Stitch Head: Cute and Creepy for the Kids
Once again, Halloween is just around the corner. For many, myself included, it’s one of the best times of the year: candy, costumes, decorations, and of course, horror films. Given that trick-or-treating is more of a kids’ game, it’s helpful to have movies that have creepy elements without being too scary for the very young ones (Excluding the diehards out there that take their goblins to haunted houses before they can walk). Stitch Head, based on Guy Bass’ first book in the series, will charm the little monsters while being cute enough for the adults to watch in the background.
“Are You Ready for Monsters?”
On a sunny day, the bleak – both in color and demeanor – town of Grubbers Nubbin is jolted awake by the arrival of a loud, brightly-colored carnival train, carrying Fulbert Freakfinder (Seth Usdenov) and his travelling freak show whose first course of action is a pop-circus musical number to draw attention. The townsfolk are treated to a contortionist, Doctor Dislocation (Ryan Sampson) the strongwoman Madame Miranda (Fern Brady), and Taj & Tej (Jamali Maddix), a pair of rambunctious twins that remind me of the pillbugs in A Bug’s Life. None of this is intriguing to the people of Grubbers Nubbin. You see, they can’t be scared by “freaks” because they live every day in fear of Castle Grotteskew, the shadowy stronghold looming from the mountain above.
Tucked away in Castle Grotteskew is the mad Professor (Rob Brydon), who spends his days and nights obsessively stitching together creatures from all kinds of body parts, human and non-human, and bringing them to life via lightning. Sound familiar? Once he succeeds, he casts his creations aside, leaving them to fend for themselves in the massive fortification. His very first creation, self-given the name Stitch Head (Asa Butterfield), has taken it upon himself to care for these forgotten experiments, providing them with an orientation into what he’s dubbed the “Almost Life” – registered trademark, patents pending – complete with video presentation. Despite all his hard work, though, he’s just as neglected as the day he was made, never receiving thanks or eye contact from the Professor. When he’s approached by Fulbert to join his carnival, Stitch Head decides to embark on a new adventure, where he might be appreciated more, and leaves those remaining in Castle Grotteskew under the care of the newest creature, Creature (Joel Fry).
A Cute-Enough Comedy-Horror
Having not read the books, I can’t speak to the accuracy of this film as an adaptation. What I can say is that Stitch Head has about as much creep factor as one of the Hotel Transylvania films. Which is a good thing; it allows kids to dip their toes into some of the imagery of the creepy and macabre and learn the barest of basics of the Frankenstein/Mad Scientist tropes without much fear of being scared themselves. The animation style is quirky and exaggerated, with lots of cute humor mixed with a dash of the absurd. Kids will probably get a kick out of the semi-repetitious carnival song, though when it was used as an opening number, I did almost expect this to be more of a musical.
The voice-acting performances are formidable, each providing a distinct tone and personality for every townsfolk and creature. The film is cute, though a bit tonally uneven, but that might be more of a problem for adults rather than children who just like the wacky monsters and quirky music. Like its titular character and the monsters he cares for, Stitch Head at times seems to be cobbled together with a hodgepodge of influences, from Frankenstein to The Greatest Showman, a bit of Dumbo, and even some Monsters, Inc. for good measure. That may not be to its detriment though, for viewers familiar with any of those might welcome the familiar elements as they venture through an all-new story with themes of acceptance, finding one’s home, and of course, friendship.
Stitch Head: A Kooky Kid’s Flick
Stitch Head is a fine, cute film that would probably pop up as a streaming recommendation for kids around this time of year, and for good reason. For little monsters that want some kooky creatures without the scares, this should keep them occupied.
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