Steve Hudson’s “Sew Head” is a stop-motion animation comedy happening in a world the place monsters are created however instructed to not work together with simply scared people.
Set within the city of Grubber’s Nubbin, the townfolk reside in a easy surroundings however are conscious of that big fortress on the hill the place nefarious issues are clearly happening.
The title character, voiced by Asa Butterfield, is a creature with a stitched-together face that resembles a baseball or “Petey,” the canine from “The Little Rascals.” Sew Head lives within the fortress, the setting for “Virtually Life,” the place monsters are made frequently, then dismissed and forgotten by an overworked mad scientist.
Orientation for the newly created monsters is Sew Head’s job, as he informs them to “keep hidden, keep quiet, keep protected.” All incoming creatures should reside within the fortress and by no means depart.
The story appears patched or, sure, stitched collectively from bits of “Monster’s Inc” (2001), “Igor” (2008) and any of the “Toy Story” movies.
On the midpoint, Sew Head meets a circus ringmaster who clearly desires to take advantage of him, a subplot dealt with much better in Guillermo del Toro’s great “Pinocchio” (2022).
“Sew Head” is a parable on rising up with a neglectful father and discovering your personal method on this planet. The moments that lean into the emotional connections between the characters are good, however there aren’t sufficient of these.
My nine-year-old, who liked this film, requested me early on, “Is that this by Tim Burton?” No, nevertheless it definitely appears to be like and feels prefer it’s making an attempt to advantage the comparability. Primarily based on the books by Man Bass, “Sew Head” covers materials that was dealt with brilliantly in Burton’s “Frankenweenie” (each the unique 1984 reside motion quick movie and the 2012 stop-motion animation model).
Hudson’s movie is droll and made with talent (no low cost or slapdash animation in sight). The emotions evoked and the message of “letting out your inside monster” are honest.
Late within the movie, there’s a intelligent bit, higher seen than described, with footage proven backwards. Nonetheless, “Sew Head” has an eventful however uninvolving second act and feels prefer it loses its method by the third act. The deadpan throwaway jokes work greatest, like a villains’ comeuppance that’s offered as a visible set to a tune by Air Provide.
There are gentle chuckles all through, nevertheless it peaks early and isn’t all that humorous. Of the cluster of newly made monsters, Skater Canine is my favourite, although he wanted extra display time.
The songs are simply okay – I wished to embrace the musical interludes, however these are the sort of songs you overlook as you hearken to them.
An enormous plus is that, not like most CGI animated movies that purpose to recapture the look of stop-motion animation, “Sew Head” just isn’t frantic and full of popular culture references. One other rarity-it additionally makes use of Strauss’ “Blue Danube” waltz for poignancy and never a punchline.
As alternate fare for a film opening on Halloween weekend, it’s a high quality wager for kids. Anybody sufficiently old to know the lyrics to “What’s This” might develop impatient.
Nonetheless, in a bizarre weekend that additionally sees the rerelease of the it-never-went-away blockbuster “Again to the Future” (1985) and theaters showcasing the likes of “Black Telephone 2” and “Shelby Oaks” for horror fanatics, “Sew Heads” is an efficient decide for the children. A minimum of, till they’re sufficiently old to see the film the place Jack Skellington slides down the chimney dressed as Santa Claus and offers a boy a severed head.
Joyful Halloween, everybody!
Two Stars (out of 4)