User reviews

"Sometimes I find my mind wandering, thinking, "What would my family think?" Do you think they could be out there?"

Marcel, an adorable one-inch-tall shell living alone with his grandmother Connie seek to find their long-lost community with the help of a documentary filmmaker. Based on the widely popular YouTube series, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On revives the adorable shell in what is quite possibly the most adorable movie ever. I remember watching the YouTube videos a few times, but it was never something I fell for. However, this film re-introduced me to the world of Marcel and had me caring for every second of the runtime. For such a simple and silly idea, this film exceeds in sharing a heartfelt story. Everything about it is wholesome. For those who aren't familiar with the original shorts, the film easily updates those and throws easter eggs around. The script is incredibly funny. There would be times that we'd miss a few sentences into the next thing because the audience was laughing at the last thing. Some of the humor won't land with everyone because it's such a strange tone, but all of it worked for me. I thought it was written very well. There are emotionally gripping lines and thought provoking inquiries. It's one of those movies that makes you reflect on your own life and happiness.

Jenny Slate has never been better. Obviously this is just voice acting as a small shell, but this feels like the role that will define her career. We also have the talents of Isabella Rossellini and writer/director Dean Fleischer-Camp acting. Rossellini's character is incredibly well written and brings an emotional aspect to the film. I know it's not voice acting, but there's one really beautiful moment she has that's been playing through my head for the past week now. I like that Dean Fleischer-Camp acted in this because it gives it an intimate and unique angle to filmmaking. One of the most striking elements is the cinematography. I thought it was beautifully shot and does more than you'd think. Also, the score was very unique and I can't wait for them to release it. There are a few moments strewn about that didn't quite land. Sometimes it moves a little too fast with some montages in the beginning. Other times, it doesn't feel like we've stayed on the moment long enough. Still, you cannot deny the power these little shells hold on the story. I really loved Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. I can see this becoming a comfort movie for me and an instant crowd hit.

What would you do, in an Airbnb for you, where you thought you were alone, until a tennis ball did roam; then appears a little shell, puts you under his cute spell, seems he's been left and deserted, though he's charming and assertive; has the place all to himself, alongside Connie and her shelf, there was once a bigger throng, for unknown reasons they've all gone; so you start to record moves, capture chats and he approves, publish them for all to see, where they're gobbled up with glee; before you know it he's a star, people travel from afar, the search begins for family, does he find them - watch the movie.

An endearingly told tale about a shell called Marcel.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is an absolute joy from start to finish. It's really funny, incredibly moving and extremely deep whilst exploring the need to connect with others and the safety in community as well as the highs and lows of being an internet success.

Jenny Slate is perfect as Marcel, imbuing the character with an innocence and earnesty that would melt the coldest of hearts. Director Dean Fleischer-Camp essentially being co lead is a risky move that thankfully pays off and it's honestly really impressive how genuine his bond with Marcel feels.

Dean's direction is equally impressive with the documentary style construction of the film blending with the stop motion animation as seamlessly as possible. The tone is well handled overall however there's just one scene that really didn't need a joke, even if it was pretty funny.

My cold, black, cynical core was absolutely melted by this adorable story. Given this, I believe it is truly impossible to watch this film and still hold negativity in your soul by the time the credits roll.

Jaw-droppingly fluid stop-motion animation adds such a vibrant life to the world of Marcel the shell and his grandmother. It feels lived-in, yet at the same time, lonely, and this production design adds a great deal to Marcel's emotional journey.

The comedy is constant and absolutely spectacular. The witty dialogue takes jabs at the oddities of both human and "shell" behavior, but also often carries a surprisingly poignant depth that I did not expect.

Marcel's world is small, and thus the things he finds joy in are small. I don't think I have ever seen a film so effectively portray the beauty of the "little things" in life.

This is a film with such a pervasive sense of gratitude for the gift of life-for the gift of opportunities to change, progress, and grow that we are often presented with in this life. It's a story about family and the necessity of the simple sharing of experiences with other people.

Coming out of the theater, I felt such a profound sense of love for the people around me and for the beautiful things both natural and man-made in this world. And if giving someone a feeling like that isn't the mark of a master artist, I don't know what is.

It's a masterpiece of creativity and simplicity. It's one of the best films of the year.

