Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family.

  • Released: 2022-05-04
  • Runtime: 90 minutes
  • Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy
  • Stars: Jenny Slate, Dean Fleischer-Camp, Isabella Rossellini, Thomas Mann, Rosa Salazar, Lesley Stahl, Nathan Fielder, Andy Richter, Sarah Thyre, Jessi Klein, Peter Bonerz
  • Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp
 Comments
  • bluenuriya - 5 April 2024
    I absolutely adore Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
    Really one of the most wholesome, simplistic, sweet, funny, and heartwarming movies I have watched. Marcel the Shell with Shoes is a funny and lovely movie that all ages will enjoy and love. I think the acting was great and the performances given were spot on. The animation was amazing and so smooth and realistic, and the dialogue was so natural and funny, there was nothing forced about it. Marcel the Shell teaches you many things about life that everyone needs to hear and learn. It's strange how much this tiny, talking shell fills my heart up with so much joy. Loved this movie. If you're looking for a simple, sweet, and hilarious movie meant for all ages, watch Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: it'll melt your heart.
  • trinaboice - 27 October 2023
    This is one of the cutest, most original, and endearing movies you'll ever see.
    IN A NUTSHELL: After the success of a short film about a mollusk named Marcel back in 2010, it was decided to turn the story into a feature film. Marcel is an adorable, 1-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother, Connie, and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. However, when a documentary filmmaker discovers them, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope of finding his long-lost family.

    The darling film was written, produced, and directed by the talented Dean Fleischer-Camp. What an imagination he has. But wait, there's more. He also stars in the movie, most of the time with just his voice. His genuine laughter was so infectious.

    THINGS I LIKED: This is one of the cutest, most original, and endearing movies you'll ever see. It is also filled with humor and profound life lessons.

    Jenny Slate has the perfect voice for animation. She gave so much life to Marcel. The director is Jenny's ex-husband. She said they were both focused on doing the film well and that they didn't have fights or awkward moments about it. She also said it's both of their favorite projects.

    The witty humor is extremely entertaining, both spoken and visual.

    I loved hearing Isabella Rossellini's voice. So sweet.

    That's so cute that they got the real Lesley Stahl to join the cast.

    Fun fact 1: It is said that a full day of filming averaged only 5 to 10 seconds of actual run time! It took them 7 years to get everything right.

    Fun fact 2: the director purchased Marcel's shell in a hobby store. He ended up buying quite a few and then made additional shells with a 3-D printer!

    You'll notice non-shell characters at the end of the movie that also come to life. The director explained, "If an object is neglected long enough, it develops a spirit of its own." A24 is a studio that everyone is now talking about with the success of this little gem. I hope they can keep the momentum up.

    This movie WILL give you all the feels and probably pull some wet drops out of your eyes.

    THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Have YOU ever eaten a raspberry? It would have been a perfect ending to show Marcel doing that.

    TIPS FOR PARENTS: This is a family-friendly movie that all ages will enjoy.

    Some "light" profanity Some suggestive humor that will fly over the heads of children.

    !
  • andrewchristianjr - 9 January 2023
    IT WAS OK.
    Feels like I'm the minority here. If you aren't feeling particularly soft headed this movie may try your patience. It is cute and quirky and at first clever, but goes on along the same line for far too long in the same tone, then attempts a little tear-jerking, only to resume the same steady, goofiness. It's an accomplishment in terms of uniqueness, but for me it was just ok.

    Synopsis: Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family. A beloved character gets his big-screen debut in this hilarious and heartwarming story about finding connection in the smallest corners.
  • nehpetstephen - 14 December 2022
    The screenplay is a mess, but the miniature props are lovely
    I was astonished to learn, via IMDB's Trivia page, that the filmmakers had spent seven years writing, storyboarding, planning, and filming this movie. It does not look like much organization or forethought went into making this movie. The screenplay and plot seem largely improvisational, some half-baked concepts cobbled together during the first months of the COVID lockdown.

