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Whether or not you actually believe that Bigfoot and Nessie and other elusive creatures really exist, the ongoing search for proof can definitely be entertaining. So when a desperate adventurer actually finds one of these creatures in the animated comedy Missing Link, it’s no surprise that his discovery sends him on a wild journey around the world.
Missing Link follows adventurer Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by Hugh Jackman) on his quest for fame as a seeker of mythical beasts. When he gets a tip regarding a Sasquatch in America’s Pacific Northwest, he immediately sets out to find it and win his fellow adventurers’ admiration. But the creature that he finds there isn’t what he expects. He’s a friendly beast who’s also incredibly lonely. So, in exchange for proof of the creature’s existence, Sir Lionel promises to take his new friend, Mr. Link (Zach Galifianakis), to find his long-lost relatives in the Himalayas.
With Laika’s fifth animated feature, the studio takes a playful turn. While movies like Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings were dark and magical and more than a little bit twisted, Missing Link is a whole lot sillier. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have its dark moments. Sir Lionel has a price on his head—and as he and Mr. Link set out to find the Yetis of the Himalayas, they’re hunted by murderous Stenk (Timothy Olyphant). But this lovably bumbling creature brings a completely different style to the film. He’s sincere and naïve, and he’s completely unfamiliar with sarcasm, which brings about plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.
Still, it seems that writer/director Chris Butler wasn’t entirely sure how to handle the lighter tone. At times, it’s surprisingly adult, with not-so-subtle innuendo that might make parents of younger kids squirm a little in their seats. At other times, it’s sophomoric and goofy, with an abundance of bodily function gags. In other words, it sometimes feels like the writing is targeted to guys in their 20s.
In that way, Missing Link is certainly odd—but it’s odd in the same way that most Laika films are: it’s endearingly odd, thanks especially to Galifianakis’s adorable outsider. He’s the kind of character that kids and their parents (and also 20-something guys) will love.
Missing Link certainly isn’t the typical Laika movie—and it isn’t the same old cartoon, either. It’s a quirky little movie with a mythical creature on a life-changing journey. It isn’t the studio’s best, but it’s still an entertaining and amusing adventure.
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