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Originally penned and published over a decade ago and within a much larger opus love-in appreciation for the entire cinematic career of director Tim Burton, my spoiler free review of “Frankenweenie” is now coupled with my Youtube channel reading of the review recorded late summer 2023 and with an added extra to end you won’t find within my original review below.
Based on Tim’s own 1984 short story/film of the same name, now with a screenplay written by Leonard Ripps and infused with yet another joyous musical score from Danny Elfman, the opening minutes of this sweet homage to the Frankenstein films of the 1930’s is layered in Tim Burton, the man and the myth. We drift from watching a home made film with his faithful friend Sparky the dog and we follow Victor as he spends obsessive hours alone tinkering and mending the broken film amidst references of him being a loner, without friends and that he “should be playing outside”. To school, and Mr Rzykruski, the Salvador Daliesque mustache and mannered teacher who inspires Victor, instils in him ideas and desires outside of the perceived norm.
His school friends, a bizarre mix all beautifully created and brought to life by Burton, and voiced by a great cast of acting talent. This time Burton resists leaning on his tried and trusted formula of Johnny Depp and wife Helena Bonham Carter but instead employs further cinematic greats for this film, with the voice talents on display coming from Martin Short, Martin Landau, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell and Atticus Shaffer. Fresh to a Tim Burton film for many, they all bring a depth to the characters they voice, particularly the returning, modern great of cinema Martin Landau, as the Dali inspired teacher!
Whilst not a criticism of the voice talents in this film in any way, the three stand out characters for me are the characters who infuse so much love and joy without uttering a word! Sparky, Victor’s faithful dog is effervescent and a joy, playfully seeking the attention of Persephone, the neighbourhood dog, and chasing Mr Whiskers, yes you’ve guessed it, the neighbourhood cat. All are expertly created but all infused with delightful, endearing touches from director Burton. Shot entirely in Black and White, this stop motion animation film is a re-make of sorts of his earlier 1984 short story and a clear homage to Frankenstein (watch out for the very brief Christopher Lee film inserts mid way through the film and a couple of the characters are clearly a homage to Frankenstein). Just imagine the favourite old classic film reinvented through the eyes of a young boy and his beloved dog and you need know no more.
Just sit back and enjoy another wonderful Tim Burton creation.
Clearly a very personal film and autobiographical in tone, it’s fitting perhaps only for my own opus Blog article on this genius of modern cinema that this one film encapsulates the vast majority of themes Tim Burton has infused his wonderful cinematic creations with over the past 26 years. Of isolation, rebelling against a world outside that casts you as an outsider, a freak, a geek, a loner. Of a non-conformist who believes in his creations and is dedicated to his art. Of loss and suffering, yet here, as with the majority of his 16 films, it is layered in love and affection, compassion and friendship. On the surface there are many nods to the 1980’s and small oblique references to some of his previous films, the Batman shaped Bat and the butterfly being released through a window are obvious examples.
The joy for me is perhaps the reprising of a similar style of facial and body components that make up these particular characters from his 2005 film Corpse Bride. Based very much on or indeed very similar in style to his Corpse Bride creations (elongated heads, tall spindly bodies) the characters here are extremely similar and work all the better for this. Nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature at this year’s Oscars, here’s hoping Tim finally gets recognition for a lifetime’s achievement to Cinema at long last.
"The Essential Film Reviews Collection - Vol.7" - link to Amazon
Thanks for reading. I hope this message in a bottle in The Matrix finds you well, prospering, and the right way up in an upside down world.