Movie Review: Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie is a black and white 3D stop motion Frankenstein spoof directed by Tim Burton.  The film is a remake of Burton’s 1984 short film with the same name about a young scientist named Victor Frankenstein who uses electricity to revive his dead dog Sparky.  The comedy-horror was released by Walt Disney Pictures on October 5th.

Yes, it’s another Tim Burton remake, but luckily it is a remake of one of his earlier works.  Original Burton ideas always make for a better Burton film, history has proven that.  And Frankenweenie’s charming original story set in a quirky, demented world is refreshing for fans of the director’s work.  This film is a mildly humorous parody with a dark side about a boy coping with the death of his beloved canine.  The message is sweet and the premise is simple: two key attributes of a good children’s movie.  Though I don’t know how well this film would go over with younger kids.  Quite frankly there are some scenes that would have terrified me as a child, but then again I always have been kind of a sissy.

The stop motion animation is impressive and the black and white serves the mood and parody aspect well.  Although the 3D is completely unnecessary and black and white seems weird in IMAX. Frankenweenie also features some swell voice overs by Charlie Tahan, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Winona Ryder, Tom Kenny, and more!  And the score by Danny Elfman is well-crafted and elevates the film’s tone nicely.

Though not one of Burton’s best works, Frankenweenie delivers a fun little story with a heartfelt message, some laughs, and mild suspense.

7/10 Puppets