By Ruth Ferguson, NDG Editor
The race for the Best Animated film for 2014 will certainly include The Boxtrolls. It comes from the creators of the popular “Coraline” and features the marvel of the 3D stop motion technology which adds a layer of richness to an already well-told story.
The Boxtrolls leave in the shadows and tunnels beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. If Holland prized tulips above all else back in the day, the residents of Cheesebridge feel as strongly about cheese. Sounds too far-fetched, but when you look at the rising interest in bitcoins it is a reminder things have value when a group of people decide it is to be treasured. Unfortunately in real life, as in this tale, sometimes we don’t put the same value on people, or in this case other living creatures surrounding us.
Eggs (Isaac Hempstead Wright) is a little boy who believes he is a boxtroll because he was raised by the kind creatures. However, thanks to a fearmongers (does that sound like something from our headlines) the boxtrolls are so feared there is a blanket permission to kill them. A challenged handled with glee by Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley).
However, thanks to the curiousity of the delightfully spunky, but a bit bratty Winnie (Elle Fanning) things do not go according to plan.
Now, I am not a fan of the 3D part of the flick, but love the artwork and stop animation. At times I was distracted by it, but the story is really done. Is it a familiar tale, yes, but with enough nuances and layers to refresh the story.
The Boxtrolls opens on Friday and as a family film rated PG, it stands a good chance to win the box office battle this weekend. Yes, even against a new Denzel Washington flick The Equalizer. You can never rule out parents looking for entertainment with the kids.
