BLU-RAY REVIEW – The BoxTrolls

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The Boxtrolls

• Release Date: January 20, 2015
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of discs: 2
• Run Time: 291 minutes
• Studio: Universal Studios
• ASIN: B00NFZ367Q

From the creators of Coraline and ParaNorman comes a magical family adventure in 3D about heroes in all shapes and sizes: The Boxtrolls. Quirky, mischievous and good-hearted, these box-wearing creatures have lovingly raised a human boy named “Eggs” (voiced by Isaac Hempstead Wright) in a charming cavern below the bustling streets of Cheesebridge. But when evil Archibald Snatcher (voiced by Ben Kingsley) decides to capture the lovable misfits, it’s up to Eggs and his feisty young friend, Winnie (voiced by Elle Fanning,) to save the Boxtrolls. Also featuring the voice talents of Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Toni Collette and Tracy Morgan, critics are calling The Boxtrolls “a delectable treat!” (Brian Truitt, USA Today)
Bonus Features Exclusive to Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack
PRELIMINARY ANIMATIC SEQUENCES

• Play with Commentary by Directors Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable
• Baby In The Trash
• Eggs In The Underworld
• Man On A Horse
• Trubshaw’s Inventorium
• Cheese Shop
• Tea And Cheese

Bonus Features on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack and DVD
DARE TO BE SQUARE: BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BOXTROLLS

• VOICING THE BOXTROLLS
  The tremendously talented cast members of The Boxtrolls discuss what it’s like to voice an animated puppet, what each actor brought to his/her role, whether their personalities were similar to their characters, and more.
• INSIDE THE BOX
  The directors, producers, and creative supervisor of character fabrication Georgina Hayns share the challenges of crafting characters who are inside a box.
• THE BIG CHEESE: ALLERGY SNATCHER
  The directors and producers are joined by Brian McLean, director of Rapid Prototyping, to discuss how the animation studio LAIKA creates the faces for their puppets.   The big story here – literally! – is how Snatcher’s face changes shape due to his cheese allergy.
• DECONSTRUCTING THE DANCE
  Discover how LAIKA combined traditional stop-motion animation with visual effects in order to create the beautiful ballroom dance sequence – and how costume designer Deborah Cook met the challenge of creating costumes that could flow during a dance scene.
• THINK BIG: THE MECHA DRILL
  Standing 5 feet tall and weighing over 75 pounds, the Mecha-Drill is the largest stop motion puppet/prop ever created by LAIKA. Follow its creation from design to completion.

FEATURETTES

• THE NATURE OF CREATION
• TROLLS RIGHT OFF THE TONGUE
• ALLERGIC TO EASY
• LET’S DANCE
• ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS

FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTORS Anthony Stacchi AND GRAHAM ANNABLE
The BoxTrolls tells the tale of a society of “monsters” that live underneath the city of Cheesebridge. Every night while the citizens of the town are asleep the BoxTrolls come out of hiding and collect broken, lost and cast off objects. They take those things back under the city, using them to build things and to incorporate into machinery. The BoxTrolls have raised a human boy, named Eggs because he wears a box that says eggs. Eggs manages to make a human friend, a young girl named Winnie. Archibald Snactcher is the “bad guy” of the movie. He has told the Cheesebridge citizens that the BoxTrolls will steal everything including their precious cheese, and that the monsters must be eliminated. If he can accomplish this task he expects to receive a white hat, which is a symbol of respect and power within the town. Afraid that the BoxTrolls will steal everything and even harm them, the Cheesebridge citizens give Snatcher the go-ahead to remove the monsters from the town. Snatcher actually does manage to capture most of them, at which point he secretly holds them against their will to use as slave labor. Eggs and Winnie will work together to try and save the BoxTrolls from extinctin, and to save the town of Cheesebridge from the shady Snatcher. With some surprises along the way you’re left wondering until the end how things will turn out.
Here’s the trailer.

And here’s a fun slideshow.

And sun fun activity and coloring sheets!


CONNECT
The BoxTrolls website – The BoxTrolls on Facebook – The BoxTrolls on Twitter