Stop motionmoviesoften go bitterly underappreciated, with many stunning masterpieces of animation frequently falling by the wayside. Somewhat of a niche medium, stop motion animation can often be divisive, with some finding the technique to produce some uncanny effects. But from thecreations of legendary artist Ray Harryhausento the obscure magnum opus pieces of dedicated creators, there’s a lot of quality storytelling to be found that uses the style.
The morehigh-profile stop motion moviestypically have massive studio backing, advertising, or awards campaigns behind them, often eclipsing many lesser-known but still worthwhile films in the process. The great thing about stop motion is just how accessible it is, despite the time, effort, and talent demands that the medium makes. Great stop motion films come in all sorts of varieties, and many of them are unfairly glossed over in the course of cinematic history.
10Early Man
A delightful comedy from a well-established stop motion studio
The most famous stop motion producers, British studio Aardman Animations, are more famous fortheWallace & Gromitseriesand theChicken Runduology, but the company is host to a great many more amazing films that went under the radar. EnterEarly Man, a sports comedy set in the Stone Age whose very logline is a hilarious punchline in and of itself. Dug is a lowly cave dweller whose tribe encounters a Bronze Age civilization intent on laying waste to their valley.
To drive the invaders off, Dug and his clan must master the cutting-edge sport of soccer (or football, as the film’s British slang calls for). Despite being widely unknown compared to Aardman Animations' other work,Early Manwas something of a critical darling. The plucky characters, low-key sense of humor and unique setting made for a wonderland of claymation eager to be explored via the studio’s talented artists.
9The Little Prince
A brilliant adaptation of a beloved children’s book
Something about stop motion makes it particularly great for creating dreamy, surreal worlds, and movies likeThe Little Princeshow this off in spades. Based on the beloved children’s book of the same name,The Little Princetraces the adventures of the titular royal, a small boy who lives on a tiny celestial body drifting through space. Interestingly,The Little Princemixes stop motion animation with traditional computer-generated 3-D models.
The two seem like they should mix like oil and water on paper, but the story makes the two mediums blend seamlessly together by confining the computer-animated segments to the frame story in which an aging aviator relates his encounters with the Little Prince to the young girl protagonist.The Little Princeis far from an easy story to adapt, but the film manages to succeed, thanks in large part to its wonderful commitment to adapting the original storybook’s watercolor visuals. It’s bizarre thatThe Little Princeisn’t more popular.
8The Boxtrolls
A wonderful miniscule adventure that utilizes unique animation
Aardman Animations isn’t the only major animation studio known for their stop motion films, with the American company Laika arguably even surpassing them in quality.Laika’s stop motion filmsinclude famous contenders likeCoraline, Kubo and the Two Strings,andParaNorman.However, even such a prestigious studio can release films that sadly slip through the cracks of notoriety, such asThe Boxtrolls.
The fantasy adventure film centers on a boy in a fictional Eastern-European country called Eggs raised by the titular creatures, a race of garbage-collecting trolls. With the local authorities aware of the trolls and attempting to exterminate them, it’s up to Eggs to save his found family along with the help of some new friends. Between the star-studded vocal cast and the whimsical world the film is able to conjure, it’s a shock thatThe Boxtrollsisn’t a childhood classic for many.
7Mary And Max
A critical darling still largely under-explored by the masses
Occasionally, films that were a big hit with professional critics and reviewers fail to find the same level of popularity with general audiences. Such was the case forMary and Max,a critically-revered stop motion film that nevertheless continues to go overlooked by the general moviegoing public. The quiet story sees a lonely young girl in Australia become pen pals with an autistic middle-aged American man living in New York City.
It’s easy to see whyMary and Maxisn’t beloved by the masses. Nothing about the ordinary setting necessarily requires stop motion to portray, and the story is quite bleak, ending on an especially bittersweet note. Those who can stomach it, however, will findMary and Maxto be one of the most engaging and devastating depictions of the messy human condition ever conceived.
A dizzying descent into madness 30 years in the making
Stop motion is a notoriously time-consuming medium to work in, with even the tiniest of movements requiring dozens of miniscule adjustments frame-by-frame. No movie exemplifies this fact as well asMad God, the magnum opus of special effects wizard Phil Tippett, known for his work in movies likeStar WarsandRoboCop.Infamously,Mad Godtook three decades to make, due to a combination of sheer artistry and developmental woes.
