The Boxtrolls 2014

Jake Coyle, Associated Press: The Boxtrolls, despite a rather uncertainly structured story by screenwriters Irena Brignull and Adam Pava, has its pleasantly demented charms. Read more

Mary Houlihan, Chicago Sun-Times: It's a world that runs in a parallel universe akin to that of Charles Dickens, with creatively named characters involved in seemingly outlandish adventures in a Victorian-era city where a moral or two plays out in the end. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Engaging as it is to look at, this stop-motion animation film from the young Oregon studio Laika seems to have been masterminded by people thinking, "Everyone loves Pixar. So let's do everything the opposite!" Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: Visually the film is a feast, stuffed with little jokes and surprises and the kind of black humor that Alfred Hitchcock heartily enjoyed. Read more

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine: The Boxtrolls has its penny-dreadful moments, but it's mostly a larkish stroll through a cemetery where the monsters are the good guys. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: Squanders Laika's considerable artistic talent on an unappealing concept and screenplay. Read more

A.A. Dowd, AV Club: In an age when most cartoon companies have traded pens for pixels, the magicians at Laika continue to create fantastically elaborate universes out of pure elbow grease. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: There are some laughs and the dark, steam-punk look of Cheesebridge is intriguing, but there's little charm. Read more

Ethan Gilsdorf, Boston Globe: Like one of its wondrously designed steampunky contraptions, "The Boxtrolls" is a marvelous thing to behold, and watch spin, even if it doesn't go anywhere terribly interesting. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: "The Boxtrolls" remains relentlessly busy up through its final credits, and it's clever in a nattering way. But it's virtually charmless. Read more

Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News: What makes Boxtrolls truly special is how it challenges kids to consider that the true villain may be the person calling others villains. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: There are many more delighted 'Ewwws' than too-easy 'Awws' in this charming, if a tad cynical, feature from the creators of Coraline and ParaNorman. Read more

Joe McGovern, Entertainment Weekly: Ben Kingsley gives the funniest performance of his career. Read more

James Rocchi, Film.com: "The Boxtrolls" is a swing-and-miss for Laika; when you move forward with revolutionary techniques while standing still in terms of your themes, stories and settings, no amount of technical trickery or animation genius can bring the boring to vivid life. Read more

David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter: Stubbornly unappealing ... Read more

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: The details are impressive: 190 puppets built, 79 sets constructed, 20,000 handmade props, 200 costumes, 26 locations, 56 cameras, 892 lights, 53,000 face parts.... But somehow it still doesn't add up to enough. Read more

Amy Nicholson, L.A. Weekly: The Boxtrolls is a kiddie charmer that makes you laugh, cower and think of Hitler. That's an unusual trifecta, but then again, this is an unusual film. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: Imaginative but very weird, more Monty Python than Walt Disney. Not for all tastes. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: There's little conventional about this movie at all. Thank heavens. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: [An] exquisitely crafted but tedious film. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: In "The Boxtrolls," old-fashioned stop-motion animation is combined with new-style 3-D cinematography to charming effect. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: It's a wonderful world, full of Rube Goldberg contraptions below and colorful Dickensian squalor and excess above. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The Boxtrolls represents the best animated movie to reach theater screens since The Lego Movie exploded on the scene in February. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: One gets the sense that directors Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable have their hearts in the action sequences and not in the characters, and that's a problem. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: Why did the story of this huggable species' attempted extinction leave me emotionally indifferent? Read more

Claude Peck, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Do not think outside "The Boxtrolls." Instead, give yourself over to the movie's captivating, inventive, scary-hilarious world. Read more

John Semley, Globe and Mail: It's a felt, funny, bracingly sincere kids' movie. And even more refreshing, it takes as a theme our social fixation with waste, salvage and repackaging. Read more

Bruce Demara, Toronto Star: [A] totally offbeat and original tale for kids (and adults) looking for something a little more challenging and completely off the wall. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: A surprisingly charmless and aimless movie from Laika Studios, who previously crafted the wonderfully dark Coraline and Paranorman, this latest venture seems destined to disturb young viewers while thoroughly boring their parents. Read more

Tom Huddleston, Time Out: Breathlessly paced and surreally funny, The Boxtrolls fizzes with visual invention and wild slapstick. But the grotesquerie is overbearing Read more

Brian Truitt, USA Today: A delectable treat that balances themes of identity and class warfare with Monty Python-style political skewering, quirky humor and dairy jokes. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: The story of "The Boxtrolls," in lesser hands, might have turned out only so-so. Under Laika's loving, labor-intensive touch, it takes on a kind of magic. Read more