Marcel the Shell with Shoes On 4K 2021 Ultra HD 2160p

A puppet cartoon about an inch-long seashell named Marcel who wants to find his family.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On 4K Review
A sea shell named Marcelle (Jenny Slate) lives in a house that is rented out on Airbnb. The tiny creature becomes the object of the attention of new tenant Dean (Dean Fleischer-Camp), a divorced man who has temporarily moved into the place. Fascinated by the little neighbor, Dean begins making a documentary about the talkative shell. The hero doesn't let go of the camera and follows Marcel and his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini), who lost the rest of their family a couple of years ago (the shell relatives were taken away with their belongings after the scandalous breakup of the couple who owned the house). Soon (not without Dean's help) Marcel turns into an Internet star, an audience favorite, and a welcome guest on TV shows. Now it doesn't seem to be too hard to find his family.

Marcel's story began in 2010. That's when Slate and Fleischer-Camp published a short film on YouTube about a seashell in pink shoes. More videos and a series of children's books followed, and now, 12 years later, the magic of Marcel has moved into the feature film space as well. Yes, the word "magic" may be too pompous, but it is more appropriate than anything else for the life description of a non-existent eye-eyed creature with a sharp mind. The film seamlessly blends animation with real objects. A human home for a tiny shell is a huge field of possibilities and challenges. A tennis ball becomes a vehicle, and the dust on the table becomes a canvas for patterns: the first half of the picture is full of tiny details that turn a routine into a magical action. Therein lies the magic: the gentle juxtaposition of the fantastical with everyday elements and, of course, the thoughtful commentary of the seashell.

Listening to Marcel's musings is a pleasure for both Dean and the viewer on the other side of the screen. But here's the problem: Beyond that, not much happens in the film. Finding and finding his lost family is the cornerstone of the plot, which for some reason falls apart by the finale. The long-awaited reunion doesn't seem like the traditional tearjerker scene - which, however, is even a good thing. Attempts to reach out to relatives thanks to the crowd of fans and YouTube commenters will not succeed, but end with an inarticulate message about the downside of fame. Tourists will spare no effort and time to come and take selfies near the legendary house, but they hardly help a lost child escape loneliness.

The creature, no more than two centimeters tall, overcomes his fear of change, opens up to the world, and shares his little personal story with the equally lonely Dean. By the end of the timeline, that same magic really dissipates little by little, and the narrative runs out of steam, and a dash of disappointment arrives. Roughly the same thing happens to Marcel himself: he finally gets his loved ones back, but the elation soon fades and the desire to be alone piles on. The story of the seashell may not make for a gripping film with dramatic intensity, but it's the sweetest, simplest movie you can treat yourself to right now.