-
Before Midnight -
Now on DVD and Blu-ray! Oz The Great And ... -
Now on DVD and Blu-ray-Promised Land -
Disney, Hitchcock, and Marilyn Flying Hi ... -
Reacher Coming to DVD and Blu-ray
Coming to Blu-ray and DVD-Django Unchain ...
John Ford's Favorite Film
Coming to Blu-ray and DVD-The Impossible
Now on DVD and Blu-ray-Hyde Park on Huds ...
MAKING FILM SCHOLARSHIP FUN
HOORAY FOR 1933—EIGHTY YEARS LATERFrankenweenie—movie review
Make no mistake: the central story is not played for laughs. An odd little boy whose only friend is his dog Sparky is disconsolate when a car runs over the animal…so he uses his scientific savvy to figure out a way to resuscitate the creature. Little does he dream that this will open a Pandora’s Box of trouble.
The young hero of Frankenweenie is actually named Victor Frankenstein, which is not the last time Burton and his frequent screenwriting partner John August make reference to classic horror movies. One of the reasons I’m partial to this black & white film, beautifully designed by another longtime Burton colleague, Rick Heinrichs, is that it’s an homage to those gothic horror classics. (If nothing else, this movie provides a perfect cue for you to share Bride of Frankenstein with your family.) And how can any film buff dismiss a brand-new animated feature where the science teacher looks like Vincent Price?
Burton has loved stop-motion animation since his earliest attempts at filmmaking as an adolescent. This latest endeavor is a big improvement over Corpse Bride in a number of ways. I found the animation in that 2005 release to be too “perfect”—so smooth that it might as well have been CGI. I don’t know if he and his team approached this film any differently, but the results have a pleasing, hand-made quality.
If you remember the original Frankenweenie, it will be fairly obvious where Burton and August had to pad the original screenplay with new characters and subplots, but I am forgiving of this because the tone of the movie is consistent and, where the protagonist is concerned, surprisingly sweet. (Could parenthood be affecting both the writer and director?)
Frankenweenie may be dark and creepy but it isn’t cynical; I think that’s what appealed to me most of all.
Images from Tim Burton's Frankenweenie.
-
©2011 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.
1 of 8Frankenweenie
-
©2011 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.
2 of 8Frankenweenie
-
©2011 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.
3 of 8Frankenweenie
-
©2011 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.
4 of 8Frankenweenie
-
©2011 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.
5 of 8Frankenweenie
-
©2011 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.
6 of 8Frankenweenie
-
Photo by Leah Gallo. © 2012 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
7 of 8Frankenweenie
Tim Burton examines a 'Frankenweenie' Muppet Mold. -
©2011 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.
8 of 8Frankenweenie
Email Updates
Monthly Archives
Most "Liked"
-
Man of Steellike0 -
This Is The Endlike0 -
The Real Lone Ranger—At Auctionlike0
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|  |
 |  |
5 Comments
Jay Are | February 19, 2013 9:28 AM
In fact it's his shorts VINCENT and FRANKENWEENIE stretched to feature length,
with little new ideas and an overblown finale. A bit disappointing for me.
And I find your rating of CORPSE BRIDE unfair, just because Burton didn't fulfill your expectations concerning the technical issues. I think CORPSE BRIDE has a lot more terrific scenes and characters - not to mention a lovely story.
mike schlesinger | October 7, 2012 3:23 PM
"Even though the seams show." You always find the right expression!
Norm | October 6, 2012 9:07 AM
Has Tim Burton become one-dimensional is his ability to direct films ? I mean the subject matter is all the same. While the films are top notch in quality and craftmanship, you have to wonder when the well will run dry..or if it already has...I'll wait for the DVD..maybe it will have extras...
Dbenson | October 5, 2012 2:28 PM
I always enjoyed the original short. The animated Sparky may have his charms, but doubt he can compete with the affable live-action mutt trotting around the neighborhood and unwittingly causing hysteria.
iRate Chick | October 5, 2012 11:43 AM
Burton's films have always had a sort of sweetness to them. This film reminds of Edward Scissorhands. http://CineMovie.tv