By the late 1990s, legendary animatorWill Vintonhad trouble finding new work. He brought in outside investors to help, which included the co-founder of Nike, Inc.,Phil Knight, and his son,Travis Knight. By the mid-2000s, Knight gained a majority share of the company, so it was renamed Laika, and the director ofThe Nightmare Before Christmas,Henry Selick, joined up to direct their first movie, the breakthrough hitCoraline.
From there,Laika has released four more films, each receiving glowing reviews from critics and audiences alike. Much praise has been given to Laika’s phenomenal stop-motion animation, but another reason for the company’s success can be found in its characters. There is an incredible amount of sincerity to their writing, which helps to suck audiences into their stories. The studio is behind some truly modern icons from animation, from Coraline to Kubo;these ten characters are Laika’s finest creations, fascinating and complex figures that will surely stand the test of time.
Played by Dee Bradly Baker
The town of Cheesebridge lives in fear of the Boxtrolls: horrid monsters who wear boxes for clothing and break into their houses to kill their children. In reality, the Boxtrolls are innocent creatures, as demonstrated by one member called Fisn (Dee Bradly Baker), named for the fish box he wears. For over ten years, Fish has cared for an orphaned human child he calls Eggs (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and taught him how to live as a Boxtroll.
Fish is a wonderful example of how good Laika’s animators are at capturing the emotion of their characters. His dialogue is incredibly minimalistic, but it matches the facial expressions perfectly, making Fish an innocent little creature you’re able to’t help but root for. He’s also just genuinely nice: while not the smartest or bravest of Boxtrolls, he still does what he can to raise Eggs and tries to help where he can when his friends are in trouble.
The Boxtrolls
Watch on Netflix
9Neil Downe
Played by Tucker Albrizzi
ParaNormanis quitea darker movie than fans realize. The town of Blithe Hollow is rather unkind to misfit kids, such as Neil Downe (Tucker Albrizzi); the younger brother of town jock Mitch (Casey Affleck), Neil faces a lot of bullying at school due to his weight but tries to maintain a positive outlook despite it. After witnessing another kid, Norman Babcock (Kodi Smit-McPhee), getting picked on, Neil decides to try and be his friend.
Neil is a sweet, innocent child who doesn’t possess a single bad bone in his body. He takes life in small strides, enjoying the little things like laughing with his friends or freeze-framing his mom’s aerobics videos. Albrizzi’s performance is as sincere as you could hope for, especially when he sticks up for Norman and laughs as the two get up to misadventures.
ParaNorman
Watch on Starz
8Sir Lionel Frost
Played by Hugh Jackman
All his life, Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) has dedicated himself to exploring the world and cataloging the many amazing creatures most believe to be mere myths and legends. For this, he is shunned by his fellow explorers, who refuse to let him join the Society of Great Men. When Frost gets a letter that might confirm a Sasquatch in North America, he makes a deal with his rival, Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry), that if he can prove the creature’s existence, he will finally be recognized as an equal.
Frost is everything audiences could hope for in a 19th-century British explorer, which makes him the perfect protagonist forMissing Link’s love-letter approach to the adventure genre. He conducts himself like a proper gentleman, but his pride can lead to rash and, at times, thoughtless actions. Still, he never goes too far into the realm of unlikability, and Jackman’s voicework reminds audiences that he is but a good man seeking validation.
Missing Link
Watch on Paramount+
Played by Zach Galifianakis
After failing to find another of his kind, the last Sasquatch (Zach Galifianakis) writes to Sir Lionel Frost to come and meet him in person. He explains that Frost is the only person he can trust to keep him safe and agrees to help Frost gain renown in the scientific community in exchange for escorting him to the Himalayas to find his cousins, the yeti. Frost agrees and dresses the Sasquatch up as his new assistant, Mr. Link, so that he can blend in with humans.
Mr. Link is a beautiful example of apositive and wholesome character. The trauma of losing his people leaves him very shy and nervous in new situations, but when he gets to know someone, he forms a strong attachment and will always be there to pick them up with words of encouragement or his great strength. Galafinakis' delivery sells him as a truly pure soul who just wants to find a place where he belongs and a family who will love him as much as he loves others.
Played by Art Parkinson
When he was born, Kubo’s (Art Parkinson) grandfather, the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes), tried to pluck out his eyes so that Kubo couldn’t feel empathy towards humanity. Alas, he kept his right eye thanks to his mother (Charlize Theron), who suffered a terrible head wound to keep him safe. Kubo now spends his days earning money by telling stories of his father, the great samurai Hanzo, but must always end the story early so that he is back home before sundown.
