Missing Link is a cryptozoological, Western, Jules Verne-esque, Raiders of the Lost Ark-styled, Laika animated film of fun! Missing Link is written and directed by Chris Butler. He wrote and co-directed ParaNorman (2012) and wrote the screenplay for Kubo and the Two Strings (2016). It starts off with the Bigfoot foot print and then makes a transition to the shores of Loch Ness. Out on the loch is the boat rowed by Mr. Lemuel Lint (David Walliams). Walliams is a comedian known for Little Britain and worked with Matt Lucas on the show. Lint is a portly fellow with a hat and coat.
He assists Sir Lionel Frost ably voiced by Hugh Jackman. He is the refined gentleman explorer that seems cast in the mold of Professor Challenger and Phileas Fogg. Jackman had a perfect role as P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman (2017), he is iconic playing Wolverine recently in Logan (2017), and he voiced the Easter Bunny in Rise of the Guardians (2012). He has fun with his flawed, but charismatic explorer! Sir Lionel has the confidence to brave any danger, but there is also an awkwardness. He lures Nessie to the surface, can’t spoil it!, to take a photo of it. The Loch Ness Monster was also in a similar time period film with The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). Sir Lionel attempts to lasso the Loch Ness Monster, it shrugs off the rope, and promptly swallows Mr. Lint!
He assists Sir Lionel Frost ably voiced by Hugh Jackman. He is the refined gentleman explorer that seems cast in the mold of Professor Challenger and Phileas Fogg. Jackman had a perfect role as P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman (2017), he is iconic playing Wolverine recently in Logan (2017), and he voiced the Easter Bunny in Rise of the Guardians (2012). He has fun with his flawed, but charismatic explorer! Sir Lionel has the confidence to brave any danger, but there is also an awkwardness. He lures Nessie to the surface, can’t spoil it!, to take a photo of it. The Loch Ness Monster was also in a similar time period film with The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). Sir Lionel attempts to lasso the Loch Ness Monster, it shrugs off the rope, and promptly swallows Mr. Lint!
Sir Lionel dives in and is able to catch hold of the rope to steer Nessie close to their boat. Mr. Lint is spat out and they find their camera to take proof of the monster is destroyed. Sir Lionel back in his London house finds that Mr. Lint is upset at being in danger, pointing out all of his companions who left him, and quits. Now alone, Sir Lionel finds in his correspondence, a letter giving proof of the Sasquatch in Old Creek, Washington! He has the footprint cast of the Bigfoot. Sir Lionel races in a carriage to the Optimates Club. A stuffy organization of explorers with Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry) boasting about killing a rare species.
It is obvious that this explorer’s club is only interested in trophies to mount on their walls. Lord Piggot-Dunceby is assisted by Mr. Collick voiced by Matt Lucas so both of the Little Britain duo are here. Sir Lionel hopes that his discovery of the Sasquatch will get him entry into the club. Lord Piggot-Dunceby is offended that there would be a missing link in mankind’s descendants, it isn’t proper to think of such things, but Sir Lionel challenges him since he doesn’t believe in the Sasquatch. Lord Piggot-Dunceby accepts the challenge, but has Mr. Collick arrange to have his henchman, Stenk, stop him.
It is obvious that this explorer’s club is only interested in trophies to mount on their walls. Lord Piggot-Dunceby is assisted by Mr. Collick voiced by Matt Lucas so both of the Little Britain duo are here. Sir Lionel hopes that his discovery of the Sasquatch will get him entry into the club. Lord Piggot-Dunceby is offended that there would be a missing link in mankind’s descendants, it isn’t proper to think of such things, but Sir Lionel challenges him since he doesn’t believe in the Sasquatch. Lord Piggot-Dunceby accepts the challenge, but has Mr. Collick arrange to have his henchman, Stenk, stop him.
Sir Lionel lays out a map for the journey, part of the clever transitions of the movie, and reaches the Northwest. He rides a horse into the frontier town that is out of classic Westerns. Sir Lionel is pointed to the forested hills. He reaches the remains of a house and sees the large footprint. A hairy shape moves into the woods. This is straight out of the shaky Patterson film and reminds me a little of Harry and the Hendersons (1987). Sir Lionel stops the Sasquatch, the letter flies out of his hand to be caught by the other, there is a growling sound, but this is not a beast!
