Marcel the Shell With Shoes On is a film that mixes live-action footage with stop-motion animation. It is based on a series of short films created by Dean Fleischer Camp and Jenny Slate. It is delightful, sweet, sometimes poignant and sad. It runs, perhaps, a little too long, but is mostly a joy to watch.

The story involves a young man named Dean (Dean Fleischer Camp) who buys a house after a messy divorce with the intent of turning it into an Airbnb. Upon arrival, he discovers Marcel (Jenny Slate) a one-inch tall shell, who in fact does have his shoes on (and has a face and can walk and talk). He lives in the house with his grandmother (Isabella Rossellini). They are both a little lost and sometimes sad.

There used to be an entire family of shells in the house, but when the couple of used to live there broke up, the man took all the other shells with him, leaving Marcel and his grandmother behind.

Dean is a documentary filmmaker and begins interviewing Marcel about his life. He turns these interviews into short YouTube videos and quickly Marcel becomes an Internet star. Before long people start showing up at the house and 60 Minutes comes calling. Marcel uses this attention to try and find his missing family.

Mostly the film follows Marcel as he goes about his daily life. He is whimsical, clever, and in awe of the wonders of the world. There is a jar of honey that has spilled. Marcel walks across it, using the honey’s stickiness to allow him to walk on walls and the ceiling. He connects a rope to a large mixer and the other end to a tree so that when turning the mixer on it shakes the tree, knocking its nuts to the ground. His grandmother befriends insects who help her garden.

It is in these moments that the film excels. Marcel is such a whimsical character – his mix of nativity and awe makes him adorable and beloved. I was less enthused with the bits that follow his ever-increasing social media presence and celebrity. The interview with 60 Minutes felt out of place. But mostly the film is a delight. Heartwarming and dear.