Yet again Magic Light Pictures wins our admiration with Stick Man, which is directed by the creators of the highly successful Gruffalo and Room on the Broom. When Stick Man sets out on his job that morning, he does not think it will be an age before he saw his family again. While running through the park, he comes face to face with a dog who took him for a toy, caught him in his mouth and carried him back to his owner. No sooner does he escape that snag than he falls prey to a little girl who is having fun throwing branches into the river. Thus the odyssey of Stick Man has well and truly begun and we see his anguish as no one ever appreciates him for what he really is. "I am not a branch! ", "I am not a rod! " he shouts as he endures his misadventures, which accompany the change of the seasons. This medium-length film stirs the emotions as it shows the story of a dad who just wants to get back to his tree to be with his loved ones. The directors handle the theme of fear with style. There is the fear that children may feel when they see a family member leave, and the fear of getting lost and being unable to find one's way home. Ultimately Stick Man's odyssey ends in the depths of winter, at Christmas, as, on the morning of December 25, the children and their mum are given the best possible present …