He speaks and Sir Lionel is surprised, he says he learned to speak and read from a shaman, and the explorer examines the Sasquatch. He is taken to the Sasquatch’s cave and is explained why he is there by his host, “I’m lonely.” Sir Lionel was contacted because he is known at least in papers as a world traveler and his help is needed to reach his cousins, the Yetis, in the Himalyas. Sir Lionel believes it is the lost city of Shangri-La. This vaguely reminds me of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), but the lost city reminds me best of the classic film, Lost Horizon (1937).
He speaks and Sir Lionel is surprised, he says he learned to speak and read from a shaman, and the explorer examines the Sasquatch. He is taken to the Sasquatch’s cave and is explained why he is there by his host, “I’m lonely.” Sir Lionel was contacted because he is known at least in papers as a world traveler and his help is needed to reach his cousins, the Yetis, in the Himalyas. Sir Lionel believes it is the lost city of Shangri-La. This vaguely reminds me of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), but the lost city reminds me best of the classic film, Lost Horizon (1937).
Sir Lionel works out a name for his new companion, he has Lint’s passport, and can change it so he is Mr. Link. Later, he finds that Mr. Link should have his own name, and takes the name Susan, love it! Zach Galifianakis voices Mr. Link, he had an iconic role as Alan in The Hangover (2009), he voiced Humpty Alexander Dumpty in Puss in Boots (2011), and he was recently the Happy Medium in A Wrinkle in Time (2018). Mr. Link has had little communication with people he is refreshingly frank and funny that is appropriate to the character and film.
Mr. Link joins the ranks of the best Laika characters. They make an agreement, Mr. Link will give proof of his existence, hair clippings, and Sir Lionel will help him find his cousins in Shangri-La. Sir Lionel takes him and the horse into the town to get some rest at the saloon. He throws a blanket over Mr. Link to keep his identity hidden. I love the concept that clothes over Mr. Link completely hides him! They are confronted by the short, relentless, and brutal Willard Stenk played by Timothy Olyphant. He of course is currently in the Santa Clarita Diet series. This of course breaks into a bar fight which is not violent, but so silly and absurd, it is hilarious. Stenk escapes, but he follows Sir Lionel and Mr. Link who are traveling to Santa Ana, California!
Mr. Link joins the ranks of the best Laika characters. They make an agreement, Mr. Link will give proof of his existence, hair clippings, and Sir Lionel will help him find his cousins in Shangri-La. Sir Lionel takes him and the horse into the town to get some rest at the saloon. He throws a blanket over Mr. Link to keep his identity hidden. I love the concept that clothes over Mr. Link completely hides him! They are confronted by the short, relentless, and brutal Willard Stenk played by Timothy Olyphant. He of course is currently in the Santa Clarita Diet series. This of course breaks into a bar fight which is not violent, but so silly and absurd, it is hilarious. Stenk escapes, but he follows Sir Lionel and Mr. Link who are traveling to Santa Ana, California!
This is seen as a hacienda for Adelina Fortnight voiced by Zoe Saldana. She is a widow who was formerly romantic with Sir Lionel, and her husband was a former explorer and friend. This reminds me a little of Marion Ravenwood and also Alice Hastings from Journey to the Center of the Earth. Saldana is known for playing Gamora, recently in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Uhura in Star Trek: Beyond (2016), but she also voiced Maria in the animated film, The Book of Life (2014). Her voice is of a Spanish lady in California like Catherine Zeta Jones’ character, Elena, in The Mask of Zorro (1998), elegant, and ready for adventure. Mr. Link, in an ill-fitting, yellow striped suit like something from Laurel and Hardy, waits outside as Sir Lionel is looking for Fortnight’s map.
Adelina is angry at him for saying that she has trapped herself inside the house like her pet canary and sends him running! Sir Lionel plans to break into the hacienda with Mr. Link, but Mr. Link takes things literally so Adelina catches them. They manage to get the map and the next day are caught by Adelina trying to board a train. Also, there is Stenk, who purues them across the world! Of note is the ship journey that later during a storm, turns into a chase that has a twist on the gravity-defying stunts of Inception (2010)! This animated movie has it all, I was laughing throughout it, and the story is basically about friendship, of finding where we belong. Laika films are rare treats of stop motion beauty and memorable characters. Don’t miss this one!
Five Maps out of Five!
#MissingLink, #ChrisButler, #HughJackman, #ZachGaliafianakis, #ZoeSaldana
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