Frankenweenie

Roe McDermott, 19 Oct 2012

Tim Burton, it’s good to have you back.

Having finally extracted himself from Johnny Depp’s affectations the director is in fine form with this charming tale of a boy and his dog. Well, zombie dog. Because, you know, Burton.

An extended remake of his 1984 live-action short, Frankenweenie is all risk – and all Burton. Everything about it harks back to the American’s Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood heydays and his work on The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Young actor Charlie Tahan voices Victor, a Burton-esque outcast devastated when his dog Sparky is run over by a car.

Inspired by his science teacher (hilariously voiced by Oscar-winning Ed Wood star Martin Landau), Victor turns his attic into a makeshift laboratory and harnesses lightning to bring his beloved pet back to life.

Frankenweenie is a gorgeous blend of joy, melancholy and delightful nostalgia. Leaving no horror stone unturned, Burton’s dark gags are filled with mummies, vampires, Japanese monsters – and of course several in-jokes about Batman and Edward Scissorhands. Most importantly, he’s rediscovered the emotional core absent from his work for almost two decades.

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