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STITCH HEAD
Director: Steve Hudson Cast: The voices of Asa Butterfield, Joel Fry, Steve Usdenov, Tia Bannon, Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman, Fern Brady, Jamali Maddix MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:29 Release Date: 10/29/25 |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | October 28, 2025 Stitch Head (voice of Asa Butterfield) is such a sad but decent little guy that it's impossible not to like him. He is the creation of a mad scientist, who lives in a decrepit castle atop a jagged hill on the outskirts of a village that wouldn't take kindly to him or his experiments. They're monsters, of course, and the uncertainty of that pronoun is intentional, because Stitch Head is all about literal monsters and more figurative ones. Well, that's what this computer-animated adaptation of the Guy Bass graphic novel series aimed at children is attempting to accomplish. It flips an old notion about pitchfork-and-torch-waving villagers in a way that basically has been since that cliché was first established, really, but the kids who watch this movie probably won't have a clue about such things. Since writer/director Steve Hudson clearly has made this with that particular audience in mind, we pretty much have to give the movie a pass for seeming to think this sort of subversion is kind of revolutionary. In the eyes of children, it very well might be. Besides, the real story—or, at least, the thread that probably should be the central one here—is about a lonely creature who has only ever known the want to be loved and the constant rejection of that desire. His creator, an unnamed "mad professor" voiced by Rob Brydon, is caught up in his Dr. Frankenstein act of piecing together assorted body parts—of both humans and animals—and bringing them to life in his electricity-filled-and-fueled laboratory. Stitch Head was the scientist's first creation, and as soon as this boy with stitched-together limbs and an orbital socket that's distinct from the rest of his face came to life, the professor put him to work as an assistant. There were more unnatural creations to make and bring to life, after all, so offering affection or even paying attention to Stitch Head was not to be found on the professor's list of priorities. It still isn't. That leaves poor little Stitch Head to try to do for the scientist's monsters what his creator didn't for him. He walks these creatures, namely a partially furry and somewhat scaly new one called Creature (voice of Joel Fry), through the experience of realizing they're alive, that they're monsters with ravenous instincts, and that they had better keep those at bay. A handy, animated instructional film explains that the villagers might accept just the hint of some monstrous activity in the castle, but if they notice or suspect too much, that's when the torches and pitchforks and mob-mentality nastiness could emerge. The concept here is funny, charming, and broadly allegorical enough that kids will surely find the basic lessons about prejudice, that being "different" isn't as important as how one acts, and about the need to sometimes keep the actual monsters at bay. It's so simplistic that it's tough to imagine any adults finding it says too much about anything specific in any way (Then again, we live in strange times when certain folks seem to find some deeper meaning in the most inoffensive of moral lessons in order to reject them as some sinister plot against the minds of children—and pull out their own metaphorical pitchforks and torches). Hudson's screenplay is kind of generic in other ways, too, especially once the story leaves the potential for imagination in that monster-filled castle. Stitch Head is "rescued" by Fulbert Freakfinder (voice of Steve Usdenov), the impresario of a traveling carnival whose usual performers aren't of much interest to the villagers. After multiple attempts to get inside Castle Grotesque (pronounced with some French flair), Fulbert convinces Stitch Head that his participation in the show will lead people to love him, so he heads off, leaving the other monsters to enlist Creature to head down to the village to find their friend. The kid becomes a hit (His minimal efforts to terrify people are quite amusing), and Fulbert comes up with more and more exploitative ways to use Stitch Head in his show. The main character remains endearing through all of this, because of Butterfield's appropriately meek vocal performance, the character's big-eyed (mismatched ones, naturally—well, technically not naturally) and vulnerable design (from Bass' illustrations, yes, although all of the characters here show some degree of imaginative details), and his desperate but kind-hearted way. Everything surrounding Stitch Head, though, doesn't possess that same attention to detail and level of thoughtfulness. The humor is plain and filled with slapstick. The few songs here are immediately forgettable. The other characters—from the monsters, to the assorted circus performers, to the townsfolk, including a girl named Arabella (voice of Tia Bannon) who doesn't the stitched-together boy is scary and wants to be his friend—don't make much of an impression, no matter how colorful they may be and cartoonishly they might be rendered. Essentially, Stitch Head deserves a better movie than Stitch Head offers him. He's a good kid, just trying to find his place in a weird world that doesn't understand or appreciate him. It's difficult to think too poorly of a movie with this character, that kind of grounded and understandable dilemma, and such a well-meaning attitude at its heart. If the character's adventures continue in movies in the future, here's hoping they're more attentive toward and specific about the little guy. Copyright © 2025 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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(for action, thematic elements and mild rude humor)
