From the creators of Coraline and ParaNorman comes a magical family adventure about heroes of all shapes and sizes: The Boxtrolls. Quirky, mischievous and good-hearted, these box-wearing creatures have lovingly raised a human boy named “Eggs” in a charming cavern below the bustling streets of Cheesebridge. But when evil Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) decides to capture the lovable misfits, it’s up to Eggs (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and his feisty young friend, Winnie (Elle Fanning), to save the Boxtrolls. Also featuring the voice talents of Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Toni Collette and Tracy Morgan, The Boxtrolls is “a delectable treat” (Brian Truitt, USA Today)!

For thoughts on The Boxtrolls and a look at the Limited Edition 4K UHD SteelBook, please check out my unboxing video:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn_D5HpEaRw]

Video Quality

The Boxtrolls comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of Shout! Factory with a dazzling 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer in 1.78:1. The company just released a new Blu-Ray in 2021 after securing a new deal with LAIKA, which was not that much different from the older Universal release that has been around since early 2015. Both of those older releases deliver a capable representation of the visual magic of the film, but fans are in for a treat with this brand-new 4K restoration. Most animation looks quite magical on 4K UHD, but stop motion animation is particularly luminous.

From the opening moments, you will notice this disc improves substantially with the implementation of Dolby Vision for increased color output. While not quite as creepy as earlier LAIKA titles like Coraline or ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls utilizes shadows to tremendous effect which is realized with much firmer contrast. Black levels are a major improvement with no inkling of compression artifacts or digital anomalies of the sort. The highlights are handled with care as you avoid any instances of blooming. This is a disc where you can tell Shout! Factory took special care to deliver a flawless encode. The hues present in this transfer also deliver more depth to their appearance than ever before which makes the locations feel more complex. This is not your typical Technicolor spectacle, but the colors that make up these environments are unbelievable in their own way.

In addition to the unlocked nuance in the colors, the picture is given a knockout increase in pure texture and detail within the frame. The opening with Snatcher soaked from the rain is a feat of textured animation. Every scene provides audiences the opportunity to survey additional ridges and textures that remind you of the hand-crafted nature of this work. As always from LAIKA, the animators have put an unbelievable amount of care into each environment to make the experience magical for the viewer. Every element from the clothing to character models and environments is more tactile than ever. The depth of field has also been increased by a great margin. This is a practically perfect 4K UHD Blu-Ray presentation that improves upon the previous Blu-Ray in numerous aspects.

Audio Quality

This release comes equipped with an equally impressive new Dolby Atmos track that opens up this world sonically. The soundscape effectively implements environmental effects which provide rich texture to every moment. The sound design effortlessly captures the pinpoint direction of the various source cues. Dialogue comes through clearly without getting drowned out by any competing sound effects or score. The effective score from Dario Marianelli sleeks throughout the room with a flawless fidelity. This new track utilizes all of the channels with panning effects and environmental sounds that create a rich tapestry. The low end activity comes through with great power in a way that intensifies the story. The additional height tracks translates a lot of information overhead with the score, environmental effects and more that really excites. Shout! Factory has delivered a tasteful and exciting new audio experience. English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles are provided for those who want them.

Special Features

Shout! Factory has provided The Boxtrolls with the option of a sleek new SteelBook featuring artwork that is truly lovely in person. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.

Booklet: A multi-page booklet is included featuring an essay from Animation Magazine’s Editor in Chief Ramin Zahed in which he discusses how this production fits into the LAIKA filmography.

Audio Commentary: Directors Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi deliver a marvelous commentary track which keeps things very informative as they discuss the challenge of adapting the source material, giving a truly cinematic look to the aesthetic, secrets about the production of the film, tweaks they had to adjust throughout to get to what we see on screen and much more. These two are very personable and keep things lively.

Inside LAIKA – Discovering The Characters And Effects Of The Boxtrolls: A new ten-minute featurette which offers interviews with a large portion of the creative team who reflect back on the production of this film. In this piece the participants discuss the ambitious elements within the story that made it difficult to achieve in stop motion, shaping the character designs, elements of the production design they are fond of and more. It really is amazing to hear how all of these elements came together.

Inside LAIKA – Revisiting Puppets with LAIKA’s Animation Team: A new series of brief videos in which Phil Dale, Florian Perinelle and Anthony Straus give you a brief overview of the characteristics of these characters and how their design feeds into these traits interspersed with clips from the films. This helps underscore how much care was taken with each character.

- Mr. Pickles & Mr. Toad (1:37)

- Lord Portley-Rind (1:13)

- Archibald Snatcher (1:52)

- Winnie (1:21)

- Fish & Shoe (1:59)

- Eggs (1:23)

Feature-Length Storyboards: An option to watch the film in storyboard form. Once again, it is fascinating to see how the film evolved from early drawings to what we know and love.

Dare To Be Square – Behind The Scenes of The Boxtrolls: A great overarching look at various key aspects of the production which gives you a lot of fun and fascinating insights into the creative process.

- Voicing The Boxtrolls (11:41)

- Inside The Box (5:25)

- The Big Cheese – Allergy Snatcher (4:33)

- Deconstructing The Dance (5:32)

- Thing Big – The Mecha Drill (6:05)

The Nature Of Creation: A three-minute featurette which takes a look at the natural elements such as fire, water and more that have to be brought to life out of nothing on screen.

Trolls Right Off The Tongue: A three-minute piece which explores the boxtroll language created for the film and brought to life through voice actors Steve Blum and Dee Bradley Baker.

Allergic To Easy: A three-minute exploration of LAIKA animation and how they always opt to top themselves in creative ways that push the boundaries of animation.

Let’s Dance: A two-minute piece which has a cover of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” over footage of the creative team bringing the ball to life.

On The Shoulders Of Giants: A two-and-a-half minute look at the mecha drill and how it is realized on the screen.

Still Galleries: Sections are provided for Character Art, Concept Art and Behind The Scenes photos.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

The Boxtrolls feels like one of the more overlooked titles from the LAIKA filmography, which is a shame considering what a truly wonderful piece of filmmaking it is on all fronts. On a technical level alone it is a marvel, as you have the studio topping themselves in a number of ways that most audience members will never properly appreciate. The ways in which they are able to execute certain shots is akin to a magic trick. Beyond the technical, though, you have a really rich story which packs a big thematic punch while delivering great laughs and genuine thrills. It’s a real gem of a film. Shout! Factory has provided it with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that boasts a 5-star A/V presentation and a strong assortment of special features. Not to mention, you have an option to get this in a fetching SteelBook package. Fans of the film will be bowled over by this release. Highly Recommended

The Boxtrolls will be available to purchase on Limited Edition SteelBook and Standard 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack on February 28, 2023.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Shout! Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.