Movie Review - The Boxtrolls

The Boxtrolls $$ 1/2

 

 

PG

96 Minutes

Starring: Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright, and Elle Fanning.  

Directors: Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi.

  

            Eggs (Isaac Hempstead Wright) is a human who thinks he is a boxtroll. Unfortunately, that means he is part of a group that is hunted by Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) an exterminator with his eyes set on sitting with the social elite and sharing cheese and conversation with them.

            Things change when Fish (Dee Bradley Baker) is snatched and eggs must leave the troll’s underground home and travel the streets of Cheesebridge in search of a way to rescue his friend. 

            Except for an elevated grossness factor The Boxtrolls is a good family movie. This is how I rated it.  

1. Fun – The first half of the film was a little slow for my liking, but over all I enjoyed it. It was the second-half that provided most of the laughs for me. I give it a half MB for fun. 

2. Story – While handled well the storyline is not very original. A boy grows up in a strange society, finds out he doesn’t really belong there, and ends up saving his friends from the evil members of his own society. I just saw the animated Tarzan movie this week and they handled the same theme in a much better fashion. I give The Boxtrolls a half a MB for a reasonably well-done story.  

3. Technical – The stop-animation of this film turned me off. The characters have various levels of grotesque added to them, which might be a bonus for some viewers. I did not like the weird extra coloring on some of the characters. Mostly blues added to their faces. I found it distracting. The Boxtrolls gets a half a MB for special effects and other technical aspects.  

4. Acting – I felt that this was the films high-point. Ben Kingsley does a wonderful job as the villainous exterminator with high aspirations, but it was Mr. Trout (Nick Frost) and Mr. Pickles (Richard Ayoade) who stole the show. All I will say is that these are not your ordinary henchmen. I give a full MB for the entertaining voice work done in this film.  

            Add it all up and The Boxtrolls gets 2½ Movie Bucks. I suggest seeing it as a matinee because the big screen is the way to go with this film. It may be a bit silly and gross for adults, but children will love it. 

 

                        Randy’s Rating System 

$$$$   = Full Price    See this movie right away and pay full price, it’s worth it.

$$$     = Matinee      Catch this as a matinee or other discounted showing.

$$        = Discount     Wait until this movie reaches a discount theater near you.

$          = Rental         Wait until this movie reaches your local video rental outlet.

0          = No Sale       Don’t see this movie at any price.