A review of 'Wildwood', a stop-motion fantasy film

Nowadays, it is very rare to see a traditionally animated film—that is, one created frame by frame—in movie theaters.

A commentary on 'I, Object', a curious fantasy film shot in New Zealand
A review of 'The Social Reckoning' and the issues the film fails to address

This Friday saw the premiere of a film of this kind: "Wildwood." It was produced by Laika, a studio that, back in 2009, created another film of this type—"Coraline"—which I really enjoyed. That prompted me to go see this new movie, which is set in the very city where the studio is based: Portland, Oregon.

Directed by Travis Knight, the film is a highly original fantasy tale. It is based on the book "Wildwood" by Colin Meloy—illustrated by the author himself—which was published in 2011. From what I’ve read, development on the film began the same year the book was released. The feature film also boasts an excellent soundtrack composed by the Italian composer Dario Marianelli.

Beyond its superb music, "Wildwood" features a highly original story, excellent cinematography, and a spectacular setting. It is one of the most impressive examples of traditional animation I have ever seen; the scenes are so grand in scale and populated by so many characters that it is hard to believe everything was crafted using puppets.

I thought it was an excellent film, despite a few minor details that didn’t quite win me over. In this era of artificial intelligence and CGI, making a film like this is a significant achievement in itself—but the fact that it also features a great, well-told story and such spectacular visuals is truly impressive. That said, I should warn you that it’s not suitable for young children. Here is the trailer: