The Boxtrolls – Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Chris Eberle

Synopsis

The town of Cheesebridge is infested with creatures known as Boxtrolls. They come out at night and scavenge through garbage and steal things that aren’t bolted down. Archibald Snatcher, the local exterminator, wants to earn a place in the town’s elite by eradicating them and earning a White Hat from Lord Portley-Rind. The townspeople are further inflamed when they learn a baby has been taken by the trolls.

Snatcher begins to round them up one-by-one until there are only a few left. Meanwhile the baby grows up to become Eggs, a young boy who thinks he’s a troll too. Eggs discovers Snatcher’s real plot and manages to set things right revealing the truth to Lord Portly-Rind and the townspeople.

Commentary

This is a cute film in the vein of Tim Burton but slightly less dark. The plot is not terribly original but the real star of The Boxtrolls isn’t the story, or even the excellent voice-acting by multiple A-list talents. The best reason to watch this Blu-ray is for the incredible stop-motion/CGI hybrid animation created by Laika Entertainment. The combination of real objects and CG facial effects makes for a compelling image that draws you in and makes the story take a backseat. There is a general darkness; especially in the Snatcher character who is not above killing to get what he wants. And some material might be a little intense for young children. But overall, it’s enjoyable and entertaining; easily worth a rental. Or add it to your library if you’re an animation fan like me.

Technical

The image is first-rate with no detail left hidden. Even though stop-motion animation can sometimes result in jerky motion that isn’t the case here. It’s one of the best examples I’ve seen. Dynamic range is very broad with deep blacks and highlights that pop. Color is beautifully saturated as well with lots of subtle information in facial close-ups.

The audio seems a bit polite to me with not quite as much impact as the image seems to call for. Ambient effects are excellent thanks to an expert surround mix that really envelops the listener. I almost thought I was watching a Dolby Atmos demo with sounds occurring overhead and behind with equal precision. Dialog was a tad muddy at times which made some of the thick British accents hard to understand. The score by Dario Marianelli is a classic one performed by a live orchestra. It’s a welcome respite from the synthesized music heard in most modern films.

Extras

The making of features included in this release are presented in a multi-part format totaling 46 minutes. The process behind stop-motion animation is quite fascinating and these shorts explain it well. Also included is a set of storyboard animations and audio commentary by the directors. My review package included 2D and 3D versions of the film on a single disc along with a DVD and digital copy.