Review: Stop-Motion magic brings “Wildwood” to life

Warning: This review contains spoilers for “Wildwood.”

“Wildwood” is a newly released stop-motion picture by the acclaimed Laika Studios and was directed by Phil Knight.

“Wildwood” follows a young girl named Prue and her timid classmate Curtis venturing into the “impassable woods” to save Prue’s brother from a grieving witch.

**The “Wildwood” movie poster.** IMDB.COM

Trekking through the woods, Prue and Curtis discover fantastical societies occupied by humans and anthropomorphic animals, a mystical force that whispers through the woods, and a conflict that threatens the well-being of all.

“Wildwood” is Knight’s second directorial film with Laika Studios, the previous being “Kubo and the Two Strings,” which was released with critical acclaim in 2016.

Within the past decade, Knight and the creators at Laika Studios have honed their craft to an unfathomable degree.

Easily the film’s strongest aspect is its visuals and animation. Several shots in “Wildwood” look photorealistic, as if you can feel the warmth of the scenes’ lighting, or the clammy fog of a Cascadian wilderness.

There are scenes that are massive, beautiful and breathtaking. The fact that the film utilizes stop-motion animation makes for an outright unbelievable viewing experience, especially in a theater.

The soundtrack is also extremely well-done. Ranging from sweeping orchestral pieces during battles to quiet indie songs during intimate moments.

The film’s narrative, while still great, does have more flaws compared to its visual and auditory elements.

The biggest flaw with “Wildwood” is mostly characterization issues within its writing, especially with the movie’s many side characters.

Characters are introduced and then exit the narrative at a frequent rate, often with little characterization.

While these characters are written well, there isn’t much written about them. Aside from a few characters, such as the two protagonists, the villain and one or two side characters, many characters only serve one purpose and then leave the story.

I also felt that “Wildwood” struggled to establish a core theme. Not to say the themes presented were bad or poorly written, but similar to its side characters, varying themes are all vying for the spotlight.

**Someone filming in stop motion.** BEFOREANDAFTERS.COM

Despite these flaws, the story presented is engaging, shocking, and emotional, with several scenes bringing me to both tears and laughter.

The voice acting is phenomenal and Prue is one of my favorite protagonists in an animated film, with her realistically written character providing a humorous contrast to the otherworldly adventure she finds herself in.

Another aspect of the film I’d like to note is that it’s surprisingly brutal, and it’s not afraid of killing off characters, a few swear words, or violence. All of it worked well in the narrative and wasn’t egregious or redundant, though it was shocking.

“Wildwood” is a wondrous film and definitely worth viewing. Not only as a film in itself, but as a true statement of human creativity and craft in a world where those traits are increasingly needed.

Carter Cousino, staff writer

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