Frankenweenie is the newest film from master of horror animation Tim Burton. It is entirely in black and white and is based on a short film of Burton's of the same name. In fact-said short film was Burton's first film and starred Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern. Now we have a full length feature based on this short.
The film follows Victor (voice of Charlie Tahan)..an awkward boy whose dog, Sparky gets run over by a car and dies. It is not soon after when his science teacher, Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau) tells the class about bringing living things back to life via an electric shock. Naturally...Victor's love for Sparky prompts him to bring the dog back to life using this same method.
Although Burton does take his time with the pace (it is an 85 minute movie that feels more like two hours,) the film is great fun. It is shot in black and white yet is presented in 3D which provides both an old fashioned and cutting edge look to the film that makes it visually mesmerizing. There are also many nice allusions to other horror films of yesteryear. Towards the end...there is a Godzilla reference among others. The film also fits the bill as far as heart goes. It is a surprisingly heartfelt exploration of someone's love for another living thing. As well, there are many times when the movie is surprisingly funny. Yes...even though this is darker than your average kid's movie it has humor that both kids and adults will enjoy thoroughly.
While I would not recommend taking anyone ten or under to it....I would recommend Frankenweenie for older kids, teenagers and adults alike. The main target of the film is movie buffs who will get the references at hand. With that being said....even if you are not a film buff...you are bound to find some enjoyment in Frankenweenie.
(4 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG for thematic elements, scary images and action)
No comments:
Post a Comment