The Synopsis:
The charismatic Sir Lionel Frost considers himself to be the world’s foremost investigator of myths and monsters. The trouble is none of his small-minded high-society peers seem to recognize this. Sir Lionel’s last chance for acceptance by the adventuring elite rests on traveling to America’s Pacific Northwest to prove the existence of a legendary creature, a living remnant of Man’s primitive ancestry—The Missing Link.
The Review: Featuring the voice talent of Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, and Emma Thompson, this unique movie shows that those that are different can fit in, too. In this case, we’re talking about Mr. Link as in, yes, the missing link in evolution. But this movie is much more than a statement about evolution. It’s a fantasy that makes Mr. Link (Sasquatch, in fact) the hero, giving kids that are bullied or different a hope in this life that they too can find a niche. Mr. Link is actually a nice guy—and a good guy to have on your side in a pinch—making friendship one of the virtuous themes in the movie.
Sir Lionel Frost (Jackman) wants to fit into a certain intellectual group and to be accepted by his peers. But the group thinks his ideas of a “missing link” are nonsense, so they heckle him and refuse to admit him into their circle. But when Sir Lionel latches onto a possible real missing link, the group sets out to sabotage his efforts. But Sir Lionel is about to find a friend he never counted on—or never would have thought possible.
Sir Lionel, while in search of Bigfoot, finds a plaster imprint of a very large foot, as well as real footprints. But when he actually meets Sasquatch, he finds him to be friendly and a kind-hearted soul. Sir Lionel wants to help the 8-foot-tall Mr. Link, so they are off to the Himalayas to find Shangri-La and locate a Yeti or two, possible relatives or cousins to Mr. Link.
There are a lot of mishaps and funny moments during their adventures. When Sir Lionel first meets Mr. Link, he decides he need to put some clothes on him to—ahem—make him fit in and look human. The too-small suit is funny enough but then the kiddies chuckled when Mr. Link bent over and ripped his pants in the back. The film is peppered here and there with cute little comedic moments, such as when a horse licks Mr. Link and tickles him. His laughter is infectious. And Mr. Link takes comments from others quite literally, so when someone tells him to toss a rope over the wall, he throws the “entire” rope over the wall!
The characters are memorable, especially Sir Lionel and Mr. Link, and there is a scene near the conclusion of the movie that is a clear statement: we need to help and support one another in order to survive in this life. In one scene, the intrepid band of characters is literally hanging on for dear life, dangling from a snow-capped mountain cliff. But they grit their teeth in order to hold on to the hands of their friends so they don’t slip and fall.
We award this imaginative and funny movie our Dove Seal for All Ages with a word of caution. The topic of evolution is mentioned a few times in the film, and one character believes he proves it to be correct. This is the only concern we have about the film as it’s obviously a fantasy story and adventure, but it contains many virtues. However, parents should be ready to discuss this issue with kids, while mentioning the Bible, God and Creationism.
Get ready to be dazzled by the awesome animation as you take in this fast-paced and adventurous movie. With Sasquatch as one of the main characters, what’s not to like?
