These films are painstakingly animated frame-by-frame, so the fact that the gags are so impeccably timed is especially impressive. And the action sequences also have a superb life to them, harking back to classic cinematic moments while adding distinctive kicks. So there are heists and chase sequences, marauding armies of gnomes and angry neighbours, all leading to an explosive climactic sequence that plays on everything from the Road Runner to Fast & Furious.

Comedies rarely have so many jokes that so sharply hit the target, mixing silliness with astute satire in ways that continually elicit enormous laughter. So it's the kind of film that's best experienced in a theatre with a communal audience, especially because the big screen also reveals the hand-made nature of the animation itself, from the careful crafting of each prop to the fingerprints all over the clay characters. This is movie magic.

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9.Nov.24

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