Tim Burton Returns With Stop-Motion Film
By Izzan Haziq and Lee Li Ying
In Frankenweenie, Victor Frankenstein loses his best friend, his dog Sparky. Victor decides to resurrect his dog with a little science experiment. The success of the experiment attracts the curiosity of his ambitious classmates, who then take a chance by trying to resurrect their own deceased pets as well. They eventually find out how playing God has its consequences.
Tim Burton returns to stop-motion animation in this film and brings along his distinctive art style and quirkiness. It is a pleasure to watch the movie and admire the amount of detail that was put into the modeling of each character and scene. Burton manages to weave elements of awkward creepiness and the cutesy antics of various characters into an intriguing, engaging watch. The movie is rendered entirely in black and white and Burton does a good job in directing the lighting to emphasize the mood. Danny Elfman collaborates again with Burton for the soundtrack with beautiful passages that accompany poignant moments and lends the scene a little more heart.
Without a doubt, Sparky the dog steals the show and the hearts of the audience. Undead or alive, he is every bit as charming and adorable as any dog and brings the sometimes dreary film to life. Credit has to be given to the supporting characters as well – the ostracized hunchbacked oddball Edgar; a long, willowy psychic who divines the future by scrutinizing the shape of her cat’s poop; Toshiakia, a short, squat Japanese boy intent on scientific domination – whose mannerisms and classroom interactions add a sometimes humorous, sometimes thought-provoking dimension to the movie. Whilst the main trajectory of the storyline resonates with a heartwarming depiction of childhood innocence and undying friendship, my main grouse with that is that it seems like a simplistic and overused formulae, and does not give the main characters enough room to shine.
In the same tone, the ending is a little unfulfilling. However I would say that this is a decent movie and it has its moments. It’s pretty enjoyable for the whole family and it will not disappoint if you are a fan of Burton’s work.
