Frankenweenie (B or 3/4 stars)
'Frankenweenie' is Tim Burton's black & white 3D animated remake of his live-action 1984 short film of the same name. This oddball (love) story revolves around a lonely boy, Victor (voiced by Charlie Tahan), whose only friend in the world is his adorable & frisky dog, Sparky. They live in gloomy suburbia. And to keep himself occupied, Victor does scientific experiments in his attic. Aside from Sparky, the only other pleasure he gets is when his concerned parents (Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara) enjoy his latest home movie ... which is a horror story. His parents love him (and his interests) dearly, but would rather see him participate in sports & other extra-curricular activities at school. Drama enters the story when his beloved Sparky is killed chasing a ball across a street, & Victor is inconsolable.
But then he remembers a lesson by Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau), his new science teacher who used electricity to animate a frog's legs. So Victor digs up Sparky, patches him back together, & constructs a rig that will harness the power of a thunderstorm into the inanimate body. And what do you know, Victor gets his own "It's Alive!" moment; as Sparky starts wagging his tail, licking his master, running, jumping, & playing as he always had. As Victor's success becomes known, his nasty schoolmates try the same thing with their extinct pets (rodents, fish, turtle, sea monkeys, etc.). However, the results are not nearly as harmless. Chaos ensues as the town runs rampant with all sorts of mutated, demonic creatures & critters; big & small (reminding me of the wild climax of this year's 'Cabin in the Woods').
To beef up the material from the short film span to a feature length of 87 minutes, a variety of plot elements were added, resulting in an unevenly paced, extended mid-section. I loved the introductory scenes, & I enjoyed the sequence with the Godzilla-like turtle stomping around town, but it was that mid-section where my attention started waning, a bit. I also thought that, while this movie is an endearing assemblage of other source materials, it doesn't present anything necessarily ... new? In other words, it's an original film that doesn't feel original. But I'm nitpicking what is an otherwise joyously macabre cinematic experience.
'Frankenweenie', not unlike Burton's Ed Wood, employs a ton of smile-inducing references to old films (both his and otherwise). Obviously, this film is a take-off of Frankenstein (including a mob running after the monster to a windmill). The production design here recalls Edward Scissorhands (suburbia + a mountain at the edge of town). There's a nod to Elsa Lanchester's wild hairdo from The Bride of Frankenstein. The girl next door is named Elsa Van Helsing (voiced by Burton alumni, Winona Ryder). Beetlejuice's Catherine O'Hara voices Victor's mom. Christopher Lee cameos (playing Dracula). Martin Landau (of Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow) voices the science teacher. There's a hunchback named 'E' Gore. A dead pet is called "Shelly" (as in "Mary Shelly"). The list goes on & on.
This delightfully twisted story about a boy & his dog showcases what Burton has excelled at so many times in the past: blending the 'macabre' with the 'heartfelt' in an appealingly odd union. Speaking of odd, one of my favorite characters is a cat named Mr. Whiskers whose turds can foresee the future {small children beware what happens to him}. The central relationship btwn. Victor & Sparky is very appealing. And I was ecstatic when he brings his beloved companion back to life for affection, playtime, & exploration. 'Frankenweenie' has a youthful verve about it. And I love that it pays homage/taps into the sometimes ghoulish nature of strange kids. With its affection for classic monster movies & nods to prior Burton masterpieces, 'Frankenweenie' should entertain both older kids & adults.
But then he remembers a lesson by Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau), his new science teacher who used electricity to animate a frog's legs. So Victor digs up Sparky, patches him back together, & constructs a rig that will harness the power of a thunderstorm into the inanimate body. And what do you know, Victor gets his own "It's Alive!" moment; as Sparky starts wagging his tail, licking his master, running, jumping, & playing as he always had. As Victor's success becomes known, his nasty schoolmates try the same thing with their extinct pets (rodents, fish, turtle, sea monkeys, etc.). However, the results are not nearly as harmless. Chaos ensues as the town runs rampant with all sorts of mutated, demonic creatures & critters; big & small (reminding me of the wild climax of this year's 'Cabin in the Woods').
To beef up the material from the short film span to a feature length of 87 minutes, a variety of plot elements were added, resulting in an unevenly paced, extended mid-section. I loved the introductory scenes, & I enjoyed the sequence with the Godzilla-like turtle stomping around town, but it was that mid-section where my attention started waning, a bit. I also thought that, while this movie is an endearing assemblage of other source materials, it doesn't present anything necessarily ... new? In other words, it's an original film that doesn't feel original. But I'm nitpicking what is an otherwise joyously macabre cinematic experience.
'Frankenweenie', not unlike Burton's Ed Wood, employs a ton of smile-inducing references to old films (both his and otherwise). Obviously, this film is a take-off of Frankenstein (including a mob running after the monster to a windmill). The production design here recalls Edward Scissorhands (suburbia + a mountain at the edge of town). There's a nod to Elsa Lanchester's wild hairdo from The Bride of Frankenstein. The girl next door is named Elsa Van Helsing (voiced by Burton alumni, Winona Ryder). Beetlejuice's Catherine O'Hara voices Victor's mom. Christopher Lee cameos (playing Dracula). Martin Landau (of Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow) voices the science teacher. There's a hunchback named 'E' Gore. A dead pet is called "Shelly" (as in "Mary Shelly"). The list goes on & on.
This delightfully twisted story about a boy & his dog showcases what Burton has excelled at so many times in the past: blending the 'macabre' with the 'heartfelt' in an appealingly odd union. Speaking of odd, one of my favorite characters is a cat named Mr. Whiskers whose turds can foresee the future {small children beware what happens to him}. The central relationship btwn. Victor & Sparky is very appealing. And I was ecstatic when he brings his beloved companion back to life for affection, playtime, & exploration. 'Frankenweenie' has a youthful verve about it. And I love that it pays homage/taps into the sometimes ghoulish nature of strange kids. With its affection for classic monster movies & nods to prior Burton masterpieces, 'Frankenweenie' should entertain both older kids & adults.