Where to watch: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On opens at AMC theaters this Friday, June 24th.
In 2010, a then amateur filmmaker named Dean Fleischer-Camp uploaded a nearly three-and-a-half-minute short film called “MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON” to YouTube. In it, a young, enthusiastic mollusk named Marcel talks to a man behind the camera (voiced by Fleischer-Camp) and invites him into his small, unique little world. Marcel shared his secret to the perfect skis (men’s toenails) and what he does for fun (hang glide on a Dorito). The video quickly went viral and has racked up over 32 million views as of today. It’s obvious that the people love Marcel, but as the new feature film hits theaters, the biggest question is: did we need a feature-length version of Marcel’s saga as a shell?
To cut to the point: no. However, what Fleischer-Camp gives in this extended runtime of 89 minutes is more charming backstory to Marcel’s life. Since the short film premiered 12 years ago, we learn that Marcel–impeccably voiced by Jenny Slate–was accidentally separated from his family in a hurried packing job by tenants of the house where they all lived. This has resulted in a pretty lonely existence in an empty house. The only family member left with Marcel is his grandmother, Nana Connie (voiced by Isabella Rossellini), who enjoys simple pleasures like gardening and watching 60 Minutes with Lesley Stahl. Another thing to note, Nana Connie was born in the garage and traveled by coat pocket all the way to the house, hence her foreign accent.
The hybrid of stop-motion/live-action is more finessed in the feature, bringing Marcel to life in a way that we’ve never seen before. Acknowledgment for the seamlessness of the visuals should be credited in large part to Animation Director Kirsten Lepore, whose own history of viral moments is plentiful. This, combined with the spontaneous, naturalistic approach of a real documentary, makes Marcel the Shell with Shoes On an enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half. It’s really just more of a good thing.
Some jokes are recycled from the short (including the goof introduction as “Mar-shell” and the piece of lint portraying his pet dog named Alan) but there are plenty more relevant one-liners that gave way to multiple laugh-out-loud moments as well as introspective, serious ones. Marcel’s relationship with his grandmother is the pinnacle of the film’s emotional depth, their bond will lead you to think about the people in your life who you hold near and dear.
The music in the film is also worth highlighting. Composer Rich Vreeland aka Disasterpeace creates delicate, charming moments (in stark contrast to his other films, including A24’s upcoming Bodies, Bodies, Bodies). More kudos go to music supervisor Joe Rudge (Hereditary, Blue Valentine) for including a handful of songs from one of my favorite artists, Hiroshi Yoshimura.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is lighthearted entertainment that aims to please. Fans of the short will get so much enjoyment out of Marcel’s charming antics and chipper outlook on life and so it’s hard to say that this film shouldn’t exist at all. Sure, it’s not the most necessary of films to hit theaters this year, but anything that brings a smile to your face is a film worth supporting.
