^{Credit: Wildwood (Laika, Fathom Entertainment)}

Wildwood is a fantasy epic that warrants comparison to Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke. It’s cinema in its purest and grandest form, painstakingly moved one frame at a time. On a technical level, this may be Laika’s crowning achievement, raising the bar to the point that it boggles the mind where they or any other stop-motion masters can go from here. As phenomenal as Wildwood looks, the emotion packed into the story and characters is where the film truly takes flight. This animated feature doesn’t just create the illusion of life. It creates life itself.

Director Travis Knight and company have spent 16 years attempting to adapt Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis’ fantasy novel. Meloy and Ellis were so protective of their book that they could only imagine it being adapted in two ways: stop-motion or the style of Watership Down. This being a Laika production, they went the stop-motion route. In a way, though, Wildwood still has the grit and sophistication of Watership Down. The film is PG-13, and it’ll become apparent why within the first minutes. While produced for an older audience, Wildwood still has the essence of a kids’ movie. It’s like a bedtime or campfire story your parents told you. The kind that aimed to scare you, but also delight you just as much.

Some parents may want to shelter their children from anything remotely intense. As the parents of Prue and Max McKeel find, though, you can’t shield them forever. Prue (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) attempts to show her baby brother the real world when he’s taken by a flock of crows. Actually, it’s a “murder” of crows, as Prue’s nerdy friend Curtis (Jacob Tremblay) points out. Prue and Curtis venture beyond the comfort of Oregon – itself a visual wonderland of suburban stop-motion – to the magical forest of Wildwood. Although Prue must grow up quickly in this harsh wilderness, she also reconnects with her inner child, finding that the magic she once believed in is real.

If Wildwood doesn’t get Oscar nominations for its production design and costumes, it’ll likely never happen for an animated film. That said, Laika has outdone themselves on a production level with so many lively shots that you practically need to watch Wildwood in slow motion to catch every little detail. Yet, the film shines just as much in the subtler, more intimate moments. It doesn’t take much more than a close-up on Prue’s face to see the unconditional love she has for her brother and the lengths she’ll go to find him. Prue will have to go up against savage coyote soldiers and, even worse, bureaucrats.

The most sinister foe is Alexandra, voiced by Carey Mulligan in the most chilling performance this side of Tilda Swinton’s White Witch. Alexandra isn’t merely power-hungry, however. A genuine tragedy drives this woman to do the unthinkable. That said, Alexandra’s plans for little Mac cement her as one of the most menacing villains of the year. While I won’t spoil whether or not Mac survives, I will say that the threats of Wildwood feel real. Characters die, and when they do, the film doesn’t sugarcoat it. They stay dead, and we occasionally even see some of the bodies. As bloody as Wildwood gets, there’s always a sense of wonder to its worldbuilding and atmosphere. Even at its darkest, kids will want to see this journey to its end.

Various moments in Wildwood would be the money shot in any other Laika production. The film saves the biggest guns for its climax, with a final battle on par with the best Game of Thrones ever had to offer. The action just keeps building momentum with every explosively choreographed set piece, but it’s never empty spectacle. We’re invested in the outcome because we’ve developed such an attachment to these characters. Wildwood assembles an all-star voice cast, with Mahershala Ali as a gruff bandit king, Angela Bassett as a majestic eagle, and Richard E. Grant as a wise old owl. You can also see the performances of the stop-motion artists with each movement the characters make.

If I had a minor complaint, it’s that a couple of supporting characters are introduced, only to get sidelined. Wildwood knows where to keep its focus, though, telling a touching story of family. Laika has created a world the audience wishes they could escape to, with Dario Marianelli’s musical score only elevating the imagery on screen. As much as I’d love to see more of this world, Wildwood feels like a once-in-a-lifetime cinematic experience. Whether or not the film becomes a box office hit, you can see in every frame why Laika invested their time and money: passion to tell a great story. Financial success or not, they’ve made a piece of art that will last.  

Awards Potential:                      

Best Picture (Oscars)

Best Animated Feature  (Oscars)

Travis Knight: Best Director (Oscars)

Best Production Design  (Oscars)

Best Original Score (Oscars)

“The Better Part of Bravery” – Best Original Song (Oscars)

Best Visual Effects  (Oscars)

Best Adapted Screenplay (Oscars)

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!