The Mossy Bottom Farm is a magical place: Behind the sleepy farm facade there is a wild clay cosmos in which the sheep actually set the pace and have been dancing around on their farmer’s head for almost 20 (!) years. It’s only logical that the children’s TV hero Shaun the Sheep has now made it to the big screen, as the clever woolly gang has long thrilled audiences across all age groups with their cuddly, lovable and sometimes even anarchic charm.
With “Shaun the Sheep – The Haunting of the Pumpkin Field” comes cinema outing number 3 – and after mysterious alien sightings in “Shaun the Sheep 2: UFO Alarm”, this time it even gets a little scary. Not only is the latest adventure coming out just in time for Halloween, it’s obviously inspired by all sorts of classic horror films. Of course, it never gets really scary, but the film is still suitable as a sweet introduction to the horror genre, where parents can carefully check whether their children are enjoying the material.
This time Shaun finally takes it too far!
There’s an exuberant Halloween atmosphere at Mossy Bottom Farm. While Shaun and his gang grow pumpkins in secret, the farmer prepares for the big holiday party that is to take place in Mossingham. When the pumpkin field is devastated by a series of unfortunate coincidences, the shower festival threatens to fall apart. Luckily, Shaun has an idea – and uses a chemistry book to develop an extraordinary growth formula.
But instead of putting things back in order, he sets off a chain of unpredictable events: Suddenly the farmer disappears without a trace and a mysterious, hairy creature is up to mischief in the forests of Mossingham. Together with his wooly friends, Shaun tries to solve the mystery behind the strange occurrences. He has to realize that he himself apparently created the monster that is now causing a lot of chaos in the quiet town…
Kneading art to kneel down on
Right from the start of “Shaun the Sheep – The Haunting of the Pumpkin Field” it becomes clear that the latest stop-motion adventure from Aardman is really child-friendly horror fun. The otherwise peaceful Mossy Bottom Farm lies here shrouded in gray clouds of mist – and somewhere a gate squeaks against the bracket. An eerie and, above all, unusual image in the otherwise colorful clay universe, which is immediately defused when Shaun and his gang storm out of the barn and perform Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” choreography – while in the background sheep trudge across the yard as toilet paper mummies.
In fact, this opening illustrates the film’s greatest strength, as “The Haunting of the Pumpkin Patch” manages to create atmospheric scenarios, but tempers them with cleverly placed gags. The whole thing creates an absolutely child-friendly, yet scary and, above all, beautiful screen experience. Especially pictures like the old mill in front of a full moon backdrop, which Shaun quickly converts into a laboratory, make you want to hang them directly over the fireplace.
Can the Halloween festival still take place?
In any case, “The Haunting in the Pumpkin Field” is full of allusions to classic monster and horror cinema. While “Frankenstein” is quoted directly, references to “King Kong” or the mummy and zombie genre can also be found. The highlight, however, is an implied werewolf transformation scene, which could have been a little more detailed. Many of the references will go over the heads of the youngest viewers, but that hardly matters because the jokes work even without the relevant film knowledge. For example, when the sheep are hiding from the monster in the shower – and suddenly the shrill string sound familiar from Hitchcock’s “Psycho” can be heard. The punch line: The sound doesn’t come from the soundtrack, but from a sheep cleaning its teeth with dental floss.
Juggling with horror tropes also plays a central role. In one scene, guard dog Bitzer is apparently pursued by the monster. So he takes refuge in his van. However, since he is a novice driver, it takes twice as long before he can finally start his vehicle. Finally, the mirrors need to be checked and the “Learner” stickers need to be carefully attached. A sweaty affair when a hairy monster approaches relentlessly in the background – but of course, even in the greatest danger, road safety comes first! The subsequent chase, in which a wheelbarrow with stacked sheep also plays a role, offers the usual fast-paced madness.
What’s with the hairy monster?
The light horror atmosphere is not only created visually, but is also reflected in the soundtrack. In addition to the otherwise cheerful “Shaun the Sheep” melodies, ominous male choirs or synthesizer interludes also mix into the score. And even the obligatory film song is thematically chosen in this case. The British rock band The Automatic is allowed to perform a shallower version of her hit “Monster”.
Of course, the lyric “What’s that coming over the hill? Is it a monster?” right when the hairy monster first appears on the hill in front of Mossy Bottom Farm. That’s consistent – and perfectly matches the vibe of the film. He’s even ahead of “Shaun the Sheep 2: UFO Alarm”, because in it the inclusion of generic pop songs still felt like foreign bodies.
Further development of well-known characters
As is well known, there is no speaking in “Shaun the Sheep”. Accordingly, the stories can work universally. It is all the more astonishing that the stories are quite complex. This is simply because the creators have perfected visual storytelling over the years. Instead of spelling everything out in detail, sometimes a cleverly chosen image section, a certain gesture, a meaningful look or a single sound is enough to explain complex issues in a simple way. And so not only entertaining stories are told, but even well-known characters are expanded to include new facets.
In particular, we see the clever Shaun again in a new role. In “The Haunting in the Pumpkin Field,” the clever head of the herd makes a huge miscalculation several times, even succumbs to a little bit of megalomania and tries his hand at things that his sheep family tends to view with suspicion. Instead of acting as the savior of the day, he is to blame for the whole misery. An unusual feeling for the high-flyer, which even leads to a very emotional moment of self-awareness. It goes without saying that everything can be put right again with the help of the combined herd strength.
The film still has to accept a slight point of criticism. After the fast-paced introduction, slight lengths creep in in the final section – especially in the moments in which chaos does not reign, but rather the story about the pseudo-monster is noticeably pushed forward and brought to an end. But that’s completely bearable – and only slightly spoils the enjoyment of the film.
Conclusion: “Shaun the Sheep – The Haunting of the Pumpkin Field”, like its direct predecessor “Shaun the Sheep 2: UFO Alarm”, is once again completely committed to a genre – but knows how to use its elements much better. The latest claymation adventure from Aardman not only looks stunning, but also fires off a spectacular firework of quotes full of love for classic horror cinema. But don’t worry, of course no one will be really frightened by this cute horror experience. In short: perfect Halloween fun for the whole family.