Every Laika Animated Film, Ranked

Adapted from Alan Snow's novel Here Be Monsters!, The Boxtrolls follows Eggs (Isaac Hempstead Wright), an orphaned human boy raised beneath the cobblestone streets of the European city Cheesebridge by a subterranean community of cardboard-wearing creatures. When a ruthless, cheese-obsessed exterminator named Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) plots to eradicate the harmless scavengers to secure a spot in high society, Eggs must venture above ground to bridge the gap between worlds and save his adopted family.

While the film delivers vibrant, grotesquely detailed steampunk aesthetics and astonishing puppet mechanics, critics noted that its narrative lacks the thematic depth and emotional resonance of Laika's standout work. The satirical themes surrounding social hierarchy and prejudice occasionally get lost in frantic slapstick sequences. Nevertheless, its witty voice work (featuring Toni Collette, Simon Pegg, and Tracy Morgan), eccentric character designs, and stunning physical craftsmanship make it a visually inventive subterranean adventure. 

"With top-notch animation, effective voice casting, and a screenplay that falters only toward the end when faced with the need to provide a resolution, The Boxtrolls offers solid entertainment for older children and the parents that accompany them." —James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Written and directed by ParaNorman writer/director Chris Butler, Missing Link stars Hugh Jackman as Sir Lionel Frost, a charismatic yet self-centered investigator of myths who travels to the Pacific Northwest to help a lonely, articulate Sasquatch named Mr. Link (voiced by Zach Galifianakis) travel across the globe to find his distant Yeti relatives in Shangri-La. Joined by the adventurous Adelina Fortnight (Zoe Saldaña), the trio embarks on a globetrotting journey while evading Willard Stenk (Timothy Olyphant), a ruthless bounty hunter hired by an elitist exploratory club.

This lighter, comedy-forward entry in Laika's filmography was criticized by some reviewers for lacking emotional depth, but critics widely praised its vibrant production design spanning dusty American frontiers to snowy Himalayan peaks, as well as its sweet message about friendship, identity, and belonging. 

"Not the most profound movie in Laika's catalogue. But Missing Link is an entertaining 90 minutes, with glib dialogue that may skew a little old for younger viewers, but with maybe enough realistic physical comedy and terrific stop-motion animation to make up for it." —Jim Slotek, Original-Sin

Set in the small town of Blithe Hollow, ParaNorman follows Norman Babcock (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a misunderstood young boy who can communicate with the dead. When an ancient witch's curse threatens to unleash a horde of century-old zombies upon his town, Norman must join forces with an eccentric crew—including his sister (Anna Kendrick), his best friend (Tucker Albrizzi), and a bully (Christopher Mintz-Plasse)—to save his community from destruction, only to uncover a tragic historical secret at the heart of the town's legend.

Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, ParaNorman stands out for its bold blend of horror cinema homage and deeply empathetic coming-of-age drama. The film tackles heavy themes of mob mentality, trauma, isolation, and forgiveness with both nuance and heart. Highlighted by groundbreaking color 3D printing technology for facial expressions and breathtaking lighting, it remains one of the most emotionally resonant, visually striking, and deeply slept-on animated films of the 2010s. 

"Laika's stop-motion animation is every bit as inspired here as it was in their rightfully lauded 'Coraline,' and the storyline never wavers from its boneyard-deep message: Being different from others is a good – nay, great – thing, no matter how many villagers (or zombies) are after you." —Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle

Adapted from Neil Gaiman's dark fantasy novella and directed by The Nightmare Before Christmas' Henry Selick, Coraline centers on an adventurous 11-year-old girl (Dakota Fanning) who discovers a secret doorway inside her family's dreary new home. Behind the wall lies an "Other World"—a seemingly ideal, hyper-vibrant mirror reality governed by an attentive, button-eyed "Other Mother" (Teri Hatcher). But as the sinister truth behind this dreamy facade unravels, Coraline must harness her bravery and wits to escape the Other Mother's web and save her real parents.

Critics largely marveled at how Selick balanced fairytale wonder with haunting visual horror, establishing the studio's signature willingness to trust young audiences with mature, eerie themes and setting a new standard for modern dark animation. Driven by haunting art direction, inventive puppet engineering, and a memorable voice performance by Fanning, Coraline remains a timeless, spooky classic. 

"Selick puts his real faith not in the gimmickry that Coraline's audiences will think they've shown up for, but in the stronger virtues that they'd likely view as old-fashioned: character, and story, and handmade figures, handmade milkshakes, handmade blades of grass, each one moving utterly persuasively as he and his animators tweak it, frame by frame." —Bob Mondello, NPR

Set in a mythical feudal Japan, Kubo and the Two Strings follows a clever young boy named Kubo (Art Parkinson) who earns a living bringing origami to life with his magical shamisen (a traditional three-stringed lute). When he accidentally summons a vengeful spirit from his family's past, Kubo must embark on an epic quest alongside a no-nonsense Monkey (Charlize Theron) and a noble Beetle warrior (Matthew McConaughey) to retrieve three mystical pieces of armor that belonged to his late samurai father.

Marking Laika President and CEO Travis Knight's directorial debut, the film received widespread critical acclaim for combining mythic scale, sweeping action set-pieces, and profound meditations on grief, memory, and family storytelling. Featuring staggering technical feats—including a giant, 16-foot skeleton puppet—and a haunting score by Academy Award winner Dario Marianelli (Atonement), the film remains a stop-motion animation masterpiece. 

"It recognizes that our most cherished legends are an endless source of consolation in times of suffering and loss, as well as a vital repository of cultural and generational memory. If that message sounds trite or familiar, it has rarely been driven home with this much conviction and intensity of feeling." —Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

Adapted from the novel by The Decemberists' Colin Meloy and illustrator Carson Ellis and directed by Travis Knight (Masters of the Universe), Wildwood follows headstrong teenager Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) as she ventures into the Impassable Wilderness—an enchanted, hidden forest on the outskirts of Portland—to rescue her baby brother, Mac, after he is abducted by a murder of crows led by the enigmatic Alexandra (Carey Mulligan). Drawn into a sprawling conflict involving warring woodland factions and dark magic, Prue and her classmate Curtis (Jacob Tremblay) must navigate a complex, revolutionary war threatening the forest's balance.

Clocking in at 131 minutes, Wildwood officially sets the record as the longest stop-motion animated movie of all time. Critics have praised the epic as Laika's most ambitious achievement, blending a PG-13 edge, incredible physical scale, and spellbinding craftsmanship to deliver a monumental fantasy masterwork. 

"Wildwood brings storytelling and craft together in a special way that reminds you why we go to the movies. Not just to be entertained, but to escape and connect with others and the world around you. It is the finest animated film of the year and the crown jewel in LAIKA's remarkable, ever-growing legacy." —Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture