The Boxtrolls

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2:25

The Boxtrolls

PG

Released Sep 26, 2014

1h 36m

Kids & Family

Adventure

Comedy

Fantasy

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

78%

Tomatometer

173 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Eggs (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), an orphan, lives with the Boxtrolls -- a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who inhabit a cavern beneath the city of Cheesebridge. When villainous Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) hatches a plan to get rid of the pretty harmless beings, Eggs decides to go above ground, where he meets and befriends feisty Winnifred (Elle Fanning). Together, Eggs and Winnifred devise a daring plan to save the Boxtrolls from extermination.

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Critics Consensus

While it's far from Laika's best offering, The Boxtrolls is still packed with enough offbeat wit and visual splendor to offer a healthy dose of all-ages entertainment.

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David Ehrlich

Complex

The antidote to the modern animated movie.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 27, 2014

Full Review

David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

This kind of stop-motion animation (wittily demonstrated during the end credits) results in wonderfully detailed characters and action.

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 26, 2014

Full Review

Lisa Kennedy

Denver Post

There are many more delighted 'Ewwws' than too-easy 'Awws' in this charming, if a tad cynical, feature from the creators of Coraline and ParaNorman.

Sep 26, 2014

Full Review

Allison Rose

FlickDirect

This Laika Studios/Shout! Factory collaboration delivers a well-crafted product that exceeds expectations.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 28, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The Boxtrolls contains so much charm in its squalor, so much joy in its decrepitude, that the black humor and beautiful animation cannot help but leave an audience delighted.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 18, 2022

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

Williamson Home Page

If there's anything The Boxtrolls isn't lacking in, its confidence.

Feb 11, 2022

Full Review

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Tyler P

Boxtrolls is another hit from Laika that, though it falls short of its predecessors, only does so by a nebulous feeling of knowing I enjoyed the two previous films more, however original style is something we often miss in animation today, and so anything by Laika stands head and shoulders above average animated films.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/11/24

Full Review

JASON M

Super cute and a amazing movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/27/24

Full Review

Jay W

I love Liaka Studios, they're dedication to hand crafted stop motion is second to none. That being said, this is my least favorite of the studio's creations. Some of the fun of the studio's stop motion style is how imperfect everything can look. It is the "wabi sabi" finding beauty in imperfection. In a way, that is also a recurring theme in this movie. With that being said, there are points in this film that the creators go too far in making the world and characters look and feel unpleasant. The animation may be deliberately ugly at times, but that isn't the films only problem. The characters are also nothing that special. Upon finishing the movie, I couldn't tell you a thing about the main character. He is just your generic kids' movie P. O. V. Protagonist. He's adventurous, mischievous but with a heart of gold, all that usual stuff. The story isn't anything special either. It is the typical snobs vs. Slobs story. Combine that with kids learning that their parents are wrong, and their mom and dad should have to apologize to them for being so rich and evil. It isn't all bad, it's just very by the book standard stuff. And I have come to expect a lot more from this studio than the same old kids' movie stuff. Next time I hope the makers can think outside the box.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/26/24

Full Review

TROY S

The Boxtrolls movie stands on its own as an excellent story wrapped in visuals that pay homage to the craft of stop motion animation.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/15/24

Full Review

Edward P

It’s my favourite movie of all time!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/24

Full Review

Noe G

The boxtrolls is my number one best animated film from 2014 and my rating is a 10/10

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/21/24

Full Review

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Anthony Stacchi

Director

Graham Annable

Director

Isaac Hempstead-Wright

Eggs

Elle Fanning

Winnie

Ben Kingsley

Archibald Snatcher

Toni Collette

Lady Portley-Rind

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The Boxtrolls: Trailer 1

2:25

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Synopsis

Eggs (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), an orphan, lives with the Boxtrolls -- a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who inhabit a cavern beneath the city of Cheesebridge. When villainous Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) hatches a plan to get rid of the pretty harmless beings, Eggs decides to go above ground, where he meets and befriends feisty Winnifred (Elle Fanning). Together, Eggs and Winnifred devise a daring plan to save the Boxtrolls from extermination.

Director: Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable
Producer: David Bleiman Ichioka, Travis Knight
Screenwriter: Irena Brignull, Adam Pava
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Laika
Rating: PG (Mild Rude Humor|Action|Some Peril)
Genre: Kids & Family, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 26, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $50.8M
Runtime: 1h 36m

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