Frankenweenie (1984) User Reviews

Enjoyable homage

[camachoborracho · 8/10 · 15 July 2005]

Saw this on the Nightmare Before Christmas DVD and thought it was pretty good. Apparently Disney thought it was too dark but with the exception of one shot of the dead dog it was actually pretty cute.

Some of the performances were over the top (neighbors) but I am pretty sure that was supposed to happen - I mean come on we're talking about resurrecting a dog people. The ending is a little sappy but that's because it's a family film I suppose. I really did enjoy seeing Frankenstein replayed in the tale of a dog as well as references to Bride of Frankenstein etc. What is particularly weird is seeing Daniel Stern & Shelly Duval play parent roles, as well as the kid who played the older brother on The Wonder Years. For the most part the pacing is good since I almost never checked my watch.

Good camera work for a young Tim Burton and overall decent movie which shows the latent talent of Mr. Burton before he got really famous.

8/10

A cute take on the legend

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 7/10 · 25 June 2006]

Along with Vincent, this short is featured on the DVD of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Since I first read about it here on IMDb, I've wanted to watch it. It's a delightful little film version of Frankenstein, seen from a child's perspective, and with charm and a sweet sense of humor. You'd be hard pressed to find a film that, whilst remaining somewhat dark, still manages to appeal to the kid in all of us so well. Most anyone can enjoy this. The fact that Burton was fired from Disney for making this kind of film is quite sad. This short displays beyond any doubt that Tim could easily have handled great children's films. The plot is well-written and moves along nicely. The scene of Sparky's demise is almost painful to watch, as it is so easy to see where it's going, how it'll end. But Burton holds us there, keeps us in a position where we can only watch, anticipating what will happen but do nothing. The way the story develops and ends works very well. I shouldn't write it out in detail, as it is far too great to spoil. The acting is solid, with few, if any, performances lacking. The characters are credible, if slightly grotesque at times(a trait Burton brings to most of his projects, be they about the living or otherwise). The writing is very good all-round. The humor is neither cruel nor juvenile... just about everyone can laugh at it. It is at times somewhat dark, though. Not much left to say... I enjoyed this simply shot, fun little movie, a sign of great things to come for Tim Burton. I recommend this to any fans of him and anyone looking to watch alternate re-tellings of the great novel. 7/10

Tim Burton's talent clearly shows in his early short film!

[Coventry · 8/10 · 8 June 2004]

I just love this… A classic, immortal story enriched with personal ingeniousness! That's exactly what Tim Burton did here! His jolly little film introduces us to the 10-year-old Victor Frankenstein who can't bear the loss of his beloved dog. A car hit Sparky and Victor doesn't want any other dog to replace him. So, he sews him back in one piece and reanimates him electrically! This short only lasts a good half hour but that's more than enough time for Burton to inject memorable sequences, black humor and a healthy dose of social criticism. Burton mocks the life in small American villages, like he'd do it again later in his classic `Edward Scissorhands'. The director also knows the classic Frankenstein version by heart and terrifically reuses the settings and atmosphere here. Just look at that adorable scene with the miniature windmill near the end! An outstanding short with humor, a bit of tension … and even good acting! Frankenweenie stars Daniel Stern (C.H.U.D) and Shelley Duvall (The Shining). It can be found as an extra feature on the Nightmare Before Christmas Special Edition DVD, for example.

Wonderful and creative

[Jason-228 · 22 February 2001]

Though this is one of Burton's earlier, shorter, and less popular films, it is perhaps one of his most creative and early "spoofs" (though I would not truly call it a spoof.) Burton created a wonderful, childish look at the classic horror film on which this was based. The greatest scene of the movie is the pet cemetery, with the small tombstones displaying the types of pets buried there (a fishbowl for fish, a cat with X's as eyes, etc.) And the putt putt golf course that serves as the famous windmill scene. I must also commend Burton for choosing to make this film in black and white. During the first few minutes I was not sure if it was going to work, but after most of the film, I realized that it was perfect. Original, cute, and obviously Tim Burton, this film is good for everyone, regardless of what Disney thinks (I guess they were afraid that kids would start digging up the graves of their old dead pets and end of shocking themselves.)

It's Alive-Action Short Better Than ReAnimated Feature

[Cineanalyst · 7/10 · 25 August 2018]

I viewed the stop-motion animated 2012 expanded remake of this first, and this live-action original is much better because its plot is direct, and it's focused on referencing mostly only one monster movie, the 1931 "Frankenstein," although it ends with a poodle with a white-lightning-striped Nefertiti hairdo à la the 1935 sequel. Having seen this, it's now more apparent how much padding unrelated to the pastiche of monster movies is in the 2012 movie: the father pushing his son to play baseball, the parents getting a science teacher fired, the school science competition, the Dutch festival, etc. The movie would've been better without all of that, and this 1984 short film is the proof.