Sublime. Truly delightful little gem that will help you feel like it's all ok. This should be on prescription. Recommended for:

• Sunday evening blues when you dread the upcoming week

-When the world feels like a harsh place

• When someone has been rude to you for no reason

-When you spent too much time on social media, or the news, and it feels so loud

• When you feel like nothing matters to anyone anymore
• When you need to hear a tiny voice thats very similar to the little voice you hear inside when you touch some truth.

• When you just had a big fight with someone you love

I'm so grateful for the makers. Thank you.

I went and saw this last night and was just blown away. I was so captivated by everything about this movie and when it was over my friend and I both wanted to watch it again. We just sighed and walked out of the theater so happy and so inspired. There were moments of poignancy, hilarity, I just believe this to be one of the best movies ever made for its message and delivery. It's exactly what we need right now in this world.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is remarkably somber for a film so cute; it is a film about small adorable characters and animated inanimate objects spawned from the idea that (to quote the director) "if an object is neglected long enough, it develops a spirit of its own".

Based on Jenny Slate's and Dean Fleischer Camp's beloved web series about a tiny shell with a big heart and even bigger shoes (the popularity of which is acknowledged by the characters/"interviewees" in this film), it's a stop-motion/live-action mockumentary that is sure to make you cry tears of sadness and even more certain to inspire tears of "MY GOD, THIS IS SO PURE AND PRECIOUS". Something to that effect.

Some of you might worry that the film is merely cutesy (which is different than being genuinely cute). But the picture is actually rather interesting on a technical level.

I'd love to see a featurette on just how much of the stop-motion animation is truly stop-motion, and how they made said animations interact so seamlessly with the live-action footage (which is filmed to make the world that surrounds Marcel seem a large and confusing one indeed). Another noteworthy behind-the-scenes detail -- that might have influenced the themes and tone of the film in some way -- is the fact that, whereas Fleischer-Camp and Slate were married when they created the original web series together, they worked on the movie as exes.

Last but not least: like all great things, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On also contains an appearance by Nathan Fielder. Why are you still here?

Touching and cute, and surprisingly, didn't feel padded out to stretch it to feature length. Both Jenny Slate and Isabella Rossellini created characters whom you care about.

I did have some trouble understanding some of the words Marcel was saying, not a problem I've ever had with Jenny Slate in her other movies. It might have been the sound system in the theater; other people had the same problem.

If you are at all whimsy-tolerant, this is a move worth seeing.

Greetings again from the darkness. For proof that social media and the internet can be used for good, I offer as evidence this film from writer-director Dean Fleisher-Camp and co-writers Elizabeth Holm, Nick Paley, and Jenny Slate. The first 'Marcel' short film hit the internet in 2010 and was such a hit that there were two follow-up short films and a best-selling picture book. Now expanded to a feature length film of 90 minutes, the innovative and curious premise holds up due to the fully-formed character of a precious one-googly-eyed mollusk shell wearing ... yes ... shoes.

Why do we connect with Marcel? Well, the instantly recognized voice created by Jenny Slate plays a huge part. There is a welcoming innocence in the wispy tone, and when combined with the exceptional writing, the result is a relatable character full of warmth and wit, and pain and humor. Marcel is naïve, yet persistent. He's someone we like and pull for. The story is told via faux-documentary as a filmmaker (played by director Fleisher-Camp) stays in the Airbnb where Marcel lives with his aging grandmother Connie (voiced by Isabella Rossellini). During interviews, we learn that Marcel longs for his family and community that was disrupted when the home's original owners broke up and moved out. Since then, Marcel has looked after his grandmother and helped her tend the garden. They have been quite creative in their use of household resources, including a tennis ball for transportation.

The filmmaker posts the interviews online and soon Marcel has a huge following, giving him hope that his family can be tracked down. This leads to a terrific "60 Minutes" segment with journalist Leslie Stahl. The best description I can offer of Marcel is adorable - not a word I use very often. Marcel forces us to view the world through a child's eye, but it's important to note, that while young children may find Marcel cute, the dialogue, wit, and life issues covered will be way over their heads (though not offensive in the least). Young kids (under 10) should probably stick to the shorts. The sad and painful context is balanced by sweetness and optimism. Marcel's story inspires us to embrace all stages of life with an open heart and mind - dealing with grief and sadness, while coming out the other side with spirit intact.

