▁book . ▁ ▁Th emes ▁The ▁film ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁them atically ▁similar ▁to ▁a ▁fair y ▁tale , ▁a ▁fant asy , ▁or ▁a ▁dream ▁world . ▁Writing ▁in ▁the ▁journal ▁Ada pt ation , ▁David ▁S orf a ▁arg ues ▁that ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁projects ▁of ▁the ▁Brothers ▁Qu ay ▁discuss ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁a ▁" met aph ys ical ▁interior " ▁may ▁exist . ▁S orf a ▁arg ues ▁that ▁this ▁film ▁does ▁not ▁attempt ▁to ▁reve al ▁a ▁hidden ▁meaning , ▁but ▁rather ▁argue ▁that ▁a ▁real m ▁of ▁hidden ▁meaning , ▁though ▁un re ach able , ▁may ▁exist ▁non eth eless . ▁ ▁A riel ▁Sw art ley ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁has ▁drawn ▁a ▁comparison ▁between ▁Jakob ' s ▁efforts ▁to ▁" turn ▁himself ▁into ▁a ▁machine " ▁as ▁a ▁servant ▁and ▁the ▁animation ▁of ▁objects ▁that ▁the ▁Brothers ▁Qu ay ▁have ▁focused ▁on ▁in ▁their ▁previous ▁stop - m otion ▁films . ▁( Inst itute ▁Ben j ament a ▁was ▁their ▁first ▁live - action ▁film ). ▁Stephen ▁Qu ay ▁has ▁said ▁that ▁they ▁sought ▁to ▁convey ▁a ▁similar ▁sense ▁of ▁" oth ern ess " ▁through ▁the ▁actors ▁as ▁they ▁had ▁done ▁through ▁pu ppets ▁in ▁previous ▁projects . ▁Laura ▁Mark s ▁has ▁argued ▁that ▁" non - sent ient ▁life ▁seems ▁to ▁take ▁preced ence ▁over ▁human ▁life " ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁includes ▁a ▁" t ide ▁of ▁non - human ▁life ". ▁ ▁S orf a ▁cont ends ▁that