It also doesn't reduce Victor's parents to negligible nincompoops, so it doesn't have the ridiculous message of the 2012 feature that children are smarter than adults. Additionally, professionals like Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern add credibility to the parts. I don't recall my favorite line from this film being in the 2012 remake, either: "I guess we can't punish Victor for bringing Sparky back from the dead." The windmill scene bothers me in both movies, though; the adults should've and could've ran in there. Thankfully, the 1984 film is also less saccharine than the 2012 one.

The focus on paying homage to one horror film also benefits the plotting. Almost everything in the 1984 version is directed towards it. Dog dies, Victor reanimates dog with household appliances in a scene that otherwise resembles the 1931 film with flashing and spinning gizmos and the spark of life from a lightning bolt, townsfolk react in horror towards the creature and form a mob per usual for Universal's classic horror films, chasing dog and Victor to a fiery windmill climax--in a miniature golf course this time, which is a humorous touch absent from the 2012 version.

The one thing the 2012 one did better was the opening film-within-a-film, as it was a pastiche of the B-picture giant monster movies of the Atomic Age, which the outer movie, then, went on to parody. We don't get that here, although it's likewise pastiche from a young artist just as the outer film of "Frankenweenie" itself is, so the reflexivity to the film and to its director, Tim Burton, still works.

The Frankenstein legend from a child's perspective, with a gentle sense of humor

[mctheimer · 9/10 · 22 March 2000]

It's hard not to like this film. You'll especially enjoy it if you've seen (a) James Whale's "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein," and (b) Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas."

The plot is basically the Frankenstein legend. The variation is that it's about a little boy whose dog has been hit by a car. The boy raises the dog from the dead a la Frankenstein. Charming complications ensue.

This was Tim Burton's first film, and it's a great harbinger of things to come. Burton was an animator at Disney, but the company thought he was a little too weird and let him go as an animator. This film shows how he would treat children's films, and it's delightful. You'll recognize the art direction, especially in the graveyard, from "Nightmare."

The film does a wonderful job of including nuances from the Whale flicks, from the electrodes on the dog's neck to the resuscitation lab to the brief parody of "Bride."

There's enough scary-ish stuff (slightly more gentle than meeting the Almighty Oz) to keep kids going, and enough recognizable movie riffs and humor to keep adults going. What's not to like?

The Original One Is Always Better!

[nairtejas · 7/10 · 28 December 2012]

Sad, I watched it after watching the remade version. I cannot believe Tim Burton was fired for making this. Yeah, I agree it is too dark for the 80s theme, but it's got matter. A simple, odd story about how far a kid can go to bring back his lovable dog Sparky!

The concept is inventive and Burton has done a stupendous job with both the versions. Music is spooky, screenplay is good and everything gels in this 30 minutes of classic thriller! Watch it before you watch the critically acclaimed 2012 remake!

WATCH OUT FOR: the serious slapstick!

Language: No | Sex: No | Violence: No

There is a beginning for everyone

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 10/10 · 16 November 2004]

Ah, Tim Burton. One of the greatest and strangest directors in the world. I was lucky enough to have seen "Frankenweenie". It was one of the many wonderful extra features on "Nightmare before Christmas". I would highly recommend this to any Tim Burton fan. It is in fact probably a must. You get to see his early work. It is very interesting on his take of "Frankenstein". The story has some laughs. I think it was meant that way. So if you enjoy any of Tim Burton's stories, I think you will definitely enjoy this one. "Frankenweenie" is a great story. Tim Burton. He has come a long way from these days.

10/10

Interesting early Burton short film

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 28 December 2015]

Tim Burton's loving tribute to Universal's Frankenstein movies. The story's about a boy who brings his beloved dog Sparky back to life using the same method as in Frankenstein. It's a beautiful-looking film, shot in black & white, with lots of the clever touches we've come to associate with Burton over the years. The cast, from Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern to Paul Bartel and Joseph Maher, all do an intentionally exaggerated job that's fun to watch. Lead Barret Oliver is great (whatever happened to him?) and there's even a young Sofia Coppola in a small role. It's an enjoyable movie, suitable for the whole family, despite Disney's concerns at the time that it wasn't kid-friendly. It's got heart and humor and a healthy dose of nostalgia going for it. If you love the old Universal horror movies then it has even more appeal. Burton expanded on the idea in 2012 with an animated film that's not bad on its own, but has a different feel to it than this.

Not a dog at all!

