After the masterpiece that was Kubo and the Two Strings, it was perhaps unfair to expect the next Laika film to measure up. It is deeply saddening to criticize a clear labor of love, but Missing Link is a significant step down from the narratives we've seen from the studio thus far. Favoring a standard cross country journey over the more thematic and intimate depth we've seen in Paranorman and Coraline, MIssing Link is an occasionally humorful but frustratingly dull film. The filmmakers had a simple story to tell but instead of telling it simply and elegantly with heart, they opt for a sitcom-esque pileup of comedic action sequences and highly dull characters. There is no personality whatsoever in the film's lead character. And while Susan is charming, he is often sidelined in favor of the adventurer. There is an appreciated edge to the humor of the film, a staple of Laika, but it never plumbs the depths of the audience's heart. It is a very simple story, which may seem disappointing to some expecting Kubo levels of complexity, but simple stories effectively told are often just as powerful. This film doesn't even really tell a story. The narrative just kind of lackadaisically happens instead of feeling organically composed. The animation is spectacular as usual, although I'd love to see more of that handmade feel in Laika's previous film. The stop-motion is almost so fluid, it nearly is Pixar-esque. Stop-motion always has a tactility to it that is pleasing to the eye and this is no different, but the fluidity of motion is so well-executed, it doesn't appear nearly as handmade as it used to. Missing Link is charming and cute, but it is severely disappointing and hollow in comparison with anything the studio has thus delivered. Rating:59