After the premiere on Sept. 26, “The Boxtrolls” received mostly positive critiques. Laika Studios, creator of “Coraline” and “ParaNorman,” brings art to life in this magical, hand-made feature. Laika CEO Travis Knight moves each wire figure a millimeter at a time to create the stop-motion film.

Not only is the filming style incredible, the entire setting and all of the characters are made by hand. Every puppet has a metal skeleton with joints so they can be moved, silicone skin for easily manipulated facial expressions and hair of hemp. The world feels real because it is real.

Although it is based off of the book “Here Be Monsters!” by Alan Snow and the story line is similar, the movie seems more intense. In an epoch of  cultural tensions between humans and boxtrolls, the story follows Egg, a human boy mysteriously living among the isolated — and hunted — boxtrolls. Thinking he himself is a boxtroll, Egg does not, at first, question his life. His thieving boxtroll life, that is. After a robbery goes awry, however, Egg meets a human girl, Winnie, who tells him his life is not quite as it seems. As he sets off in a larger-than-life adventure, Egg struggles against the evil Snatchers, who are attempting to eradicate the boxtrolls, to find his identity and save the family that raised him.

This movie was absolutely darling. Each character had its own hopes and aspirations, the setting was immense with all of the mega realistic tunnels and street alleys and I think I might have cried about six times at the genuine empathy I could feel for these “puppets.” They were so alive. I wouldn’t recommend this movie for everyone, but I promise the child in you needs to see it.