The Synopsis
Based on the book ‘Here Be Monsters’ by Alan Snow, The Boxtrolls is a charming stop-motion story about an orphaned boy raised by cave-dwelling, yet adorable trolls that collect all manner of rubbish and knick-knacks. Despite eating only bugs and going aboveground at night, the less adorable town-dwellers of Cheesebridge consider these boxtrolls to be malicious pests responsible for eating a man and stealing his baby.
The reality of the tale is that an evil, slightly large, slightly grotesque man named Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) is after a white hat in place of his red one. The white hat signifies the classiest, poshest and most ridiculous cheese lovers in power of Cheesebridge. In his quest for power, he kidnaps the town’s inventor. The inventor is the only man in town that knows the boxtrolls for what they are, and trusts Fish and Shoe to take his baby away to safety. Snatcher spreads lies about the boxtrolls before promising troll-free streets in exchange for the treasured white hat.
The boy, named Eggs by the boxtrolls (Isaac Hempstead Wright), grows up happily believing he too, is a boxtroll. As the years pass, more and more trolls are taken by Snatcher and his crew. Eventually, Egg’s father figure Fish is taken. Snatcher has stepped over the line, and Eggs’s quest to get them back from Snatcher begins. On his way he meets Winnie (Elle Fanning) – daughter of the leader of Cheesebridge, Lord Portley-Rind (Jared Harris) – who is desparate to meet the horrifiying creatures from her bedtime stories. Upon finally meeting the less-deviant-than-expected trolls, Winnie settles for helping him on his quest and telling Eggs his true identity; a human boy.
Eventually Eggs manages to free the boxtrolls, and with Winnie’s help, clear their name for good. Leaving a happy Cheesebridge full of trolls and humans living harmoniously.
The Review
The Boxtrolls is a wonderful film with the most lovable collection of oddball characters. With two of Snatcher’s crew constantly debating their position in this battle of good and evil (Nick Frost & Richard Ayoade), and the slightly twisted daughter of a Lord, excited for rivers of blood and piles of bones. It’s a very quaint film that doesn’t boast itself in any way, it is clever and it’s comedic value is much higher than that of most animations. The boxtrolls themselves are hard not to love, and so sweet. Not only is the film an absolute treat to watch, it also presents a fantastic argument about what is good and what is bad (presented in a hilarious manner by Ayoade and Frost’s characters Mr. Trout and Mr. Pickles). Superbly enjoyable and teeming with the most lovable and cleverly designed characters, I implore every one of you to seek out a copy and indulge yourself.
The Track
The Quote
Eggs: It won’t change who you are. Cheese, Hats, Boxes. They don’t make you. You make you
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