A main character who deceives with his drag queen persona and preys on children doesn’t sound like the most ideal concept for a children’s movie, but I promise, the message couldn’t be better. The Boxtrolls, based on the novel Here Be Monsters by Alan Snow, might be a little scary at times for younger children (a man does explode after eating too much cheese!), but it has many endearing moments. The Boxtrolls are quirky, trash-collecting creatures who venture from their underground home at night onto the streets of Cheesebridge and have lovingly raised an orphaned boy, Eggs (voice of Isaac Hempstead Wright). Following the classic good vs. evil plotline, the town villain, Archibald Snatcher (voice of Ben Kingsley) recruits his henchmen to eliminate the trolls so he can be accepted as one of the town’s elite. With the help of spunky Winnifred (voice of Ellie Fanning), Eggs fights hard to save the only family he’s ever known. A constant theme of self-acceptance and standing up for what’s right is a message even adults need to hear. In the wise words of Eggs, “Cheese, hats, boxes … they don’t make you. You make you.”
Should You See It? It’s worth the trip. —K.M.
Viewed at Galleria 6 Cinemas
