Sorry, this movie sucks

Beautiful, moving film.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

A young boy sets out to revive his dead pet using the monstrous power of science. Frankenweenie is definitely a short that is quite interesting and pretty good for such an old film that was released in 1984, the acting was fine and pretty solid and i was suprised when i saw Shelley Duvall (The Shining) and Daniel Stern (Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York) as the little kid's parents it was definitely unexpected. Burton also works quite well with black and white and this film definitely needed something like that. The storyline was pretty sweet and interesting plus the music was very dark something out of Beetlejuice or Batman and fits well with the tone of the movie. (7.5/10)

Tim Burton's loving tribute to Universal's Frankenstein movies. The story's about a boy who brings his beloved dog Sparky back to life using the same method as in Frankenstein. It's a beautiful-looking film, shot in black & white, with lots of the clever touches we've come to associate with Burton over the years. The cast, from Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern to Paul Bartel and Joseph Maher, all do an intentionally exaggerated job that's fun to watch. Lead Barret Oliver is great (whatever happened to him?) and there's even a young Sofia Coppola in a small role. It's an enjoyable movie, suitable for the whole family, despite Disney's concerns at the time that it wasn't kid-friendly. It's got heart and humor and a healthy dose of nostalgia going for it. If you love the old Universal horror movies then it has even more appeal. Burton expanded on the idea in 2012 with an animated film that's not bad on its own, but has a different feel to it than this.

Frankenweenie (1984) **** (out of 4) Wonderful short about a boy's dog who dies after being hit by a car but the boy uses electricity to bring him back to life. I read that Tim Burton was fired from Disney due to making such a dark picture that they felt they couldn't sell to children but this is probably the best movie I've seen from the director. It's rather amazing to see how great his visual style was even at this young age as the visuals in the film match the stuff from later films and to do it on such a small budget is even better. Daniel Stern and Shelley Duvall are great as the boy's parents and the supporting cast is good as well. There's a lot of great homages to James Whale's Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, which come off great. I'd also say that this is one of the greatest horror/comedies out there as the humor in the film is very nice and the ending is great.

Frankenweenie is Tim Burton's first live-action short film, shot for Disney in the mid-80s, and has enough imaginations to overpass some overbearing cheesiness at times. It's a sign of things to come for Burton, and the story and some of the side characters remind one of Edward Scissorhands (no one understands this 'creation', and becomes an outcast despite good intentions). As a fable it ends on a pretty silly note, almost too much so to take. But it's got a genuine heart to it though, and it's probably a very personal work for Burton aside from being a clever homage. The beginning of the film, for example, showing a movie made by the son with the dog Sparky, seems like it's taken autobiographically from Burton's life as a kid. The story, just in the cover art on the VHS tape (the original one, albeit a cut version), tells all about what needs to be known. What is then remarkable, and what makes it a lively and funny trip of a quickie for kids, is how visually creative it is. The shots taken from Frankenweenie's POV are downright charming, and the physical reactions from the neighbors to the new and improved dog almost makes the film worth seeing just for those parts. The lead boy, played by Barret Oliver, is actually quite bland for the lead and doesn't do much except sulk, or act quasi-happy, and not very well either. But his work doesn't matter in the end as much as the side characters, or the parents (Duvall and Stern) who are good enough for what it's worth. In the end, Frankenweenie is kind of like an expensive student short film, where a style is emerging but not fully formed, and at the same time there's real entertainment to be had. As a kid, more so than now, I watched it with more enthusiasm, but years later it's still a fun ride. 7.5/10