Frankenweenie (2012 movie)- Review

Directed by: Tim Burton
Released: 2012
Country: United States

Genres: Animation, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Drama, Comedy, Horror

Main cast: Charlie Tahan, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Martin Short, Atticus Shaffer, Winona Ryder, Robert Capron

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review

Tim Burton's ''Frankenweenie'' is a remake of Burton's 1984 stop-motion animated short of the same name. In 2012, he had directed another comedy horror film ''Dark Shadows'', which proved to be not as satisfying. ''Frankenweenie'' is a better movie than ''Dark Shadows''. It is a sad, funny, scary film that proves to be cute and touching.

Victor (Charlie Tahan) is a boy whose only friend is his pet dog, Sparky. When Sparky dies in an accident, Victor is heartbroken.

Victor's new science teacher (Martin Landau) shows the class the effect of electricity on a dead frog. Hopeful and excited, Victor attempts to bring his only friend back to life using this method, and his attempt is successful. He has to carefully hide Sparky from the eyes of other people.

There is a science fair to be held soon. Victor's nasty classmate Edgar sees Sparky, and knowing that it is to be a secret, starts blackmailing Victor. Victor finally shows Edgar how to do it, bringing a dead goldfish back to life (but the goldfish becomes invisible). Somehow, several other kids come to know about this, and they also try bringing dead animals back to life, for their science fair. But then everything goes wrong and starts the horrendous and horrific effects...

If the film is meant to be enjoyable and exciting and entertaining, then it is successful. If it is meant to be funny and scary at the same time, then it is successful as well. And it is very well-made as well. The black-and-white cinematography is excellent and a visual beauty (well, that's a common feature of all Tim Burton films), and the music sometimes resembles that of horror films. This is not essentially a horror film. Personally I am also confused about the genre. Is it supposed to be comedy? Sci-fi? Horror? Or is it a mixture of them all? In any way, it is a successful one indeed.

It is not a great movie, nor is it one of the best works of Tim Burton. But yes, I think it is the best work of Tim Burton since ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street''. Both ''Alice in Wonderland'' and ''Dark Shadows'' were average entertainers, yet ''Frankenweenie'', though not a great movie, is an above-average entertainer. So, I guess, it's worth a watch.

3.5 out of 5