Aidan Lo An adventure sixteen years in the making, Laika’s sixth official feature film is its most ambitious undertaking to date. The studio behind groundbreaking works of stop motion animation like Coraline (2009) and Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) returns with Wildwood, a sprawling fantasy epic of unprecedented scale that does not pull its punches.
Set in Portland, Oregon and the “Impassable Wilderness” that it neighbors, the film follows Prue, a teenage girl who looks and feels like she is beyond her years. When her baby brother is kidnapped by a murder of crows, she and her peer Curtis set off to rescue him. What follows is an unforgettable series of fantastical events, as we explore the various factions and characters that reside in this strange world, and what begins as a desperate search for what was lost grows into a great battle for the fate of the forest. While it has a good share of lighthearted moments, the bulk of the story grapples with a heavy load of dark themes and imagery, especially for an animated film made with younger audiences in mind. The warfare that is depicted is not clean or sanitized. It’s visceral and hellish. It’s the infinite battle between selfishness and selflessness. Anyone and everyone can die, from the cutest animal to the strongest man. Many times I found myself wondering how the film got away with a 12A and PG-13 rating. But despite its surprisingly mature material, it has something for people of all ages. At its core Wildwood is a powerful and uplifting fairy tale that will delight as much as it may frighten. Exploring love, loss, and the destructive power of grief, Wildwood asks the question: what would you do for those you love?
At Wildwood’s world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, director Travis Knight explained how the film had been in the works for sixteen years. Based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis, Wildwood began its journey to the big screen when the book was optioned by Laika, and its long-awaited release marks a significant advancement in the animation studio’s artistry. In a sense, this is the stop motion studio’s magnum opus, with the scale and scope of this movie far surpassing anything they have ever done before, making for some of the most impressive sequences ever animated. It is a truly immense production, requiring the work of over a thousand artists, with over 132 practical sets being built and over 140,000 individual faces being made for 236 puppets. The epic final battle contains thousands of characters and combines every single technique at Laika’s disposal, from lighting to stop-motion to CGI elements. It combines the magical wonder of Coraline with a lovable ensemble like that of ParaNorman (2012), and the inventive, awe-inspiring action and gravitas of Kubo and the Two Strings. It’s clear in every scene that this is, as Knight puts it, “the hardest film we’ve ever done”.
Like Coraline, Wildwood is an animated movie that eschews convention and goes beyond what is expected of a typical kids animation, being completely unafraid to frighten and shock. Much as young audiences were charmingly perturbed by Coraline’s unnerving, uncanny sense of horror, they may find themselves stunned by Wildwood’s no holds barred depiction of loss and devastation. I say this not to dissuade, but rather encourage younger audiences to see this evocative and challenging picture that refuses to talk down to them, and like Coraline, will leave a powerful lasting impression that far exceeds the impact of most conventional kids movies.
Returning to their home state of Oregon for the first time since their official debut feature Coraline, Laika creates a loving and lively portrait of Portland and the surrounding wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, an endeavor which was undoubtedly close to home for many of the artists, given that Portland is where Laika is based. Laika’s connection to the setting can be strongly felt through the film, with every environment, every character, and every single shot crafted with such care and polish. Everything from the largest tree to the smallest bird is designed phenomenally, and it’s all lit with such naturalistic and dramatic intention (courtesy of Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel). The impossible smoothness of the animation may mask its stop motion quality, but there’s a je ne sais quoi about stop motion that comes through in the incredible lighting, textures, and physical tangibility of characters and environments that simply cannot be recreated in another medium. The fact that so much of what appears on screen is created from actual physical materials artists put together with their hands makes it all the more impressive, innovative, and tactile.
Auditorily, an excellent voice cast and Laika regular Dario Marianelli’s score breathe life into the epic adventure. Marianelli’s music is sweeping and adventurous, injecting a sense of wonder while punctuating the strong emotions that drive the story. Carey Mulligan delivers a sympathetic yet deeply intimidating performance as the Dowager Governess Alexandra, making for the darkest and most complex antagonist Laika has ever created. The other clear standout is Peyton Elizabeth Lee, who effortlessly carries the film as Prue, engaging the audience by projecting maturity while still conveying youth and a sense of being way out of your depth. Jacob Tremblay rounds out the top billing as Curtis, playing him with an endearing cleverness and pusillanimity as he is forced to see the realities of heroism and valour. The cast is filled with big names, from Angela Bassett to Awkwafina, and they all contribute to making each character feel memorable. Admittedly, it can feel a little overwhelming. There’s a lot going on, with so much thematic material and so many characters that it can be easy to lose track of some of them, but the diversity present in the differing locations, people, and animals makes for a more immersive and expansive world.
All in all, Wildwood is a stunning triumph of stop-motion animation. The epic scale, the mature tone, the emotional story, and all around top quality craftsmanship present in every frame makes it deserving of all the accolades it will hopefully receive.
Right before the film began, Travis Knight left us with these words: “In a time when entire worlds can be generated with the click of a mouse, stop motion asks something different of us. It asks us to take our time, in the sense that this life that we live is worth it. And that’s what you’re about to see on screen. This extraordinary combination of incredible artists and craftspeople who devoted years of their lives to telling a story they care deeply about, and I cannot wait for you guys to experience it.”
Wildwood premiered here in London to a rapturous response. The Royal Festival Hall roared with applause as the credits rolled. This is a movie that is bound to be remembered as a milestone in animation, and is undoubtedly the best animated film of the year. Yet, at the time of writing, the film is tracking to be a box office failure. Dear reader, I implore you to go see this majestic picture. Experience the handcrafted magic of the most ambitious stop motion film ever made as it is meant to be experienced, in a (hopefully packed) cinema. Experience it before it wins the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Experience it while we can still get movies like this.
