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This movie found a fan in me.
As one could see from the trailers, Sir Lionel Frost caught his beast, but I will also say that it found me...as a fan. What we have here is an animated film that teaches you how to stand up for yourself, go after what you want, and that you will learn more along the way than what you set out to. One of my first thoughts after watching this movie was that it will be one I show to my future children. I’ll go into further detail below.
The details of a film’s star rating in this blog generally go as follows:
3 Stars for beginning, middle, and end of the story
Star for casting/acting
Star for everything else- cinematography, soundtrack, etc.
Bonus Star 1- for marketing, release date, etc.
Bonus Star 2- for storyline fitting in with prequels/sequels, end credit scenes, etc.
If you would like to see a more detailed outline of how a film’s rating is created by me, there is a blog post on my dedicated page to just that. Also, I don’t do spoilers. I won’t mention any major plot twists or endings but I will hint at things and mention scenes that don’t give away any of those major points.
Let’s get into it.
Beginning: The opening scene with Sir Lionel fighting a mythical creature, to set up a film about him finding a different one, was a great addition made by the filmmakers. The whole beginning of this film was crafted well. The villains were quickly, but believably, introduced as a formidable group that Sir Lionel and companions would surely have trouble conquering. The small twist of Sir Lionel looking for sasquatch, but sasquatch was actually looking for him, came across well on screen. Full star for the beginning.
Middle: Another full star here. There are so many funny bits throughout this film, in true animated fashion. Mr. Link complaining about having to wear clothes is my favorite. There is also juxtaposition of the confidence of Lionel vs. the shyness of Mr. Link that shows the thought that went into crafting these characters. Overall, all of the characters are well-rounded. The character arc of Lionel is one that any storyteller can appreciate. He goes from being only focused on his own gain to caring about others - what they can do for him vs. intrinsic worth. Adelina is a catalyst for that growth, as well as a catalyst for the plot of the story. I liked that the creators chose a specific character to push the story forward rather than a big event.
End: This movie strictly follows the stereotypical hero’s journey. For those of you who either forgot or never learned what that means, just think of the plot of this film. Hero sets off on a quest, gets into trouble along the way, comes out the other side not only victorious but realizing he found something better than what he originally set out for. Sir Lionel set out to find a creature, found what he really needed - a true friend. Mr. Link set out to find those he was biologically related to, found family in friends instead. Missing Link (2019) earned its full End star.
Casting/Acting: Only half a star here. I thought Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, and Zach Galifianakis portrayed their characters’ well, but I feel that there are other actors who would have worked just as great. I didn’t feel that casting was brilliant or poor, so I didn’t give it a full star. The acting of those who were cast was excellent. Hugh Jackman portrayed just the right amount of sarcasm, pride, and truth for Sir Lionel. Zoe Saldana had fire, honesty, and respect imbued in Adelina Fortnight. Zach Galifianakis found a great balance of funny, awkward, and compassionate for Mr. Link. That’s where the half star came from.
Everything Else: Full star. This was a simple conclusion for me to give Missing Link (2019) it’s full star for all of the other factors in this movie. The fight scenes throughout were placed well, believable for the time period, and not too long or too short. The animation style, stop-motion, was done very well.
I want to take a second here to make a few comments for those planning to watch with little ones. As I mentioned, there are fight scenes throughout - guns, punching, an axe at one point, a 5-second reference to mugging a nun. But there are also great points made about family, finding yourself, and women in prominent roles. So, if you feel your kids are old enough for a movie with fight scenes, I would highly consider showing this movie to them.
Bonus 1: Half star. The release date didn’t do anything for me. I almost gave no star here, but the trailer was very similar to the actual movie, which so rarely happens - that I went ahead and did half a star.
Bonus 2: I’m not giving it a star here. This movie is well contained in itself. However, I am hopeful the creators will consider future films. I think a sequel with Sir Lionel and Mr. Link would do well - maybe Lionel taking on his own family, which is not mentioned really at all in this movie. I also think a spinoff movie with Adelina as the main focus, and an adventure she goes on, would be fun to watch.
Overall: I started finding myself making connections to Tarzan (1999) in the sense of having small-minded individuals making distinctions between civilized men and those they consider not to be. I disagree with other critics saying that the storytelling doesn’t meet the artistic level of the film. I found that even though I saw a similarity between Missing Link (2019) to Tarzan (1999), the overall storyline was a refreshing take on the hero’s journey.
This movie is great for a night in with the family, or if you need a pick me up on your own journey through life. I’ve watched it two or three times since I originally saw it. If you’re looking for a movie that isn’t horror/thriller/suspense, seriously consider watching Missing Link.
So let me know:
What did you think of the movie?
If you’ve seen it, did you watch it as family night or by yourself?
Do you enjoy animated films?
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