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With all the fabulous charm of old school Burton, Frankenweenie arrives in theaters just in time to wag its electrified tail (or tale as the case may be) for all the costumed kiddies and adults this Halloween season. It’s a fully charged black-and-white romp about a boy and his zombified dog. Gentler in form than Burton’s recent outings, the movie is a sweet reminder of just how creatively gruesome Burton and his team of artists can be.
For just under 30 years, Burton has been attached to the Frankenweenie project. Working as an animator for Walt Disney, his intention was to turn the narrative about a boy named Victor Frankenstein who reanimates his recently killed dog, Sparky, into an animated film. Time passed and the script was turned into a short live-action film for Disney in 1984. Yet, the idea of animating Frankenweenie still hung like a bat in its creator’s head.
Thanks to a briskly demented script from John August and aided the voice work of Charlie Tahan, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Winona Ryder, and a hilariously “Hammer”-ed cameo from Christopher Lee, the 2012 remake of Frankenweenie outshines its humble beginnings with an expanded story that includes mutant Godzilla-sized turtles, a cat that transforms into a bat, and plenty of visual humor that might be over the heads of the smaller audiences. Anyone with only a couple of Universal Monster movies under their belt should be fine, though.
For anyone turned on by director Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands and turned off by his take on Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows, Frankenweenie will give you reason to relax on your Burton criticism. While this reviewer doesn’t necessarily agree with your disdain, I do hear you. The good news is that what we originally loved about Burton’s creepy world has been restored; the long legs, the spiked-out hairdos, the ghoulish-looking kids; the bizarrely weird suburbia, appropriately named New Holland here, are all back. A sense of Burtonized chaos has been restored. He even managed to get the face and figure of Vincent Price into the picture as Victor’s new Science teacher. Complete with Danny Elfman’s moving score (also alluding back to Edward Scissorhands mojo), Frankenweenie is EXACTLY what the audience wants from Burton.
Only Burton can alarm us with honest humanity. When his characters shed tears over their fallen pets, the audience feels them, too. And when there’s a need for horror or humor to lighten the situation, he finds room for that…mostly through the visual process and a couple of 3D moments. Hours and hours went into making their movements; the 3D format really enlivens the experience. If you need to save some money, though, know that the 2D version would be perfectly fine.
The film, though, might not be welcomed by all. His devotion to the classical era of Hollywood is spot-checked throughout the feature. Some will not get those veiled references. Others will be turned off by the Burtonesque archetypes he loads the movie with. Even still, stuffed into the fervent energy of the movie is commentary about the narrow-mindedness of adults and the fact that they are often very, very, very wrong and capable of making huge mistakes. Some parents will probably take issue with this.
Frankenweenie is also not always safe for kids. It’s a fairly complex narrative that involves the resurrection of dead pets and the consequences of living a life always afraid of the unknown. Too intricate for kids? Yeah, probably. But adults – especially those who lean a little more to the left of all things dark and spooky – will gobble it up. Besides, is there anyone who can’t get on board with a boy/dog love story?
With plenty of monster movie references and horror film clichés turned on their head, Burton’s reimagining of his first cinematic venture is simply a beautifully looking film. It might be, in fact, the best animated feature of the year. While the 3D aspect doesn’t add many jump scares to the experience, the definition and detail in the stop-motion is exceptional. The artistry on display should be celebrated.
Frankenweenie provides some sweet, sweet candy this Halloween season.
MPAA Rating: 
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