Tons of people get excited when Pixar announces a new movie like Elemental (Though, not enough, apparently), and I should know since I'm one of them. But, for my money, nothing gets me more hyped than when I see that there are going to be more LAIKA movies. That’s because, film for film, LAIKA is probably my favorite animation studio in the business.
And, yes, I know "animation studio" might be a bit of an understatement, since LAIKA actually does stop motion animation, which is a complex art form all of its own. Ever since the excellent Coraline debuted back in 2009, I have been absolutely smitten by the company. Even though it still only has five feature length films underneath its belt, I don’t think there’s a stinker in the bunch. But, which is the best of the best when it comes to the movies of this talented studio? Well, you’re about to find out.
5. Missing Link (2019)
While Pixar may have some misfires, when considering the ranking of Pixar movies, I'd argue that there isn’t a single "bad" one in the bunch (The Good Dinosaur, and Cars 2 are mid, sure, but not “bad”), and I'd say the same about LAIKA. None of their films are “bad,” per se. However, I will say that their most recent effort, Missing Link, is the weakest of the five. Now, again, that doesn't mean that it's bad. It just means that I don’t think it's as good as the rest.
Directed by Chris Butler, and voiced by Hugh Jackman, Zach Galifianakis, Zoe Saldaña, and many more, the story concerns a famous explorer who seeks out cryptids for fame, only to receive a letter about the mysterious Sasquatch. But, it turns out that the letter was actually sent out by said Sasquatch, and the two set off on a rollicking adventure together.
While Missing Link definitely feels like the biggest LAIKA movie yet, it also feels the smallest, too. What I mean is, instead of a more personal story like the ones we come to expect from LAIKA, it seems like it's more concerned with the outer adventure, which is broad, rather than the inner adventure, which is specific.
Which is just fine! Not all stories have to be super deep or concerned with the inner worlds of its characters. We gave Missing Link an average review, and it is kind of average…for a LAIKA movie. But, as mentioned earlier, all LAIKA movies are something special, and the humor, adventure, fun, and beauty are all still here. Maybe just in a smaller amount this time, though. Now, if only more people actually saw Missing Link…
4. ParaNorman (2012)
I know some people find ParaNorman to be underrated, and yes, I guess you could call it that. But, if you ask most people what's the first movie they think of when you mention LAIKA Studios, I think the first one they’ll bring up is Coraline (for good reason), and the second they’ll bring up is their sophomore effort, ParaNorman, which is a great film that just doesn’t hit me in the same way that my Top 3 favorite LAIKA movies do.
Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, and starring the voices of Kodi Smit McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, and John Goodman, among others, ParaNorman is about a boy who can talk to the dead, and finds that he has a better time communicating with them than with actual living people. But, when a witch’s curse comes to fruition, and zombies walk the earth, Norman has to stop them, even if he’d probably relate more with the dead than his own neighbors.
Now, I know that most people like ParaNorman, and I like it, too, but I’m not in love with the overall pacing of the film, as I find it a tad slow.
That said, I love its overall vibe and aesthetic, as well as the message about having compassion. It also has many of the playfully dark elements that I cherish in Coraline. While I tend to remember the look and general feel of ParaNorman, however, I sometimes forget the actual story. Yes, it's definitely more than just an animated version of The Sixth Sense, but I also think the movie could be a little quirkier, sort of like my next favorite LAIKA movie on this list.
3. The Boxtrolls (2014)
If you want to talk about an “underrated” LAIKA movie, then I think the movie you’re really thinking about is 2014's The Boxtrolls, which I often feel gets forgotten when discussing the company's works. Directed by Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi, and voiced by the likes of Isaac Hempstead Wright, Ben Kingsley, and Elle Fanning, as well as many others, it has a rather simple plot. It’s about an orphan who gets adopted by some boxtrolls, learns that he’s actually a boy rather than a troll, and then decides that he must save his boxtroll family from an exterminator.
So, why do I like this so much? It’s just so weird! And quirky. In fact, I can tell you the exact moment where I thought, “I love this movie,” when I first saw the film, and that’s when I heard the surprisingly catchy “Boxtrolls” song. It’s a strange number, and it definitely separated the film from other animated movies in 2014, like Big Hero 6, The LEGO Movie, and How to Train Your Dragon 2.
Even though it’s a very simple story (it’s pretty much Tarzan, but with box people), it’s so distinctly LAIKA, that I just can’t help but having a big soft spot for it. I also think it’s the finest animation that the company’s ever produced, so it has that going for it, too.
2. Kubo And The Two Strings (2016)
Directed by Travis Knight, and voiced by Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, as well as an assortment of great talent, Kubo and the Two Strings is a visually stunning movie about a boy who brings about an evil spirit, and must go on a journey with a monkey and a beetle to uncover what happened to the boy’s samurai father in order to stop an even worse monster.
We rated Kubo and the Two Strings very highly, and for good reason. I mentioned earlier that Missing Link was a grand adventure, and Kubo is, too. But, whereas the former felt a bit superficial when it came to the emotions of its characters, the latter is all about the mysteries of family, and what it means to feel like something has been taken from you. Kubo is at times a scary and exciting movie, but also a calm one, and even introspective.
I never thought I would see a story like Kubo after seeing LAIKA’s first three films, which were much quirkier, but this one surprised me, and for that, I’m thankful.
1. Coraline (2009)
And here it is, LAIKA’s first – and still best – movie. It’s kind of crazy to me that even though LAIKA has made nothing but excellent films, that the movie that they leapt out the gate with (an adaptation of a Neil Gaiman novella) would be the one that solidified the company. Directed by the master of stop motion animation, Henry Selick, and voiced by Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, and John Hodgman, Coraline focuses on a girl who moves into a new house, finds a parallel world that mostly mirrors her own, and learns the scary secrets that lurk beyond.
Coraline is Creepy with a capital C. In fact, even though it’s a children’s movie, like all of the rest of LAIKA’s films, it’s the only one that I hesitate showing to my own children since I think it will give them nightmares. The movie's unsettling in a way that I don’t think many other films can capture, and it really delves deep into some of the unseen horrors that children experience when they let their imaginations run wild.
In many ways, the film is quite dreamlike, and it truly feels like the most unique LAIKA movie ever, even though its plot is decidedly simple. Coraline just has it all.
What’s your favorite LAIKA movie? For all things animation, make sure to swing around here often.
