Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Writer/director: Chris Butler, Roadshow Entertainment.
Cast: Zach Galifianakis, Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Timothy Olyphant.
An all-star voice cast dazzles in this globe-trotting adventure from animation studio Laika that also made Coraline, ParaNorman and Kubo and the Two Strings.
The hero, Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by Jackson) travels the world documenting myths and monsters.
Tired of living a solitary life in the Pacific northwest, Mr Link (Galifianakis) recruits the fearless explorer Frost to guide him on a journey to find his long-lost relatives in the fabled valley of Shangri-La.
Mr Link is 8 feet tall, 630 lbs, and covered in fur, but he’s the world’s most lovable legend at the heart of Missing Link. Better not to let appearances fool you. He is comical, cute and sweetly honest.
Along with adventurer Adelina Fortnight (Saldana), the trio encounters their fair share of peril as they travel to the far reaches of the world. Through it all, they learn that sometimes one can find a family in the places where it’s least expected.
Stalking them along the way are Willard Stenk (Olyphant), an evil explorer and freelance assassin hired by Lord Piggot-Dunceb (Fry), president of the Optimates Club, an association of big-game killing adventurers.
This visually dazzling adventure is earnest, sometimes intense.
A conservative escapade, Missing Link puts more emphasis on characters, atmosphere and astonishing locations instead of fight scenes and chases, though having said that they are creatively devised and accomplished.
The result is a narratively relaxed, yet intensely tactile experience.
