THE STORY – On Halloween Eve at Mossy Bottom Farm, excitement turns to dismay when the clumsy Farmer ruins the pumpkin patch. Shaun tries fixing it with science experiments, but things go wrong when a wild beast appears in the woods.
THE CAST – Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Kate Harbour, & Nina Sosanya
THE TEAM – Steve Cox & Matthew Walker (Directors) and Mark Burton & Giles Pilbrow (Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 80 Minutes
Is there any animation studio operating with the same level of consistency as Aardman Animations? Nearly 40 years after the debut of “Wallace & Gromit,” and 25 years after their first feature, “Chicken Run,” the studio has maintained the same whimsical, hand-crafted, infinitely clever tone across all its films. This includes the ever-lovable “Shaun the Sheep,” who returns for his third feature, “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.” Much like the previous film, “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon,” which delved into the sci-fi alien-invasion genre, this new entry tackles monster flicks, bringing a new level of stylization to the franchise without losing any of its charm.
Fall is in full swing on the Mossy Bottom farm, as Shaun and the rest of the sheep revel in their perfectly grown giant pumpkins. But after the Farmer accidentally trips and falls into the pumpkin patch, smashing their pumpkins to bits, Shaun becomes determined to find a way to grow them back quickly, in time to win some blue ribbons. Right away, the movie leans into its retro horror-flick inspiration as Shaun goes full mad scientist, complete with spooky goggles and wild contraptions. But he succeeds, creating a mysterious ooze that makes the entire patch grow with just a single gloopy drop. Of course, Shaun stored the rest of the concoction in the Farmer’s old “Hair-Grow” bottle, which he finds and slathers all over his head.
This wouldn’t be a monster movie without, well, a monster. Before long, the Farmer has sprouted hair over every inch of his body, sticking out wildly and covering his once bespectacled face. He has the silhouette of the classic Frankenstein’s monster and the skin of a werewolf. And after he accidentally walks through some wet concrete, he ends up with huge, heavy cement feet. From head to toe, the Farmer has fully transformed, and terrifies the animals when he heads back to the farm. “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” is chock-full of visual gags and hilarious references to classic films, like “Psycho” and James Whale’s “Frankenstein.” While most of the references will go over the heads of younger viewers, the bits are very cute, like the Sheep doing moves from “Thriller,” or the dog howling at the moon as if he’s been turned into a werewolf. What kids will register, though, is the gentle spookiness of it all. It’s never scary, but just creepy enough to make for a delightfully eerie atmosphere.
“Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” never wavers from the personality and detail of Aardman’s stellar handmade style, as creative as ever. And for a story that’s so centered on a creature with immense amounts of hair, the stop-motion avoids any “boiling” or jerkiness, even for its hairiest characters. Without a single line of dialogue, these characters feel effortlessly alive, never losing an ounce of personality. In this third film, we empathize most with the Farmer, who desperately wants to ask the vet to the Halloween Hoedown but gets tangled up in this, ahem, hairy situation. Just as in the best of Frankenstein-esque tales, we really feel the loneliness of the monster, and his desperation to just be loved.
Just as Shaun stepped into a Spielbergian alien movie in his last sequel, this new monster movie proves Aardman could drop Shaun into just about any genre, and they’d find comedy gold. Count me in for 10 more. Yet, if “Shaun the Sheep” movies haven’t worked for you in the past, there’s likely nothing here that will change your mind. Yes, the narrative is simple, and the energy is goofy. But for those who enjoy the endless silliness and physical comedy, “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” is a joyous, warm-hearted haunt of a film. It’s a new Halloween classic for families, sure to make the rounds every fall.
