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Inspired by Alan Snow’s
children’s book
Here Be
Monsters!
,
The Boxtrolls
is
the latest stop motion marvel
from Laika, the animation
studio who brought us
Coraline
and
ParaNorman
.
And like those films, this is a
gorgeously realised fairytale
with a sense of the macabre, in which a human boy
finds himself caught between two worlds. Set in the
quintessentially English town of Cheesbridge, the
eponymous cardboard-wearing creatures live beneath
the cobblestone streets, having built their home with
the things that humans leave behind.
The Boxtrolls
is
ultimately a tale about the importance of finding your
place in the world, where the monsters are the good
guys and the humans the baddies – the villainous
Archibald Snatcher (voiced by Ben Kingsley) has made
it his mission to exterminate the Boxtrolls. This is pure
eye candy for kids and adults alike; be sure to stick
around during the closing credits for a glimpse into
how the onscreen magic was achieved. • See page 42
Joining the seemingly endless
list of teen-fiction-turned-
box-office-hits,
The Maze
Runner
follows a group of
boys exiled from the rest of
humanity; memories wiped,
they awaken on an island
where they must negotiate
an ever-changing labyrinth.
Teen Wolf
’s Dylan O’Brien,
alongside rising stars Ki Hong
Lee and Kaya Scodelario, strive
to escape this lethal trap and return to the freedom
of the outside world. A divide emerges between two
‘groups’ in the makeshift camp, half residing behind
O’Brien and half behind antagonist Will Poulter
(
We’re the Millers
). And the arrival of lone female
Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) further disrupts the status
quo. They all soon discover where allegiances lie,
and come to realise the dangers lurking beyond the
walls of the Glade. Following in the footsteps of YA
contemporaries like Harry Potter and The Hunger
Games – with a liberal dash of
Lord of the Flies
–
The
Maze Runner
is a briskly paced adventure that lays
the foundations for a popular new franchise.
Here be monsters!
THE BOXTROLLS
Ran’s labyrinth.
THE MAZE RUNNER
DVD & BD
Deleted Scenes
Audio Commentary by Wes
Ball and T.S. Nowlin
Galleries
BD ONLY
Navigating The Maze: The
Making of
The Maze Runner
The “Chuck” Diaries
Gag Reel
Visual Effects Reel
Ruin
– Wes Ball Short Film
BD ONLY
The Nature of Creation
Trolls Right Off the
Tongue
Allergic to Easy
Let’s Dance
On the Shoulders of
Giants
Preliminary Animatic
Sequences
Dare to Be Square:
Behind the Scenes of
The
Boxtrolls
ParaNorman
Coraline
Lord of the Flies
The Hunger Games
Release Date:
21/01/15
Format:
Release Date:
15/01/15
Format:
Because all the actors
recorded their parts
separately, Simon Pegg
was initially unaware of
best friend Nick Frost’s
participation in the project,
and vice versa.
To prepare for shooting,
director Wes Ball had the
cast spend a night in the
Glade set during boot camp.
REVIEWS
DVD&BD
TOP HITS
TOP HITS
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