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From button-eyed nightmares to giant skeleton battles, Laika has given us some of animation's most unforgettable moments. Join us as we count down the scariest, funniest, and most breathtaking scenes from Laika's stop-motion masterpieces! Which Laika moment left the biggest impression on you? Let us know in the comments below!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the scariest, funniest, and all-around most memorable moments,
00:06the hands from Laika crafted. There will be spoilers.
00:10I understand that this is all getting completely out of-
00:12Number 10. The Battle for the Plinth. Wildwood.
00:19Hold on, Mac. I'm coming.
00:21In what's been described as Laika's most boundary-pushing film yet,
00:25Wildwood reaches the peak of ambition with its nearly 12-minute climax.
00:31The Battle for the Plinth features almost 3,000 characters, including human bandits, coyote soldiers, and enough birds to cloud
00:39the sky.
00:40On one side is a woman driven by grief turned madness.
00:47On the other is a young girl who'll go to the ends of the unknown to get her baby brother
00:52back.
00:53The two eventually come head-to-head, but not before overcoming nearly 400 shots laced with bloodshed, explosions, and beheadings.
01:02The finale more than warrants the film's PG-13 rating,
01:06but the touching sibling bond grounds the climax in a universal theme that can resonate with all ages.
01:16Number 9. You Bit Me. The Box Trolls.
01:20You bit me.
01:21Eggs and Winnie come from very different backgrounds.
01:24One was raised in high society by an absentee father, while the other was brought up as a box troll.
01:30Despite fearing box trolls, Winnie is also fascinated by the horror stories surrounding them.
01:35Not long after meeting Eggs, Winnie finds that the tales of blood and bones have been gravely exaggerated.
01:42Where are the rivers of blood and mountains of bones?
01:45I was promised mountains of bones!
01:47This isn't to say the box trolls are the most civilized folks.
01:51As Eggs becomes overwhelmed by Winnie's inquiries, his box troll instincts kick in, biting her.
01:58Tell me everything!
02:01Winnie's reaction is nothing short of priceless.
02:03It isn't so much shock as it is complete disbelief, unable to fathom the idea of a person using their
02:10mouth in such a way.
02:12You bit me with your mouth!
02:15The only thing funnier is the cheesy pun that follows.
02:18They live down on Curd's Way.
02:19How do I get there?
02:20Curd's Way? Milk turns into it.
02:32Paranorman may be Laika's most hilarious film while also being among the most thrilling.
02:37Much of the comedy is rooted in how the characters work off each other.
02:40When you put several in a van, their extreme personalities are bound to inspire some great exchanges.
02:46Throw zombies into the mix, and the results will make you scream with laughter.
02:50I just knew something like this was going to happen tonight.
02:52You did? Wow.
02:54Because that zombie bit really threw me.
02:56Even with the knowledge that zombies are real and pursuing them, there's still room for Courtney to be shallow,
03:02Mitch to be densely clueless, Alvin to be obnoxiously immature,
03:06Neil to be Neil, and Norman to be the grounded center.
03:10I'm the only one who can stop this, Courtney.
03:11Oh, I understand.
03:13I understand that this is all getting completely out of...
03:16Man!
03:16The ensuing chase balances visual humor, clever wordplay, excitement, and exposition made entertaining.
03:23Mitch's van is an unfortunate casualty, but at least it's the only one.
03:28Ah!
03:31Bro!
03:35Sink your teeth into WatchMojo's 24-7 live stream,
03:39or better yet, scan the QR code on screen to join us live for more animated anarchy.
03:44Swear!
03:46You mean like the F-word?
03:49Number 7.
03:50Lionel Meets Link.
03:51Missing Link.
04:08Sir Lionel Frost finally encounters a Sasquatch in the flesh, or we guess in the hair.
04:14The Sasquatch is exactly as Lionel envisioned, except for one thing.
04:19The missing Link speaks English, and he sounds like Zach Galifianakis.
04:23Excuse me.
04:24I think I've got a little something stuck in my...
04:27There it is.
04:28In my throat.
04:29Like a nut.
04:30Or a...
04:31Or a field mouse or something like that.
04:33I don't know.
04:34Am I rambling?
04:35Weirdly enough, this might be one of Galifianakis' more restrained, laid-back performances.
