Frankenweenie
This is a lovingly detailed animated film, filled with oddball humor and a lot more heart than you might expect walking in. The movie has even been filmed in glorious black and white, which certainly solves the problem with the colors being muted and washed out, should you have to watch the film in 3D. The black and white presentation is a wise stylistic choice, as the movie pretty much brings to mind and includes references to numerous classic horror films form the 1930s and 40s. There are even some more modern day references and in-jokes to watch out for. In fact, Burton and screenwriter John August (Big Fish), almost seem to be going for the adult audience with this one. The movie can get a little intense at times, and even includes some violence and sequences that may frighten very young children. For the very young, I'd recommend the more kid-friendly Hotel Transylvania. But for kids of the right age and adults, it's Frankenweenie all the way.
As for the film opens, we're introduced to 10-year-old Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan), a loner kid in a 1950s suburb who is treated like an outcast, due to the fact that he likes to keep to himself, work on science projects, and film homemade monster movies with his toys. I find it a little odd that Victor is considered an outcast, since when we see his fellow classmates (which includes a creepy dead-eyed girl with a psychic cat, and a hunchback kid who's name is literally "Edgar E. Gore"), they're even more odd than he is. But, I digress. Victor does have loving parents (Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short), and one loyal friend - his faithful dog, Sparky (vocal effects by Frank Welker), who not only follows young Victor wherever he goes, but often stars in the kid's short films as the hero.
Tragedy strikes when Sparky is struck by a car while chasing after a stray ball. The distraught Victor at first thinks all hope is lost, but when his bizarre science teacher (who seems modeled after Vincent Price, and is voiced by Martin Landau) demonstrates in class how electricity can cause involuntary muscle movement in dead frogs, Victor gets the idea in his head that a whole lot of lightning just might be strong enough to bring his dog back from the dead. Taking after his namesake, he rigs up a lab in his attic, and during a thunderstorm, manages to zap his dog back into the land of the living. Less you think this might be a child-friendly take on Pet Semetary or something, Sparky returns from the dead his usual friendly self. The trouble doesn't really start until some of the neighbor kids find out about Victor's experiment, and try to recreate it with their own past pets, ending with very different results - namely some freakish reanimated pets running rampant through the quiet little town, and causing mayhem.
It's easy to admire Frankenweenie for its gorgeous black and white visuals and clever nods to horror films, but fortunately, its pleasures go a bit deeper than that. This is a genuinely heartfelt film through and through, and probably one of the more sympathetic movies Burton has made in a while. He seems to be drawing on his own childhood memories often with the Victor character, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn if the character of Sparky was inspired by a beloved dog he may have once owned. There's something very natural and touching about the relationship between the boy and pet, and this carries through, even when the movie is at its most frantic. The energy in the movie is quite palpable for the most part, and there's some spirited voice acting. Amongst the names I mentioned earlier, I also liked hearing Winona Ryder as the voice of the shy young girl who lives next door to Victor.
For all of its heart and good will, the movie can't escape its sole flaw - that this is essentially a film designed to be about a half hour stretched to 90 minutes. The movie meanders a bit during its middle section, which pretty much builds up to a chaotic climax that is very likable and energetic, but quite a severe shift of tone from everything that came before it. You can tell that Burton and August were kind of at a loss at times on how to stretch the original story out. It never drags the film down, but it is noticeable. It also holds it back from being a Burton classic, as well as the best stop motion animated movie about monsters to come out this year. (That would be ParaNorman.) Regardless, this is still a fine effort, and it deserves to be seen, especially by anyone who has a soft spot for the classic Universal Studio monster movies.
See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!
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