He’s alive!
Under the direction of the multi-talented, and sometimes a bit dark, Tim Burton, Disney has brought to life the story of Victor and his little dog Sparky in black-and-white, stop-motion, 3D glory. Playing homage to the 1931 classic Frankenstein, Frankenweenie is a remake of Burton’s 1984 short film by the same name. Arriving in theaters just in time for the Halloween season and is sure to get audiences in a spooky mood.
Young Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) loves science, movie making and his pup Sparky. He’s not into things like baseball, but when his father (Martin Short) encourages him to try something a bit more active he gives it a go. It seems like he might actually be good at baseball when he hits a long ball, but that hit brings terrible consequences for his beloved Sparky.
Ever the little scientist, Victor sets his sights on the greatest science fair experiment ever when he attempts to spark life back into his pet. Making a few, err, ummm modifications Victor manages to put Sparky back together, and when lighting strikes Sparky is once more alive.
Realizing that his experiment might not go over so well with others, Victor attempts to hide Sparky from the rest of the world. But the mischievous pup gets loose and sets forth on an adventure around town. When Victor’s best friend Edgar “E” Gore (Atticus Shaffer) stumbles upon the reanimated Sparky, he insists that his friend show him how he brought Sparky back. Edgar cannot keep a secret, and soon all of the kids are scrambling for the best science experiment ever.
Even with all of Victor’s calculations, he misses the most important ingredient – love. Further attempts to bring pets back to life do not go as planned and chaos ensues.
Ultimately Sparky and Victor are reunited and the movie concludes happily ever after.
Frankenweenie is classic Tim Burton. It is quirky, funny and a bit dark. Those who love other Disney/Burton hits like The Nightmare Before Christmas will marvel in the team’s ability to do it again. However, while it is an animated Disney film, it comes with a PG rating that should be monitored. This movie is not recommended for small and sensitive children – they bring a dog back to life after all. Moms know their kids best, and while some younger ones might love the film my general recommendation is 8+ years.
For the older crowd, Frankenweenie is the right combination of cutesy spook for Halloween
Frankenweenie opens in theaters October 5, 2012.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1yR-gEldC4
Check out the star-studded Hollywood premiere of Frankenweenie.
Disclosure – I was invited to attend this premiere as part of a blogger weekend. Air fair and lodging was provided, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.