04:40The soft-spoken Sasquatch, who will come to be known as Mr. Susan Link, might be several
04:45feet tall and weigh over 600 pounds.
04:48It's the hair that makes me look heavier, I think.
04:50It's a little deceptive.
04:52It can be frustrating.
04:53Yet, Galifianakis brings a casual demeanor to the character, with dialogue that often
04:57sounds improvised, oddly making a Sasquatch the film's most relatable character.
05:03You can speak!
05:04Yes, and I write as well.
05:08My penmanship isn't great, but, you know, opposable thumbs and fat fingers, you know?
05:14Link's first meeting with Lionel lays the groundwork for a buddy picture about two outsiders
05:19learning to be more human.
05:20And yes, they make a feces joke work.
05:23Oh, so you want the poop now?
05:25Later, we'll be fine.
05:26Number 6.
05:27Entering the Other World, Coraline
05:34Of all Laika's films, Coraline perhaps contains the most iconic imagery.
05:39The dark fantasy shifts gears, as Coraline finds that the small door in the wall is more
05:45than it seems.
05:46She discovers a portal to another world that's more colorful, yet creepier.
05:50Namely, everyone has buttons for eyes, including her other mother and other father.
05:55You're not my mother.
05:57My mother doesn't have b-b-b-b-buttons?
06:03Do you like them?
06:04I'm your other mother, silly.
06:06Although Coraline is skeptical about these doppelgangers, they cook her favorite meals,
06:11play whimsical yet foreboding songs, and make every moment feel like a game.
06:16Making up a song about Coraline
06:20She's a peach, she's a doll, she's a pal of mine
06:23We see why Coraline would be drawn to this world, while also being cautious.
06:29Deep down, Coraline knows that this is all too good to be true.
06:33For the time being, though, she indulges in the dream before the nightmare underneath takes over.
06:37I'm real thirsty.
06:40Of course.
06:41Any requests?
06:43Mango milkshake?
06:57Number 5.
06:58The Garden of Eyes
06:59Kubo and the Two Strings
07:01What kind of something?
07:03She said there was a garden of eyes.
07:05Eyes that stare into you, into your soul.
07:09Drawing heavily from Japanese culture,
07:12Kubo and the Two Strings practically creates its own mythology
07:15with characters and creatures who feel ripped from ancient lore.
07:19One such example is the Garden of Eyes, a sea beast with a hypnotic gaze.
07:37This monster looks into one's soul, feeding off their secrets before eating them outright.
07:42As our hero dives into Long Lake, Monkey faces off against one of Kubo's masked ants amid a storm.
07:49The entire sequence overflows with a sinking feeling, although Beetle provides some welcome levity.
07:55I got it! I got it!
07:57Beetle isn't just there for comedic relief.
07:59He rescues Kubo, and a major realization is made.
08:07The monkey he's been traveling with is his mother.
08:10It's even closer to a family reunion than Kubo realizes.
08:15My son.
08:20Number 4.
08:21Adopted by Box Trolls
08:23The Box Trolls
08:24Mirroring reality the more we think about it,
08:27Archibald Snatcher spreads falsehoods about the Box Trolls,
08:31making the surface-dwelling humans fear them.
08:44The Box Trolls are actually more afraid of humans,
08:47hence why their wardrobes also allow them to hide in plain sight.
08:51That doesn't mean Box Trolls and humans can't live side-by-side.
08:55For proof, look no further than Eggs,
08:57a human baby whom the Box Trolls are accused of kidnapping.
09:00Hey.
09:07In reality, leader Fish rescues Eggs,
09:11taking him in as one of the Box Trolls' own.
09:13When Fish gives a teddy bear to Eggs,
09:16the baby is more drawn to the gears inside.
09:18This subtly reflects the movie's theme,
09:21showing that you need to look beyond the exterior
09:23to find something more within.
09:30Number 3. Confronting Aggie
09:32Paranorman
09:33We're actually kind of the same, you and I.
09:36We're not dead.
09:37Laika was already gaining a reputation for telling darker stories,
09:41but Paranorman took things to another level with this reveal.
09:44Agatha Pendergast, of His Majesty's Province of Massachusetts,
09:50on this day, you have been arraigned for the horrible crime of witchcraft.
09:57Norman learns that the witch who's been plaguing the town is Agatha Aggie Pendergast.
10:03No! No!
