'Missing Link' evolves from the standard animation fare — Oscars spotlight review

Missing Link tells the story of a lonely sasquatch who journeys far beyond the reaches of the world with his two companions to find a place he belongs.

See the rest of Jane's 2020 Oscar spotlight series here.

It's honestly a miracle that films like ‘Missing Link' are still being made. Animation nowadays is over-saturated with sequels from highly profitable franchises — they're so popular that two of the five Oscar contenders for Best Animated Feature are sequels to already beloved series (Toy Story, How to Train Your Dragon). Even if those sequels are well done (and I agree they are), it does feel that the big animation studios have decided to forfeit original storytelling for the sake of easy box office numbers. 

Enter Laika Studios whose newest feature Missing Link wholeheartedly believes in making things of the past very much a part of the future. Set in the late Victorian era, a charming (if somewhat self-indulgent) explorer Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by a charismatic Hugh Jackman) sets out to prove his worth to high society by proving the existence of the sasquatch and the theory of evolution.

The sasquatch he eventually discovers in the new world of America turns out to be a friendly but bumbling creature that he decides to call Mr. Link (voiced by Zach Galifianakis). Mr. Link — he prefers the name Susan — fears he is the last of his kind and requests the help of Sir Lionel to take him to his distant cousins who live in the far reaches of the Himalayas. With the aid of the headstrong widower Adelina Fortnight (Zoe Salanda), they embark on a journey to reunite the last sasquatch with his abominable relatives while trying to evade the henchman of Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry) who will stop at nothing at preventing the discovery of what mankind descended from.

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It's those complex ideas that make this buddy comedy story more than an adventurous romp. In a time where our political climate seems to want to revert to more outdated ideologies rather than progress forward, it's great to see a family-friendly film tackle these intricate themes in a subtle yet entertaining way. However, if you'd rather just enjoy the film for its aesthetic value, I wouldn't fault you for that either. Lakia's always been a powerhouse when it comes to stop-motion animation, and this film is a wonder to behold knowing that every character and backdrop was created and puppeteered by an actual person. There are multiple scenes where my mouth was left in awe beauty of the animation.  

So where does it come up short? Unfortunately, it's just not nearly as memorable as some of the other Laika productions that come to mind (Coraline, Paranorman, Kubo and the Two Strings). It could be because the main protagonists in those films were children and it seems easier investing in their perils and conflicts. Those films also seem to be revolutionary in their genre by always offering a new perspective in their themes or story. Missing Link is a wonderful addition to Lakia's canon, it does have many familiar beats of the buddy comedy flick. 

That being said, it's delightful to see another Laika film get nominated for an Oscar — I hope this gets more people to see it (it barely made $30 million in theaters on its $100 million dollar budget). It might not be the best production by the studio, but it's still an original story created with a dying art form that wouldn't exist in mainstream cinema if it wasn't for Lakia. In an industry full of animated sequels, a film like “Missing Link” is a nice reminder that people are still creating for artistic value rather than a monetary one.

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