The Boxtrolls Movie Review
Category: Movies
From the creators of ParaNorman and Coraline, The Boxtrolls is a movie filled with creativity and imagination. This is a sweet story with heart, but also has some pretty grim scenes.
So, what exactly are Boxtrolls? Simply put, they’re little critters who use boxes for clothes. They live underground in an amazing cavern and during the night they scavenge above for what humans throw away. One man’s trash is another man’s – or Boxtroll’s – treasure. These critters are crafty and can create a lot with so little.
The Boxtrolls, namely one named Fish, are raising a human baby whom they name Eggs. Eggs grows up as a Boxtroll and thinks he is one. No one tells him otherwise. Then, when he’s about 11 years old, things go badly for his “family.” Above ground the humans think the Boxtrolls are monsters and stole the baby. They think the Boxtrolls are evil and need to be exterminated. That is where a malicious, conniving man comes into play.
In the town of Cheesebridge humans who have done something exceptionally good get the honor of wearing white hats, and that is exactly what Boxtroll exterminator Snatcher wants. He and his team wear red hats, but he covets the white hats. So he makes a deal that if he exterminates all of the Boxtrolls, he will earn his white hat.
Winnie is an interesting little girl. She’s the same age as Eggs and has led a privileged life. Her imagination is one for the books. She has some rather strange obsessions, which all revolve around Boxtrolls. She also wants some of her father’s attention, which he rarely gives to her. Winnie meets Eggs and they work together to convince everyone that Snatcher is an evil man.
Director Graham Annable said, “Snatcher is despicable in that he is manipulating Cheesebridge into fearing and hunting Boxtrolls, …” Producer David Bleiman Ichioka describes Eggs as “a bit like Tarzan, raised by a community other than the human one, so the civilized world is one he just doesn’t have any conception of.”
What the story comes down to is that Eggs must save his friends and family, with a little help from Winnie. The messages in the film are many. We all have the ability to be better than we are. In the end the audience learns the true story of little Eggs and how he came to live with the Boxtrolls.
This is a cute movie, but if you’re looking for something completely warm and fuzzy, this isn’t that. It will be adored by many, but because of some of the gruesome scenes, is not recommended for everyone. There are some humorous parts however, and the names the Boxtrolls have are adorable. They match the boxes they wear: Fragile, Sweets, Shoe, Knickers, and more. They are really fun little characters who have feelings, are sensitive, are funny, and eat bugs. Yep, they eat bugs.
The Boxtrolls is rated PG for action, some peril, and mild rude humor.
What Makes a Family Featurette:
You’re A Boy film clip:
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.
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