It’s not unfair to say that Tim Burton has been on a downward spiral for his last couple of films. I’m not even sure what the last movie of his I truly enjoyed. While Frankenweenie isn’t necessarily up to par as, say, A Nightmare Before Christmas or Edward Scissorhands, it is a heartwarming tale of a loner boy and his beloved dog. And, I’m totally not ashamed to admit that I might have cried...multiple times.
Frankenweenie is a clever twist on the classic Frankenstein story. Victor Frankenstein is a solitary boy who loves inventing things and playing with his constant companion, his dog named Sparky. His parents, voiced by Martin Short and Catherine O’Hara, just want him to be normal and play with other kids. When he finally joins a game of baseball, he knocks it out of the park, and Sparky devotedly chases after the ball. Of course, this ends badly. Distraught, Victor decides to bring Sparky back to life.
While Frankenweenie is charming and weird and a fun take on a classic tale (not to mention a great tribute to classic horror films), it is reaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllly dark. (No, I’m not talking about the 3D, which was actually slightly impressive and fairly well-used.) Not only is it about a DOG DYING AND COMING BACK TO LIFE, but it has other great monster tropes that are a touch terrifying, especially for young children. Plus, most of the people depicted in the film are really fucking creepy looking. Seriously. Do you expect anything less from Burton?
The voice cast is pretty top-notch, though, with great performances by Short, Martin Landau, and Winona Ryder. The movie takes a little while to get fully ramped up, but when it does, you’ll be totally immersed in this weird little world of Frankenweenie. You might even be moved to tears...but thankfully you’ll have your 3D glasses to hide behind.
--Darcie Duttweiler
Frankenweenie is a clever twist on the classic Frankenstein story. Victor Frankenstein is a solitary boy who loves inventing things and playing with his constant companion, his dog named Sparky. His parents, voiced by Martin Short and Catherine O’Hara, just want him to be normal and play with other kids. When he finally joins a game of baseball, he knocks it out of the park, and Sparky devotedly chases after the ball. Of course, this ends badly. Distraught, Victor decides to bring Sparky back to life.
While Frankenweenie is charming and weird and a fun take on a classic tale (not to mention a great tribute to classic horror films), it is reaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllly dark. (No, I’m not talking about the 3D, which was actually slightly impressive and fairly well-used.) Not only is it about a DOG DYING AND COMING BACK TO LIFE, but it has other great monster tropes that are a touch terrifying, especially for young children. Plus, most of the people depicted in the film are really fucking creepy looking. Seriously. Do you expect anything less from Burton?
The voice cast is pretty top-notch, though, with great performances by Short, Martin Landau, and Winona Ryder. The movie takes a little while to get fully ramped up, but when it does, you’ll be totally immersed in this weird little world of Frankenweenie. You might even be moved to tears...but thankfully you’ll have your 3D glasses to hide behind.
--Darcie Duttweiler
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