters steal the show as the philosophical henchmen, while Kingsley does great with the villain role. The rest of the cast does well in their respective roles.

The main issues I have with this film come from the script. The plot itself is very predictable, there are no real twists or things coming out of left field. Every twist that this film tries to have can easily be guessed and has been seen a million times. Another pitfall that the script suffers from is not developing the main characters well enough. Paranorman and Coraline's biggest strengths come from developing all of the characters, main or side. With this film, I felt the side characters were well developed, but the main character was just a standard archetype of a boy and I felt that the Boxtrolls were meant just to look cute for the kids and really nothing more. As a result, I feel that LAIKA made this film cutesy just to get the money rolling by appealing to families instead of making a film with memorable characters and a well-written script that will appeal to all.

While The Boxtrolls does have a few great dark moments and some funny jokes, this is easily LAIKA's weakest film to date. The script should have been worked on as hard as the animators work on their fantastic stop-motion. While it is entertaining and it does take risks every so often, the film just doesn't impress me as much as Paranorman or Coraline did. Hopefully, LAIKA's next film will focus more on the creativity those two films had rather than playing it safe like The Boxtrolls did.

Rating: 7 out of 10

The Maze Runner Review

As I mentioned in my review for The Giver a few weeks ago, YA adaptations are a big trend in Hollywood. To be honest, I think they may become just as big if not bigger than superhero movies in a few years. Every few months, there is a new YA movie that has a huge fan base behind it and these movies typically involve these elements: a forced love triangle that is the main focus instead of the actual plot or the action scenes, a dystopia that should show dark and twisted ideals but instead tones it down to keep the PG-13 rating, and the end credits/certain scenes being an advertisement for big name indie artists. I was very worried going into this one that it would be another typical YA movie showing at least one of these elements. But to my surprise, The Maze Runner is not your typical YA movie. It's a fun and dark YA adaptation that could become a game changer this sub genre.

One strong positive that this film has is that it strays away from the YA genre and does its own thing instead. While the plot involves a dystopian area with a bunch of boys and only one girl shows up, there is no forced soap operatic romance subplot. Instead the focus is on the plot, which has very refreshingly dark and twisted moments. This is welcoming to me since most YA movies don't even try to take this risk. The other thing that's refreshing is that this movie relies on a really impacting and tense score only and not indie bands trying to make quick cash by showing their music in the end credits or certain action scenes.

Two other strengths this film has to offer is in the acting and directing. I was very skeptical about Dylan O'Brien in the main lead since I am not a fan of his TV show Teen Wolf, but I was very impressed with his performance here. He displays the fear, curiosity, and leadership that his character is written to be perfectly. I have a feeling we will see more of him in movies. Another great performance is Will Poulter, who is best known for playing the naive nerd in We're The Millers. Here,  he plays a ruthless and cruel dictator that audiences love to hate. To my surprise, he plays this part exceptionally well and it truly shows Poulter's range as an actor. The rest of the actors do very well too, going to show that the director picked them for their performances and not their looks. Speaking of the director, this is the debut film for director Wes Ball. He is a visual effects consultant for many films and his choice sounded very wary at first. Especially since the last YA adaptation that had a similar director debut (Eragon) tanked horribly, but Ball handles his directing well. He not only creates a beautifully dark world, but manages to focus on the acting and the characters as well. I hope he gets another big project soon.

While I enjoyed this film, it had some issues. One major issue is that were some unnecessarily slow scenes throughout. Some scenes it worked to build the characters and to develop the plot further, but other scenes were too slow to the point that it could have been cut down to get to the action faster. The biggest problem happens to be in the last 20 minutes of the film. While the first 3/4th's of the film took its time with its characters and action scenes, the last act really falls through. It is rushed to the point where the action scenes feel too quick and easy to get to the ending. And certain plot points feel too quick because of it.

Regardless of its flaws, I really enjoyed The Maze Runner. This is the YA movie I have waited for even though it is not perfect. It's refreshingly dark, doesn't rely on a dumb love triangle, and the performances are all great. Debut director Wes Ball has a great career ahead of him after this film. This film is the start of a potentially great franchise.

Rating: 8 out of 10