By George & Josh Bate
Aardman Animations is home to some of the most famous animated characters in British film and television history. The studio is behind the iconic plasticine characters from Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, and Shaun the Sheep, the latter of which is getting a new entry just in time for the Halloween season.
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, out now in theaters, is a spooky-themed edition of the franchise and follows the title character and his flock as they contend with a growing monster in their village. More specifically, The Farmer becomes the unknowing victim of a hair growing supplement that simply doesn’t stop, turning him into a confused animalistic creature unaware of his surroundings. This causes panic in the town, forcing Shaun to save Halloween for everyone and stop the mob from growing.
Plot wise, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom features a typical story for the franchise, albeit with a Halloween twist. That may give longtime fans of Shaun the Sheep exactly what they’re looking for, but it also means that this new entry is unlikely to convince anyone who’s previously been on the fence. The Beast of Mossy Bottom is extremely light on story, which is to be expected in a movie like this, so those looking for something with a little bit more substance may be left disappointed.
It must be said, however, that plenty of other Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep films have had a similarly simple story, but still succeeded far more than The Beast of Mossy Bottom. The reason for those differing levels of success is mostly down to the quality of this new film’s story. The Beast of Mossy Bottom’s plot is interesting, but there simply isn’t enough there to turn it into a full length movie (and it must be said that the film is only 80 minutes). In this regard, the story may have been better suited to an episode of the Shaun the Sheep show rather than a feature film.
These difficulties mean that The Beast of Mossy Bottom is particularly front loaded. The first act has much more going for it than the rest of the film, with the story of the monster getting underway, all with the classic Shaun the Sheep sense of humor. However, the movie simply keeps going long after its story has ran out of steam, which leads to a dull back half full of jokes that fall flat and desperate attempts to make the story carry for as long as possible.
Ultimately, all of this means that those who are already familiar with and are fans of Shaun the Sheep are far more likely to find this new film enjoyable than those aren’t. The Beast of Mossy Bottom does little to convince its potential detractors that it’s a movie worth seeing in theaters, especially with so many other good options out there right now.
VERDICT: 6/10
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom offers fans of the franchise another familiar story, this time with a spooky Halloween twist. While the movie has plenty of the classic Shaun the Sheep humor, its simple story doesn’t quite have enough substance to justify a full-length feature. The first act is easily the strongest part of the movie, but The Beast of Mossy Bottom struggles once its story runs out of steam, leading to a duller back half filled with jokes that don’t always land. Ultimately, longtime fans of Shaun the Sheep are likely to get more out of the film than newcomers, but there are better options for those looking for something to see in theaters this spooky season.