Directed by Tim Burton
Written by John August based
on a story/idea by Tim Burton
Maybe it's because Tim
Burton temporarily freed himself from his codependence on Johnny
Depp. Maybe not having to apply the Tim Burton aesthetic to existing
properties he had no stake in made him dig deep. Maybe it's as simple
as having a personal investment in the story for the firs time in
nearly two decades. Whatever the reason, Tim Burton does his best
work in years in the just released Frankenweenie. The
new stop motion film from Disney caps off a renaissance that began
with August's Paranorman
in animated films with a horror bent geared towards families.
Young
Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan) prefers the company of
his science kits and loyal dog Sparky to that of his oddball
classmates. The film begins with Victor screening his latest monster
movie for his parents, one in which his loyal companion fends off the
menace of a winged monster. However not too long thereafter Sparky is
struck by a car, leaving a grief stricken Victor to prematurely bury
his best friend.
Victor's
sadness lasts only as long as his next science class when his teacher
(voiced by Martin Landeau) demonstrates how electricity can reanimate
the dead. Victor digs up Sparky and in a scene that pays outstanding
homage to the vision of James Whales, takes advantage of a raging
thunderstorm to bring his pup back to life. When one of his
classmates, a bug eyed hunchback named Edgar “E” Gore learns and
spills Victor's secret, his whole class wants in on the act. Of
course the same test yields different results for each child and soon
the sleepy town of New Holland finds itself overrun with reanimated
monsters ranging from a gang of mischievous toddler sized sea monkeys
to a ten story tall Turtle.
Adapted
from the short film Burton made for Disney in the 80's (and which
they fired him over when they felt he wasted their money), the story
doesn't have a lot of meat on the bones. What it offers in abundance
is tremendous warmth for its characters and a reverence for its
influences (we'll come back to that). Victor might be a loner, but
he's never bullied or picked on. In Burton's vision this small town
is a place where the freaks and geeks coexist and come together.
Despite the cartoonish visuals his characters feel more grounded and
down to earth than anyone from a Tim Burton film in many years. It
helps that Frankenweenie tells
a story almost anyone can empathize with: the overwhelming sense of
childhood grief and sadness that accompanies the loss of a beloved
pet. While Frankenweenie veers
into fantastical directions, this powerful and universal emotion
keeps the core of the story anchored.
Frankenweenie is
also the best looking Burton has made in years. Where his previous
few films have been garish eyesores that look like an art school
reject vomited up a rainbow, Burton dials it back for Frankenweenie.
The obvious result of filming in
black and white means the film emulates the era of the iconic
Universal films that provided inspiration. The choice also results in
an extraordinary amount of detail and depth on the screen at all
times. Nearly every still could be paused, cut out and framed. While
I'm not a fan of live action 3D, it has benefited a number of
animated efforts including Frankenweenie. The laboratory sequences in
particular stand out, with Victor's makeshift erector set popping out
of the background and the extra dimension enveloping the viewer
rather than providing a distraction. The character design pulls a
page from classic small screen horror with everyone looking more than
a little like pallid puppet versions of the Addams Family.
As
one would expect, Burton peppers Frankenweenie with
nods to the classic horror films he loved. From simple nods to The
Birds famous phone booth, to Gremlins & Jurassic Park to Vincent
Price serving as the model for Victor's science teacher the film is
filled with these moments. Burton even manages a quick Batman
reference as well. Rather than come off as a shoehorned wink to the
audience, Burton folds these moments and visuals into the story in an
organic way that serves the greater narrative. The film finds Burton
able to take the jumble of iconic movie monsters and moments along
with the characters that breathed life into them and manipulate them
into something that is uniquely his own.
If
you're a parent with a younger child (let's say six or older)
Frankenweenie represents a sweetheart of a way to pass on the horror
bug to the next generation. In some ways I envy those who can experience these films for the first time with their child in tow. My daughter is two and still a bit young to handle the trio of animated films that hit the late since late summer. While in some ways it's sad that it took
Burton this long to adapt one of his own stories again, the wait was
worth it. One hopes that the fine form Burton exhibits hears heralds
a return to his salad days when he could mix commercial appeal and
individual artistry.
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