Story
Set in the Victorian era, Missing Link revolves around Sir Lionel Frost (voice of Hugh Jackman), an eccentric explorer and searcher of all things strange and wonderful. He’s also desperate for recognition and acceptance. But he’s excluded from a gentlemen’s club headed by the nasty Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry). Dismissed as a fool, Frost is determined to prove his doubters wrong, He sets out to find irrefutable proof of the mythical sasquatch. He travels to North America where he meets a sasquatch in person and names him Mr Link (Zach Galifianakis). Link later decides he doesn’t like this name and changes it to Susan.
Frost discovers that Link is very lonely and would dearly love to meet his cousins, the Yetis, who live in the Himalayas. Frost and Link set out on a long journey across America, during which they’re joined by fellow adventurer and Frost’s ex-girlfriend, Adelina (Zoe Saldana). The trio travel the world to find the fabled city of Shangri-La, high up in the Himalayan mountains. Unfortunately, things don’t turn out quite as planned, but Frost learns some lessons along the way. In particular, Frost realises that there are more important things in life than fame.
Themes
Exploration
Violence
Missing Link has quite a lot of violence, some of which is presented as funny. For example:
- Frost accidentally hits a doorman with his stick several times.
- Link accidentally knocks Adelina overboard.
There are also examples of less funny violence:
- The opening scene shows Frost and his companion, a Mr Lint, in a boat in the middle of a lake. A huge monster appears and grabs Lint in his mouth and dives under the water with him. Frost dives in the water after them and lands on the monster’s back. The monster eventually spits Lint out and smashes the boat with its tail.
- Piggot-Dunceby pushes Frost over and says he’s going to hire a thug to kill him.
- A thug named Willard Stenk enters a saloon and pulls out a gun. Frost hits him with his stick and the gun goes off. An all-out brawl erupts in the saloon. Link throws a man out of a window.
- Piggot-Dunceby grabs his butler by the throat.
- Adelina hits Frost and starts throwing things at him. Windows get smashed. Adelina chases after Frost and points a rifle at him. She shoots and misses. Stenk arrives, and she has a gunfight with him.
- Stenk chases Frost with an axe, which he throws at Frost, narrowly missing him.
- Piggot-Dunceby tells Stenk not to threaten an old woman. He recommends threatening the woman’s grandson instead. He then holds the baby boy upside down.
- Piggot-Dunceby falls to his death from an ice bridge, which he’d been trying to break with his rifle.
- Stenk is killed when an icicle stabs him in the chest and he falls through the ice bridge.
Sexual references
Missing Link has some sexual references. For example:
- A woman in a Wild West town blows Frost a kiss, then a man does also.
- Frost measures Link’s genitals, which he complains about.
- A newspaper article describes Frost as a ‘randy aristocrat in a fragrante with a Russian ballerina’.
- Link says someone touched his nipple.
- Link wants to change his name to Susan even though he knows it’s a girl’s name.
- Frost and Adelina flirt. One time they’re about to kiss, but they’re interrupted.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
Missing Link shows some use of substances. For example:
- Characters drink a lot in the saloon.
- Frost brings a bottle of wine to share with Adelina.
Nudity and sexual activity
Nothing of concern
Product placement
None noted
Coarse language
Missing Link has some mild coarse language, including ‘poppycock’, ‘shoot’ and ‘how the devil …?’
Ideas to discuss with your children
Missing Link is an animated comedy with a lot of slapstick violence and quite a lot of unpleasant violence. It’s also quite intense in parts. For these reasons it isn’t recommended for children under eight years, but older children will probably enjoy it.
The main messages from this movie are that being a nice person is more important than being famous and that good triumphs over evil.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include friendship, compassion, sympathy, identity and acceptance.