10:07Like Norman, Aggie was just a kid who barely understood her own powers.
10:11Norman and Aggie face ridicule from others,
10:14although the latter paid with her life for being born different.
10:18Turns out the Puritans were more monstrous as humans than as zombies,
10:22now wishing to set things right.
10:23Finding Aggie, Norman helps her see that you can't change the past,
10:27but confronting it is the first step toward healing.
10:30Once upon a time, long ago, there was a little girl.
10:35What?
10:36A little girl who was different,
10:40who was different from the other people in her village.
10:42I'm not listening.
10:44She could see and do things that no one could understand,
10:49and that made them scared of her.
10:51For the first time in three centuries,
10:53someone understands Aggie,
10:55who realizes she doesn't have to be a witch or alone.
11:00Number 2. Giant Skeleton, Kubo and the Two Strings
11:15With each feature, Laika kept getting more ambitious.
11:18They seemed to reach the pinnacle of craftsmanship
11:21with a giant skeleton puppet standing 16 feet.
11:24Well, not exactly standing,
11:26since the puppet had to be built in multiple parts,
11:29as we see during the film's credits.
11:48Seeking an unbreakable sword,
11:50our trio stumbles upon a creature
11:52that would make Ray Harryhausen drop his jaw.
11:55The bones assemble for an epic boss battle
11:57that wouldn't feel out of place in The Legend of Zelda.
12:00The skeleton appears almost as unbreakable
12:03as the sword in its skull.
12:04Once Kubo pulls the right sword, though,
12:07it's lights out for Skeletor.
12:19It was one of the most complex sequences Laika ever executed,
12:23with their dedication present in every movement.
12:27Before we unveil our top pick,
12:28here are a few honorable mentions.
12:31Boyfriend, Paranorman,
12:32a brilliant punchline,
12:34and LGBTQIA plus milestone.
12:36You know, you're gonna love my boyfriend.
12:39He's like a total chick flick nut.
12:41Dancing Mouse Circus,
12:43Coraline.
12:44Along with the stop-motion artistry,
12:46composer Bruno Coulee went hard here.
12:54The Legend of Hanzo,
12:56Kubo and the Two Strings.
12:58You've never seen origami like this.
13:00Hanzo was a mighty samurai,
13:02but he was alone.
13:04His family taken from him.
13:06His kingdom in ruins.
13:08And his army destroyed by the dreaded Moon King.
13:11Bar Brawl.
13:12Missing Link.
13:13Never bring a gun to a Sasquatch fight.
13:25Snatcher's Demise.
13:27The Box Trolls.
13:28A villain death that was totally avoidable,
13:30but we'd also die for cheese.
13:32Aromatic.
13:34Oaky.
13:35With an undertone of a mother.
13:41Before we continue,
13:43be sure to check out WatchMojo's 24-hour livestream.
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13:4724-7.
13:49Always on,
13:49always live.
13:51Are you not entertained?
13:53Number one.
13:54The Other Mother's True Form.
13:56Coraline.
13:57Mom?
13:58What are you doing here in the middle of the night?
14:01You're just in time for supper, dear.
14:03The Other World wears out its welcome
14:05when Coraline is asked to have buttons sewn over her eyes.
14:08Black is traditional.
14:11But if you'd prefer pink,
14:13or vermilion,
14:15or chartreuse.
14:18No, you might make me jealous.
14:20Coraline begins to see the Other Mother
14:22for what she truly is.
14:24Even then,
14:25Coraline can't prepare herself
14:26for the Other Mother's spine-chilling transformation.
14:29The bugs in the room now feel more like a premonition,
14:32as the Other Mother,
14:33or the Beldam,
14:35as she's also called,
14:36takes on spider-like qualities.
14:38Now,
14:39you're going to stay here forever.
14:43By the time she reaches her final form,
14:45she goes full creepy crawly,
14:47trapping Coraline in her spider web.
14:50Between Terry Hatcher's devilish voiceover performance
14:52and hair-raising puppetry,
14:54Leica cemented the Other Mother
14:56as pure nightmare fuel.
14:57You can cover your eyes
14:59with your hands or buttons,
15:01but she'll still haunt you forever.
15:03Where are you?
15:05You selfish brat!
15:07What's your favorite Leica movie moment?
15:09Let us know in the comments.