Kubo and the Two Stringsis anunderrated yet immersive stop-motion moviefull of magic and awe.Kubo is a strong protagonist thanks in large part to his love of stories and how relatable his struggles are. Though he has suffered terrible losses at such a young age, he doesn’t give into despair and fights for his happy ending. His journey touches on the universal beauty of storytelling and the importance of memory as a way to continue the stories of those who are gone.
Watch on Tubi
Voiced by Charlize Theron
When Kubo’s twin aunts (Rooney Mara) finally track him down, his mother uses the last of her magic to send him to safety and infuse some of her life force into Kubo’s wooden monkey charm. This brings the charm to life, and Monkey (Charlize Theron) becomes his sworn protector. She leads Kubo on a quest to find the three pieces of his father’s armor: the Sword Unbreakable, the Breastplate Impenetrable, and the Helmet Invulnerable.
Monkey is a good mix of compassionate and harsh,a classic movie mentorwho challenges and inspires. Though she wants to help Kubo cope with the loss of his mother, she also needs to stress the danger of his situation and won’t hesitate to tell him to be silent and do what she says. Theron’s performance is great at balancing these two sides of Monkey, and she only improves as Monkey’s secrets are brought to light.
4Archibald Snatcher
Played by Sir Ben Kingsley
Following the disappearance of the Trubshaw Baby, Cheesebridge’s local exterminator, Archibald Snatcher (Sir Ben Kingsley), makes a deal with the town’s mayor and leader of the cheese-loving council of White Hats, Lord Portley-Rind (Jared Harris). If Snatcher can exterminate every last Boxtroll in Cheesebridge, he will be accepted into the white hats as well. For the next ten years, Snatcher works tirelessly to hunt down the Boxtrolls and spread propaganda about their kind while attempting to overcome his allergy to cheese.
Archibald Snatcher isa fascinating and already iconic villainwhose story demonstrates the self-destructive dangers of pride and delusion. He believes that nothing can stop a man with ambition, which allows him to make great progress in his goals, but his obsession with reaching a higher standing in society causes him to ruin his body by forcing him to be something he isn’t.Kingley’s performance is one of Laika’s best, capturing every ounce of Snatcher’s resentment, cruelty, ambition, and righteousness.
3The Bedlam
Played by Teri Hatcher
Using her network of spies and hand-crafted dolls, The Bedlam (Ter Hatcher) spes into the human world and looks for an unhappy child. She then lures them into her world, adjusted to cater to their wants and fantasies, with The Bedlam posing as their perfect Other Mother. She then offers to sew black buttons on their eyes, binding their souls to her for all eternity.
The Bedlam stands out asone of the best animated villains. Everything about her is tailored to be the perfect predator, from learning everything she can about her victims to crafting the perfect trap to her true form resembling a giant spider. Hatcher’s performance also slots into this predatory theme: she sounds so loving and devoted when disguised as the Other Mother, but it becomes cold and harsh once she’s outed.
2Norman Babcock
Played by Kodi Smit-McPhee
Born with the power to speak with the dead, Norman Babcock finds himself ostracized by his community, who think that he is either crazy or faking it to get attention. The worst of it comes from his father (Jeff Garlin), who doesn’t know how to connect to his son. On the eve of the town’s anniversary of hanging a witch, he is approached by his granduncle, Mr. Prenderghast (John Goodman), who says that he must perform a special ritual or else the spirit of the witch will summon the dead.
Norman’s situation feels very relatable to anyone who has been ostracized by family or societyfor something they couldn’t control. He struggles between hating and embracing his gift, as well as opening himself up to potential friends due to his history of getting hurt. Despite this, Norman proves to be a good person at his core, bravely setting off to defend his community and finding that his history has granted him an empathetic mindset.
1Coraline Jones
Played by Dakota Fanning
Young Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) is going through a rough patch in her life. As if moving from one state to another isn’t stressful enough, her parents are absorbed in their work, and the new boarding house they’ve moved into is full of quirky inhabitants. One day, Coraline finds a strange door and, going inside, finds herself transported to another world where everything is catered to her wants and desires. Still, something feels off about this paradise.
Coralinestands as Laika’s finest achievement and one of the all-time best motion picture movies, largely thanks to its gripping central character.Coraline is a wonderful representation of a pre-pubescent girl, with plenty of positive and negative traits that make her feel more believable. She can be quite cynical and snarky to those who annoy or ignore her and often lashes out when angry, but at her core, she is a very brave and compassionate soul.Dakota Fanning delivers a brilliant performance, capturing this dual side of Coraline, especially when she gets angry or remorseful.Coraline is a powerful character, so compelling and vibrantthat audiences might even forget she’s but a clay model.