The story, as much as there can be said to be one, revolves around a mysterious gas-mask-wearing figure known as “The Assassin” who is sent into a nightmarish version of the underworld to deliver a bomb disguised as a briefcase. The film flings viewers through all sorts of visceral and mind-boggling distortions of reality, and can be a difficult journey to endure. But as one man’s career-defining project,Mad Godis a breathtaking testament to the possibilities of stop motion.
5Blood Tea And Red String
A metaphorical gut-punch of symbolism
AsMad Goddemonstrates, stop motion seems to have a unique affinity for stories that are unconventional, disturbing, and deeply metaphorical, as further elaborated byBlood Tea and Red String.LikeMad God, the film can come across as dense and nonsensical to some, but still does have some base level of narrative. The plot focuses on a battle between the aristocratic White Mice and the rural Creatures Who Dwell Under the Oak for control of the object of their obsession, a beautiful doll.
For those willing to dissect the dense simile contained within,Blood Tea and Red Stringoffers a fascinating glimpse into the destructive nature of love. The lack of dialogue and striking imagery make for a unique fairy-tale feel, but in the sense of a classic Brothers Grimm fable in that it doesn’t mince the horrible fates of some of its characters. Violent, surprising, and intensely scrutable,Blood Tea and Red Stringis a work of art like no other.
An overlooked holiday classic from the masters of the genre
A relic of a nostalgic past gone by, another of the most famous stop motion studios ever is easily Rankins/Bass Productions. ThoughRankins/Bass is primarily known for their Christmas specials, the company did occasionally branch out into other holidays, leaving behind far lesser-known films. One of the most charming of these forgotten non-Christmas specials isMad Monster Party?, a Halloween-themed special.
Mad Monster Party?does indeed center on a party of classic Universal-style monsters, such as Dracula, The Werewolf, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon. The party is hosted by one Baron von Frankenstien after figuring out the secret behind the formula of “total destruction”. The charming cast of spooky characters, commitment to Halloween imagery, and amazing reveal of a monster simply referred to as “It” makeMad Monster Party?a bitterly overlooked holiday classic.
3James And The Giant Peach
A fun blend of animation and live-action
Films that blend animation and live-action mediums are relatively common, but stop motion rarely gets factored into these kinds of split-medium films. However,James and the Giant Peachis a wonderfully realized combination of both in equal measure that manages to stand out for its commitment to charming visuals. Just like the Roald Dahl book it’s based on, the story follows the whimsical adventure of a young orphan boy named James after he finds himself traveling across the world in a giant peach alongside a misfit group of bugs.
Each of the peach’s travelers are given some great distinct personalities, and the stop motion style that makes up the majority of the film’s action is simply so riveting. The captivating imagination of the book is on full display here, alongside a number of changes that actually serve the story better. Considering the success of other Dahl adaptations likeWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, it’s a shockJames and the Giant Peachisn’t as fondly remembered today.
2Alice
Alice in Wonderland like she’s never been seen before
Like with Roald Dahl, there have been endlessfilm adaptations ofAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland,some of which manage to put a subversive dark spin on the otherwise gleeful children’s fairy tale. Similarly toJames and the Giant Peach, 1988’sAlicecombines live-action performances that remain grounded in the “real world” with stop motion sequences for the more fantastical parts of the journey. But whereas that film can get mildly spooky at times,Aliceis often downright dark.
The production design ofAliceis like nothing else, all vintage dolls and animal bones combined into a macabre display of wonder, equal parts adorable and horrifying. The film makes clever use of narration as well, with Alice taking the time to specify which character is speaking as though she were relaying events after the fact, like in a past-tense novel. A feverish dream of ambiguous morals,Aliceis one of the most impressively-rendered stop motion visions ever executed.
1The House
A wacky anthology of bizarre proportions
Stop motion is great for exploring all kinds of impossible worlds, butThe Houseuses a single simple setting as the focal point for a variety of creative stories. An anthology film,The Houseis a British three-part TV special consisting of distinct chapters that all take place in the same titular dwelling. The house is first populated by humans, then anthropomorphic mice, and then cats, each carrying with them a distinct age in an overarching timeline.
The Houseis an almost Lynchian masterpiece of surrealist splendor dealing with themes of wealth, madness, and true happiness. Each of the stories has its own distinct voice while maintaining a consistent style, with not a weak link between them to drag the overall experience down. Between the fuzzy felt characters and the ominous sense of foreboding present throughout the three tales,The Houseis one stop motionmoviedeserving of more recognition.