A24 specializes in distributing innovative and creative movies, and this certainly qualifies. It's not really a mockumentary because it's not mocking anything. The stop-motion approach in documentary style may initially seem like whimsy, but we quickly realize it's more substantive. Individual strength and the power of community are on full display, and somehow Marcel the Shell teaches us ... while wearing shoes.

Opens in theaters on July 8, 2022.

I have this movie as a 6. I feel like I should explain since everyone seems to have VERY different views of the 1 to 10 system.

For me, 1-4 is unwatchable and variants of terrible.

5 is not "average" or "median", it's just not good enough.

6 means it's worth a watch. Not great, but not bad. You won't regret having watched it.

7 is good. Would recommend to others.

8 Very good. Great even. I will tell many people to watch.

9 So good i know I will watch again. It moved me in some way and resonated to a point that I'll remember it for days.

10 Reserved for the ultimate greats. Shows/ movies that I'll watch repeatedly for years to come. Over and over.

What a charming little film.

For a film about a shell it felt incredibly human! It was very relatable to the human experience, it even made me shed a tear. This movie just had no business being this good. It was darling! Just a very sweet lighthearted funny film that touch the soul in a different way! This movie accomplished something emotionally that most "human" movies fail to do! I'm speaking about humans like I'm an alien in this review... I am also a person.

Great stuff. Great look. Great vibes. Great sound.

No yeah really the soundtrack was actually very good! Super good score for some reason.

Marcel is adorable, his eye gestures, the kind of bizarre things he does, or the words coming out of his tiny mouth, will melt your heart. You will fall in love with him. The creators knew this, hence, they put more resources & emphasis on Marcel's personality & his outward appearance than they did on the deeper lying implications of the writing.

Whilst the movie had a whole lot to talk about the necessity of being in a healthy communal rapport, the importance of being in a family, and the kind of impact they can have on your life as well as on your life's choices, but that never got to a point where those same set of notions came to be anything more than naive interventionism.

Do not get me wrong, it still is a competent feature that gradually grew on my conscience and I'm glad that it was able to fulfill a lot of people's wishes and expectations but if you ask me, I more often than not found myself yearning for some closure, something more profound.

There's a reason that an entire subcategory of movie is called a short and this story very much belonged there like the other stories relating to this character. Even at just 90 minutes runtime it certainly overstays its welcome. At first some of the ways Marcel managed to function around the house are interesting and I suppose sort of cute, but once you've seen it all it gets very repetitive. Much of the dialogue attempts to be deep and meaningful but didn't do enough for me to really become invested.

One possible takeaway is that in reality we are all like Marcel and just small beings in an infinitely large universe. It's not always the big things we achieve in life that define us, but the small intimate connections along the way that make life worth living.

However, this theme could very well have been expressed equally or perhaps even better in a 15 minute short.

That almost says it all--though I admit I was actually fairly invested in the documentary-making bachelor, as well.

I'm not sure what I was expecting heading into a movie like this, but what I got was a lovely, tight story about companionship, loss, and the importance of meaningful connections. It all felt pretty magical, to be honest, and I was in a pretty grumpy mood going in.

Highly recommended.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on is an extremely heartwarming and touching film for even the most cynic of human beings. Mixing comedy with some real life human lessons this film truly pulls on all of your heart strings. Kids will love Marcel but the adults will truly value and appreciate the message behind this touching movie. If you are feeling down about life in general, this is a film for you.

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is a sweet, moving and loving journey into the life of an instantly lovable seashell named Marcel (Jenny Slate). I love how this stop-motion animated film, presented as a documentary, handles life's mysteries, dangers, grief and friendships with wisdom, grace and humor.

Marcel and his sassy grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) share a big home used as an AirBnB that was once full of friends who have mysteriously disappeared. When a new guest, Dean (Dean Fleischer-Camp) arrives, he sets out to document Marcel and help discover what happened to the missing friends. Dean films the inventive and clever ways that Marcel and Connie go about their lives as shells, from gathering food, traveling about and taking care of each other. Marcel persuades Dean to share the mysterious loss of his community, which leads to an interview on 60 Minutes with Leslie Stahl. All the attention and celebrity fuss prove to be too much for the aging grandmother as she does her best to convince Marcel she is healthy. I love how Marcel takes care of Connie.

