The First Trailer for Laika's "Missing Link" is a Delightfully Curious One

Scene from Missing Link

With exception to maybe Pixar, there have been few animation studios with as strong of a recent track record as Laika, who caters to stop-motion stories that skew a bit more horror and fantasy. It's the type of cinema that the oddball kid would definitely enjoy and their films (Coraline, ParaNorman, Kubo and the Two Strings) all have earned a reputation for provocative stories that are wholly original as well as having some of the greatest animation in their given year. It makes sense then that their latest, 2019's Missing Link, takes on a lot of familiar elements as they tackle another odd subject: the "missing link" between man and species. It looks a lot more comical and silly than the other films, but it's no less of a marvelous visual delight that promises to be another joyful experience. 

For me, Laika is the quintessential American studio of the 21st century. As much as Pixar has arguably more hits, Laika has an incredible track record starting with Coraline where they have produced undoubted hits in the stop motion format. For a style that's largely seen as obsolete - taking too much time to do properly - the studio has created some of the most visually splendid worlds imaginable. Their previous film, Kubo and the Two Strings, is maybe their best film in large part to some of their strongest imagery and a story about storytelling and family that is second to none. It conveys a lot of rich themes that pushes the boundaries of animation to new places. It comes across as the culmination of a studio trying to outdo itself, making something timeless in the field of family cinema. It's also got more heart and humor as well as more fluid action than many of the Dreamworks Animation films it competed against.

Missing Link would obviously be towards the top of my list regardless on if a trailer would come out. Even the one film that I don't love as much (The Boxtrolls) has a lot of great concepts going on. Laika has decided to find a way to make the missing link theory come to life with a story that is in many ways more of a comedy than the action/fantasy that the studio has been catering towards in recent years. Even the image of the titular Missing Link looks a lot more pleasant and humane than the darkness that came before. Maybe it's the studio admitting that it wants to branch out and try something different. With that said, it still has an immediacy to the look that is undeniable and fun.

Check out the trailer below:

It looks really fun. Here's the plot description according to IMDb:

The charismatic Sir Lionel Frost considers himself to be the world's foremost investigator of myths and monsters. The trouble is none of his small-minded high-society peers seems to recognize this. Sir Lionel's last chance for acceptance by the adventuring elite rests on traveling to America's Pacific Northwest to prove the existence of a legendary creature. A living remnant of Man's primitive ancestry. The Missing Link.

There's a lot that already feels different about this film. For starters, it feels a lot more warm and optimistic. Missing Link seems to be one of Laika's more joyful characters in their entire filmography. Having a Paul Simon song orchestrate the action also helps it to comes across as something more upbeat. Considering that 2018 saw Isle of Dogs connect with audiences as a different stop motion feast, who knows if the film will have as much success next summer in capturing the heart of summer audiences. If nothing else, Missing Link has a lot of great jokes in the trailer, such as his description of knowing how to write but having poor penmanship. It seems like a smart family movie, which is greatly desired.

With that said, it's hard to talk about the film's Oscar chances when this year's Best Animated Film category hasn't really taken shape yet. In fact, some big contenders (like Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2) have yet to make a splash at the box office. Even then, Laika's got a great track record and may likely keep it going next summer. The chance to see a predominantly funny film from the studio is very much welcome and hopefully it will be their fifth consecutive hit. Only time will tell. For now, it's evidence that there's plenty to get excite for next summer.