By Joshua Robison The Jambar
For those with a deep appreciation for animation, captivating storytelling and love for the cinematic experience, Laika Studios’ recent release of “Wildwood,” directed by Travis Knight, is a must see.
From the attention to detail, world building and suspense, the film is monumental and shows what can be achieved with stop-motion animation.
“Wildwood” follows protagonist Prue McKeel, played by actress Peyton Elizabeth Lee, in her journey through the Impassible Wilderness searching for her brother kidnapped by a murder of ominous crows. While in the wilderness, she finds herself caught up in a war between an army of talking coyotes and the native people of the area, known as the Bandits.
Laika Studios spent 16 years developing “Wildwood,” with five years spent in active production. “Wildwood” is based off of the book of the same name by author Colin Meloy, and the idea was conceived after the release of “Coraline” in 2009.
The amount of time spent on the film’s production is seen in every single frame captured by the animators. The character models give human-like expressions that stop-motion animation has never seen before.
It’s easy to tell absolute love for art was at play while the film was produced. Not only is the design and the aesthetic of “Wildwood” utterly incredible, but the performances of the actors are just as excellent.
Animated films typically lose an element of authentic portrayal of emotions, but in “Wildwood,” every expression feels as if it were live action. From every smile to shifting gaze, in tandem with the voice actors and animators, some of the best physical expression has come from the film.
What is most impressive about the film is the pure scale in which it was produced. According to Variety, “Wildwood” featured over 230 puppets and 136 set pieces and locations. No other stop motion film has come close to the level of “Wildwood” — and it shows.
The film also did something that most animated films seem scared to do and that appeals to a wider range of audiences.
Being an animated film, most casual movie goers will see the movie poster or trailer and believe that since it’s animated, the target audience is children. Even with a PG-13 rating, the film has many instances where it can be quite graphic and violent, as well as an occasional curse word.
By no means is that a bad thing.
“Wildwood” pushes the boundaries of stop-motion animation by being a titan of a project taking many years and around $100 million to produce. As well as establishing itself with mature audiences, it has made its mark on the animation and movie industry.
Laika Studios and all involved should be proud of “Wildwood” as it is such a beautifully crafted piece of art and could potentially inspire an entire generation of future animators.
“Wildwood” will undoubtedly go down as one of the most respected animated films of all time as every frame tells a story about someone’s love for art — all with great detail.