Marcel is sweet and caring with a practical approach to solving problems. He is inventive and optimistic. And he has a fuzzy pet lint named Alan! His grandmother, Connie, is at once amused and annoyed by Marcel's overprotectiveness. They share a unique bond. The stop-motion animation brings to life these characters in a wonderful, believable way. They become your friends you care about quickly. My favorite part is how Marcel travels around the big house with speed and efficiency- in a tennis ball!

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On addresses a variety of life's challenges with gentle wisdom, quiet grace, and sly humor. Marcel and Connie learn to adjust to the mysterious disappearance of their community, a house full of friends. They persevere and seek help from Dean to help solve the mystery while dealing with the new found "celebrity" attention and the disruption to their peaceful existence. Marcel is stoic and brave in the face of loss and grateful and welcoming at the sound of emergency. We would all benefit from walking in Marcel's shoes!

I give Marcel The Shell With Shoes On 5 out of 5 star and recommend it for ages 6 to 18, plus adults. It opens in select theaters June 24, 2022 and nationwide July 15, 2022. By Madeleine H., KIDS FIRST!

Seriously. Before you reach for that keypad and say anything unkind about Marcel (who has never said an unkind word about anyone, and generally keeps his opinions to himself), remember that our culture elevated BORAT to cult status back in 2006. So, if BORAT was great film-making, Marcel will need a new pair of shoes -- and probably a tux -- to accept his long-overdue Oscar. Even before this project got to the big screen (or small device used in place of a big screen) it was already an internet sensation for voice actress Jenny Slate. Jenny's tone and delivery are so delicately nuanced that it makes the award given to FINDING NEMO back in 2004 look like an accounting error. Words like DELIGHTFUL, CAPTIVATING, and UNIQUE don't do Marcel justice. I would ask the little guy to step up here and say a few words for himself, but right now I think he is trying to find a way to make bird sculptures from ice cream. Ever since the feature release, he doesn't sleep much. Or, if he does, he keeps one eye open. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

The first 10 minutes I love it but then it was just more of the same, I almost fall asleep. The general story is good but it lasted too much, this could be a short movie with around 20 min duration.

I came into this movie brand new. I'd never heard of the YouTube shorts however many years ago, didn't even know they were a thing. I'd seen the reviews saying this was good but thought it looked a little goofy. I probably would never have given it a shot had a close friend not posted about it on their Instagram, and I can honestly say I was blown away by this movie.

Marcel is so honest and genuine that you can't help but to fall in love with the little guy right out of the gate. This movie will make you laugh, it'll probably make you cry, but overall it will leave you with a different perspective on the little things in life that we take for granted. Whether that's a drop of water or a crasin, Marcel finds a way to make these little things seem so much more significant by wholly appreciating their value.

The movie is filmed documentary style like the YouTube videos (which I've now gone back and watched a couple of) and like those videos they do a perfect job of capturing the wonder of life from the perspective of a one inch tall shell and his journey to find his family, and make a new friend.

I can't remember the last time a movie touched me like this one did. Easily the best animated movie of the year (sorry Pinocchio) and a film that I promise you won't regret watching alone or with your family, unless you're completely heartless of course.

Also, just a little tip. If you're like me and just had to have a Marcel of your own. You can buy a cute little figure at the A24 website and it's fantastic. Mine is currently ice skating on top on my dusty bookshelf :). Enjoy.

Read the reviews, was excited to see a heartwarming film. Just not that entertaining. Not for me. The story was really tiny, the topic was really a short that took too long to tell.

Marcel catches you from the very first second and doesn't let you go.

It's a heartfelt movie, with characters you will immediately come to care about. It's a shell, and you still care about it.

It's constantly creative, sweet and fun. But still gives you that little bit of satire. But more than anything else, it's sincere and made with so much love.

Technically, you won't find any fault. The animation is exquite, the whole movie has such great sense of rhythm, ...

I'm trying to think about how to describe it, and I think I must say it's just as if a bunch of Americans made a good Ghibli movie.

It's THAT good.

A24 has absolutely crushed it this year. This is the first year since the pandemic that we can return to theaters with more ease and the New York based studio delivered us Everything Everywhere All at Once and now Marcel. Both were so much better than I expected. We are given an adorable (and tiny) character on the big screen who graces us with innocence and a poignant outlook. This is genuinely a great family film, filled with sharp comedy, deep emotion, and astute observations on identity, community, and the fast paced world we live in. I recommend this one to all. Bring tissues.