‘Stitch Head’: ‘Frankenstein‘-Inspired Animation Tells an Endearing Monster Story  

Sandra Miska

While Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” the auteur’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel, is sure to be a Halloween favorite for adult audiences this year, kids can have their own fun watching the animated, family-friendly feature “Stitch Head.” This kinder, gentler film, which is based on a graphic novel by Guy Bass and Pete Williamson, also found inspiration in Shelley’s tale to tell a story about a lab-created misfit’s search for love and acceptance. Asa Butterfield voices the title character, who is brought to life by a mad professor (Rob Brydon). Unhappily living in an isolated castle with his fellow monsters, he is swayed by an unscrupulous, buffoonish gentleman, named Fulbert Freakfinder (Seth Usdenov), to run away and join his circus, but being a part of a traveling freak show is not all it is cracked up to be.

When we first meet Stitch Head, a lovable, boyish creature with a stitched-together head, he is acting as a sort of right hand to the Professor. In a departure from “Frankenstein,” the mad scientist character does not play a major role here. Instead, he mainly stays in the background, acting something like an emotionally-distant parent, denying Stitch Head the love and attention he craves. In his place, Stitch Head acts as a guide to his newest creation, just called Creature (Joel Fry), a darling furry monster with a triangular head and one eye. In turn, Creature becomes attached to Stitch Head much in the same way Dr. Frankenstein’s creature initially bonds with him.

The big rule Stitch presses into Creature, and the others in the castle, is that humans are not to be trusted; they must stay secluded for their own safety. There is even a funny little video about this that Stitch shows Creature as part of his “orientation.” However, rules are meant to be broken, and Stitch Head is ready for adventure when Freakfinder comes knocking. He becomes his star attraction, and our hearts break for the little guy as he mistakes the attention he gets from fans as real love and validation. Eventually, the exploitation gets to him, but he finds a true friend, and some humanity, in at least one human, a brave and curious little girl named Arabella (Tia Bannon).

“Stitch Head” is not wholly original in the themes it explores, particularly those pertaining to acceptance and the idea that monsters are actually more afraid of humans than the other way around. But a lot of these evergreen messages are important for this film’s primary demographic, young children, to receive. Its strengths are in its eye-catching animation, family-friendly laughs, and vibrant, lovable characters. There are even a few catchy musical numbers thrown in. “Stitch Head” also does a fine job of examining humans’ love of spectacle. At the end of the day, good must win, and it turns out nobody has more goodness than dear Creature, who happens to have the purest heart of any being, lab-created or otherwise.

“Stitch Head” releases Oct. 29 in theaters nationwide.