    Here are some of the many things that fell flat for me:

    Director Dean Fleischer-Camp's role as a newly divorced man trying to figure out single life? That seemed like a backstory that was simply slapped on in order to justify the character hanging out in an AirBnB for an extended period. The fact that Dean is the movie's actual director and that he was actually married to Jenny Slate, the voice and co-creator of Marcel the Shell, and that they underwent an actual divorce during the making of this film: well, that just seemed improbable! The movie's treatment of divorce seemed tacked on, superficial, and extraneous. The backstory involving Thomas Mann and Rosa Salazar as two homeowners who broke up in a flashback likewise seemed insubstantial--more about putting the machinations of the plot in place rather than providing an actual exploration of the contours of a breakup.

    Director Dean's unwillingness to open up in front of Marcel or the cameras? A hint of depth that never goes anywhere, even when the 60 Minutes interview gives them a perfect opportunity to dive into this character arc.

    Marcel's longing for community? Well, that was a headscratcher. In theory, I very much liked this theme, but when the community was finally reunited at the end, the artistic choices about how to present this reunion made me feel like the whole theme was pretty minor. Most of Marcel's family and friends barely seem to have even noticed that he was gone, including his own father and (to a lesser extent) his mother. The film barely gives us a glimpse of what it means to be back in this community, and what it shows us is surprisingly disturbing. Watching the whole crew devour a loaf of bread conjured up images of vermin and infestation for me; the happy ending gave me a feeling of revulsion. The fact that the reunited community included things like peanut shells and Chex cereal pieces was also baffling. If all these inanimate things were just as capable of becoming sentient as the seashells, then what are the odds that Marcel would be all alone in this house? I know I shouldn't be thinking too hard about the parameters of this world's scientific reality, but that final reunion was not the happy ending I would have hoped for.

    Marcel's disappointment over his online fans is also surprisingly paper thin and stereotypical. Undoubtedly, most fans would just use Marcel's virality as an excuse to record TikToks of them dancing in his lawn, as is depicted in this film. But an audience of millions of people is likely to include a handful of amateur online investigators like myself who would thrill at the possibility of solving Marcel's mystery. In fact, I'm sure I would have been able to solve the mystery in about fifteen minutes, and I question why Dean was unable. Property deeds are available to the public. As is facial recognition software. The mystery at the heart of this film makes no sense.

    It wasn't all worthless, though. Marcel's relationship with his nana Connie (Isabella Rossellini giving a fabulous voice performance) is the only plotline/theme explored in the film that actually has depth, meaning, and believability. There are likewise a number of good laughs throughout the film, and the miniature production design is clever, whimsical, and memorable. At one point Marcel serves a single Pepperidge Farm goldfish that looks to be the size of a turkey on a silver platter that is in fact a dime. Touches like that are magical, and the props alone make the movie worth seeing.

    Perhaps the themes about divorce, intimacy, and community mean more to the filmmakers than they do to the audience. I wish I'd been able to get something out of the film's exploration of these themes, but they seemed to me to have been hastily cobbled together. I recommend this movie, but it might have been better if it were only 40 minutes long.
  • jace_the_film_guy - 17 October 2022
    Endlessly Wholesome
    This movie is a simple delight. Marcel is endlessly wholesome and there is a surprising depth to the plot. Though the majority of the story takes place inside a small home, there is a far-reaching connectivity with Marcel.

    This movie goes to show that simplicity sells. There are no giant explosions, mind-bending plot twists or complicated romantic entanglements. There is just a shell with shoes who asks honest questions and pulls at your heartstrings over and over again.

    I laughed, I cried and I found incredibly peace watching this little guy.

    Best Character - Marcel Best Scene - The Queen Chess piece scene Best Quote - "What if everything changes?" - Marcel. "It will." - Nana Connie.
  • drjacobgrayson - 9 September 2022
    Your girlfriend will probably like it
    If you're over the age of eight and you use pronouns like he and him, then this movie is probably not for you. Note the liberal use of the words cute and adorable and heartwarming in some of the other reviews. It should give you a pretty good hint about the target audience.

    The movie summarized: Marcel putters around the house talking baby talk and doing cute little things like gathering food, having conversations with grown ups, sharing innocent interpretations of the world around him, is scared by dogs and squirrels, and is generally wondrous and wide-eyed about the world around him. This animated one-eyed shell is basically a baby that can talk.