MISSING LINK
US, 2019, 95 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Hugh Jackman, Zach Galifianakis, Stephen Fry, Zoe Saldana, Emma Thompson, David Walliams, Matt Lucas, Timothy Olyphant, Amrita Acharia, Adam Godley.
Directed by Chris Butler.
Missing Link is something of a surprise. While screening for school holidays, it really is an animated film for an adult audience rather than a children’s audience. The reason for this is that it has a story and characters which are of more interest to adults than children.
In fact, looking at the voice cast, it obviously offers entertainment treats. It is mainly a British cast but has comedian, Zach Galifianakis as Mr Link, the Missing Link from the Northwest US, and Timothy Olyphant is a moustachioed villain. And, the star is Australian! Hugh Jackman with his very best of British accents. The rest of the cast is very British led by Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson.
This is the late 19th century-early 20th century. Britannia rules the waves, her explorers are everywhere, the atmosphere is colonial superiority. Jackman voices Sir Lionel Frost, first seen on Loch Ness, piping music underwater to rouse the monster – and he does. The monster is not too pleased and so all the evidence of the discovery is destroyed. This is completely unacceptable, as is Sir Lionel himself, to the aristocratic London club, presided over by the pompously of noxious Lord Piggott-Dunceby?, Stephen Fry going beyond Stephen Fry!
Actually, so Lionel receives a letter from Washington State from the Missing Link, a sweetly cultured giant creature whom Sir Lionel calls Mr Link (even though Mr Link has taken a shine to the name Susan).
This is a train, boat, horseback, Trak story across the US, across the Atlantic, across Europe, into Asia. Joining the expedition is the widow of one of Sir Lionel’s close associates, Adalina Fortnight (Zoe Saldana with one of those fiery Latin American temperaments and accents). Lord Piggott-Dunceby? will brook no success by Sir Lionel and sends the gunmen to follow him to the ends of the earth.
There is some humour in getting advice in the mountains of Tibet from an elderly lady who tells them how to get to Shangri-La? which is where the Yeti live. E get rather a surprise to see the Yeti, a lavish court, very civilised but isolationist, ruled over by a haughty elder (Emma Thompson).
So far, so good but also so difficult. And then there are turns in the plot that we were not expecting – except that we were expecting Lord Piggott-Dunceby? to pursue and confront Sir Lionel, the Himalayas).
But, everything ends rather nicely with Sir Lionel undergoing lessons in humility, treating Mr Link as an equal – and, of course, in love with Adelina.
So, you see that it might not be so much interest to children. On the other hand, it might provide a pretext for self-conscious adults to go to an animated film to enjoy themselves!
1. The title? Expectations?
2. The film for an adult audience, children and family?
3. The animation style, stop-motion, characters, situations, action? The musical score?
4. The strength of the voice cast and the variety of types and accents?
5. Sir Lionel Frost, Hugh Jackman’s voice? The 19th century British explorer, his ambitions, to belong to the club, in addition to Loch Ness, his presumptions, playing the music, the monster, his associate and his walking out? Seeking new missions? the letter from Washington State?
6. The association, the head, snobbery, ridicule, not above hiring of thugs, the paid assassin, the attempts on Sir Lionel?
7. Sir Lionel, the wife of his associate, the visit, the thug, her decision to join? The expedition, the searching, the thug in his pursuit?
8. The maps, the travel illustrations of the journeys?
9. The Missing Link, Zach Galifianakis and his voice, appearance, manner, lonely, educated, writing, culture, plans and hopes? Sir Lionel calling him Mr Link? His preferring the name Susan?
10. The decision to go to India, trains and ships? The thug?
11. The way, on the ship, the dangers – in the comic touches?
12. India, the exploration, the expedition?
13. Into Tibet, wanting to find Shangri- La, nobody speaking English, the woman in the village, her guidance, going to her mother, the interview and the warnings, the jokes about chicken on her head, the trek?
14. Finding the valley, the Yeti community, the court and its pomp, the Elder and her manner, Emma Thompson’s voice? Against the intruders, imprisoning them?
15. The prison experience, the escape?
16. The English lord, his pursuit, the assassin, the confrontation on the bridge, the cracks, falling? The action sequences, Sir Lionel, Adalina, Mr Link, their being saved?
17. The escape, the dismissal of the Yeti community? The Lord and his return, the assassin? The confrontation of the disaster?
18. Sir Lionel, reassessing himself, in love with his associate, the future, Mr Link as a help?
19. The humour, action, and the attack on British snobbery?
