Review: Frankenweenie

So, I watched Frankenweenie tonight. I made it my own personal mission to find out if Tim Burton had a single ounce of talent left, since I'd seen pretty much all the movies he's made in the past 14 years or so and all have been pretty bad.

So, was it a steaming pile of crap? The short answer: No. I'm happy to report that it was actually very charming, and it felt like a return to the zany Tim Burton who took chances like in the old days. It's not as whimsical as some of his classic films; instead, it feels like a more grounded entry in that it's reliant on its characters to tell the story rather than on goading you to feel one thing or another by way of its score.

The plot is familiar, and by now we've all become acquainted with the story of Frankenstein, as it plays out similarly here. That being said, there is an added moral lesson to the story, which is new and interesting, and the final act of the film really steals the show, and feels like classic Tim Burton having fun. He pays homage to many Universal horror classics, but it feels more inspired by them rather than straight-up ripoffs. Some characters feel reminiscent of classic Frankenstein characters, but they're utilized differently here and have more ambiguous roles in the story.

On style, it's Tim Burton's usual stuff; really skinny, long-legged, pale people animated using claymation. But again, the final act does a lot to justify this style.

I don't think Tim Burton can pull of musicals, and the reason I say that is because both Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd felt overlong to the point of boredom. There needs to be a way to make the musical numbers feel pertinent to the story and not just dangling distractions for the mind to wander. That being said, I'm glad Frankenweenie is just a simple claymated tale, no musical parts to muddy up the story, because frankly, it doesn't need it.

Overall, it feels like a fresh take on the classic Frankenstein story, and though it's mainly for kids, I think there's still some value to take away as an adult.

I watched this film to see if Tim Burton had any talent left and if any of that talent would be utilized for a new Beetlejuice film. It looks as if there's still a spark there, I just hope he puts some effort into it.