Stitch Head
review by Bobby Blakey
The story of Frankenstein has been told in so many ways throughout the years, but the underlying tone is usually the same. Telling these stories with new spins can be entertaining and if handled correctly as well as offering them up to a new generation. The latest bringing a new vision of the classic tale is the animated feature Stitch Head featuring the voices Asa Butterfield, Joel Fry, Alison Steadman, Rob Brydon, Fern Brady, Tia Bannon, and Jamali Maddix from director Steve Hudson. Could this fun take bring the laughs and heart or should these creatures never been brought to life?
Stitch Head follows high above the little town of Grubbers Nubbin, in a castle laboratory, where the maddest of all mad professors brings monstrous creations to (almost) life… and then promptly forgets all about them. So, who runs the castle? Who keeps the monsters in line, so the townsfolk don’t form an angry mob? That job falls to Stitch Head - the professor’s very first creation. He does it all, unnoticed and unthanked. But when a ramshackle freak show rolls into town, its sly owner, Fulbert Freakfinder, comes knocking, offering Stitch Head fame, fortune… and maybe even love.
As much as the subject matter intrigued me, I am always leery of these animated features since more often than not they fail to deliver. I am happy to say that while the film isn’t breaking new ground it manages to be entertaining, bringing a vibe that reminded me of Tim Burton infused with Hotel Transylvania. Neither of these are bad things either and yet the film still has its own look and feel to make for a fun flick. Within the narrative there is even a Pinocchio element of the traveling circus and Stitch Head trying to find a place to belong that is at the heart of the story of not only him but the other discarded creatures as well.
The story takes the Frankenstein idea and flips it on its head, taking the
obsessed doctor more interested in just bringing random creatures to life and then on to the next one. This offers up some crazy fun character designs in an almost monster orphanage with each being more unique than the next. The main story works and is filled with laughs and heart, but it’s all these zany creature mashups that stood out for me to keep things feeling fresh and fun.
The animation is well done and manages to come across a lot bigger than it might otherwise appear. Most of this is not only thanks to the wide assortment of creatures and people, but the look and feel of the town and its surroundings. I love any type of animation that is slightly off kilter as opposed to streamlined realism because it instantly gives the world a different perspective for the audience to marvel out as they decide if they want to be a part of it. Often over the top and silly it manages to not only create a fun world that kids and adults alike can enjoy but balances the chaotic fun energy with the heart and message to make for an animated film worth checking out.
Decide for yourself and check out Stitch Head in theaters now from Briarcliff Entertainment.