The Underrated Stop-Motion Animated Gem That Made History

Every year, the slate of animated movies gets dominated by projects from Disney, Pixar, Studio Ghibli, and more. Lately, Sony Pictures Animation has also stepped up, especially with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Kpop Demon Hunters winning Best Animated Feature at the Oscars.

However, other animated studios deserve more appreciation and among them is Laika. They don’t release a lot of movies, yet they’re always well-received. Coraline, Kubo and Two Strings, and ParaNorman are among their biggest hits, while Wildwood is set for a 2026 release. One of their films, Missing Link, remains an underrated gem six years later.

Missing Link Is One Of The Best Modern Animated Movies

Released in 2019, Missing Link is a true treat among modern animated movies. The film follows Sir Lionel Frost and Adelina Fortnight, two British explorers who travel to the Pacific Northwest to prove the existence of the titular missing link.

That character is Mr. Link, a Sasquatch who ends up getting help from the explorers as he travels to find his Yeti cousins in the Himalayas. The story set itself up for some intriguing scenarios and the end result was a critical success.

Missing Link was met with widespread acclaim, including an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards and received seven nods at the prestigious Annie Awards. Not many other animated films can match its quality.

Missing Link Was A Box Office Bomb

Unfortunately, for as good as Missing Link was, the film is a hidden gem because it was a huge failure at the box office. The movie grossed a mere $26.5 million worldwide, which is a low number for any animated project.

It’s especially low considering the budget, as Missing Link cost around $100 million to make, which is the largest budget ever for a stop-motion animated movie. That gave it a high bar to cross to be a success, which Missing Link wasn’t able to do.

It has the lowest intake and highest budget for any Laika movie. In fact, the film ended up losing more than $100 million for the studio. That’s a shame, considering how much critics appreciated Missing Link.

While we don’t see the actors, the cast of any animated movie is important. This one had a loaded group led by Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldaña, and Zach Galifianakis​​​​​. There’s also Timothy Olyphant, Stephen Fry, and Emma Thompson, rounding out a stellar group.

History Was Made By Missing Link At The Golden Globes

Although Missing Link ultimately was a swing and a miss at the box office that people quickly forgot about, it did manage to make history. It might not have won the Oscar but it took home the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature.

That’s a major honor, yet Missing Link took it a step further as it was the first non-CGI animated film to win the award. It did so after the likes of Zootopia, Coco, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won as major CGI projects.

Missing Link set the tone with its win, though it’s no longer alone in the category. In 2023, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio won Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globe and it’s also a stop-motion animated movie. That one managed to also win the Oscar as well, though.

The legacy of Missing Link might ultimately end up as disappointing compared to what was expected of it, but the filmmakers can hold their heads high. They put out a stellar movie that made history, was a hit with critics, and holds up well after several years. Missing Link is a must-see animated project.