FRANKENWEENIE REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Many of us will have had pets at some point in our lives and will understand the special relationship that the main protagonist in Tim Burton's animated feature, Frankenweenie, has with his dog, Sparky. This is based on Burton's short feature which was released in 1982 and starred Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern. I hadn't seen the short prior to watching the animated feature so I had no idea what to expect.

After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor (voice of Charlie Tahan) harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life-with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor's fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new "leash on life" can be monstrous.

The tone of Frankenweenie is similar to that of Burton's previous animated feature, Corpse Bride, so those who liked that film will most certainly find something to enjoy here. The plot will also resonate with anyone who has ever lost a beloved pet as we will understand Victor's decision to bring Sparky back to life. While his decision results in him reuniting with his dog, it turns out to be disastrous for others, including Victor's classmates who also want to resurrect dead animals in order to win a trophy at the science fair. This leads to a Godzilla-like climax as a giant turtle, a vampire cat and many other creations storm into the fair. While this is an animated feature that is suitable for the whole family, younger children may find certain scenes too scary. 

Like the film's title, Frankieweenie has many references to Frankenstein and many other classic horror stories. The young boy is based on the mad inventor, he lives next door to a girl named Elsa Van Helsing (Winona Ryder), her pet poodle ends up having a hair style similar to that of The Bride Of Frankenstein, a creepy young kid is named Edgar (which sounds like 'E' Gore), another resembles Frankenstein's monster and one of the dead pets is named Shelly (after Mary Shelly, who wrote the novel, Frankenstein). There are plenty more references featured that you'll notice if you watch the film. 

As I previously mentioned, the tone is similar to Corpse Bride, however, I recently discovered a theory regarding Frankenweenie, Corpse Bride and Henry Selick's 1993 animated feature, The Nightmare Before Christmas. In Frankenweenie, the young boy is named Victor which is the same name as the main character in Corpse Bride. And if you compare the two characters, they look the same as they both have sleek, black hair and similar expressions. Victor in Corpse Bride also has a dog who died, however, he is reunited with him after he ends up in the land of the dead. And Jack's ghostly dog in The Nightmare Before Christmas looks very similar to Sparky as they both have a pointy nose. It's an interesting theory, however, Burton hasn't confirmed this. 

Because of the dark and creepy tone of Frankenweenie, it's one of the best films to watch during Halloween. It's thoroughly entertaining throughout its 87 minute runtime. It moves at a brisk pace and it doesn't take long for the film to establish just how much Victor loves his pet dog. The opening shows Victor and his parents watching a film that he made that features Sparky. Sparky's death also happens very suddenly, however, Burton knows not to show it as it could upset those who have lost pets. 

To voice his characters, Burton has chosen a recognisable cast whose voices are all suitable to the characters they're playing. Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short are the voices of Victor's parents, however, they also provide the voices of other characters as well. Ryder reunites with Burton to voice Victor's neighbour, Elsa Van Helsing and the late, great Martin Landau, who sadly passed away earlier this year, voices the science teacher, Mr. Rzykruski. Charlie Tahan is great as the young Victor.

Overall, Frankenweenie is an energetic stop-motion horror movie spoof with lovingly crafted visuals and a heartfelt, oddball story that will resonate with those who have ever had a beloved pet. 

7/10