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 3 January 2006]

I can't believe that Disney wouldn't let Tim Burton release this! They thought that it was too scary for kids?! Puh-leeze! "Frankenweenie" is a really cool movie! Basically a spoof of Mary Shelley's classic novel, the movie features suburban American boy Victor Frankenstein (Barret Oliver) resurrecting his dog Sparky, who got run over by a car. Needless to say, the reanimated dog creates some chaos once the neighbors meet him! I would imagine that they probably had a lot of fun filming this. Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern play Victor's parents Susan and Ben, respectively. Paul Bartel also stars, and there's even a very young Sofia Coppola. "Frankenweenie" is a real treat for everyone!

Frankenweenie

[jboothmillard · 7/10 · 15 September 2005]

Before making it big with Beetlejuice, Batman and Edward Scissorhands, director Tim Burton worked as a Disney animator, and made a few short films, this is another one of those shorts, a parody and homage to Frankenstein (1931), based on the classic Mary Shelley novel. Basically ten-year-old Victor Frankenstein (The NeverEnding Story's Barret Oliver) liked to create movies starring his beloved Bull Terrier dog Sparky (his name is a play on the use of electricity in the film). When playing catch, Sparky runs into the road and is hit by a car, Victor is devastated, but then he gets an idea, learning about electrical impulses in muscles he believes he can bring his dog back to life. Victor builds an elaborate machine, digs up Sparky from his grave, stitches him back together, and bringing down a bolt of lightning he successfully revives his dog. Victor is pleased, but the animal terrifies the neighbours, Victor's mother Susan (The Shining's Shelley Duvall) and father Ben (Home Alone's Daniel Stern) find out and decide to introduce the revitalised Sparky, but everyone is angry and terrified. Sparky runs away, with Victor pursuing him, they head into the local mini golf course and hide in its flagship windmill, the neighbours have become an angry mob, one of them uses a cigarette lighter to look around, and accidentally causes the windmill to set on fire. Victor is knocked out from falling, Sparky rescues him, but is crushed by the falling windmill debris, realising their error the neighbours use their car engines and jumper cables to "recharge" Sparky. In the end Sparky is revived and everyone celebrates, the dog also falls in love with a poodle, whose fur has a great resemblance to the hairdo of the Bride of Frankenstein, Sparky is bussing, literally. Also starring Sister Act's Joseph Maher as Mr. Chambers and Sofia Coppola as Anne Chambers. If you know the original Frankenstein really well, you can recognise all the references and spoof moments, you recognise Burton's style, and it will humour you with its dark touch as well, this film was made into a full length animated feature in 2012, as for this original live action film, it is a likable fantasy horror comedy. Very good!

Brilliant, one of Tim Burton's best

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 7 November 2010]

I like Tim Burton in general, he has been hit and miss recently, but as I've said many times when he's good he is good. Frankenweenie is an example of when Tim Burton was good. It is a delightful homage to Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, yet in a child's perspective. It benefits hugely from crisp black and white photography, a beautiful score from David Newman, fine direction and a witty script. The story is also well structured and well paced, and the dog is wonderfully trained. While funny and atmospheric, Frankenweenie also has a somewhat poignant ending. The acting is great, Barrett Oliver is very engaging(as he always was), Shelley Duvall is very good and Daniel Stern is both entertaining and warm-hearted. I even liked Sophia Coppola in this. All in all, brilliant and one of the best in Burton's career. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Highly recommended if you want to one of three incarnations of Burton's Frankenstein

[withloveandviol · 6/10 · 5 May 2020]

This 1984 live-action version of Frankenweenie has since been remade into an animated full-length version in 2012, and having never seen that either - I'm really looking forward to watching it now thanks to this short.

Burton, even in the early days, absolutely nails his cast with Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern and main characters. An interesting juxtaposition of Duvall playing a suburban American mom whilst still hinting at the horror element is nice compared to seeing her almost having her face chopped off with an axe and seeing the evident emotionally torture on screen at the hands of Kubrick.

Although this was shot as live-action, some scenes - such as the opening graveyard still - continue to have a very typical Burton-esque animated feel to them which keeps your mind in check to know exactly what you're watching. All this short is really missing is the predictable melodies from Elfman.

The film briefly explores the idea of gossip and rumours in the small town, where the neighbours all state that they've seen something different and instil fear in each other of what inevitably is a small dog (albeit a zombie dog...). Ziad K. Abdelnour states "Rumours are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots" (Economic Warfare: Secrets of Wealth Creation in the Age of Welfare Politics) and this is a prime example of this!

There's enough humour in the film to keep you smiling - such as the "ex-frog" (eh, hello Monty Python?) when Sparky springs a leak and when Sparky meets his beau - with a very familiar head of hair. But, the film is also incredibly smart. Baring in mind, that our protagonist as this version of Victor Frankenstein is only 10 years old, so instead of the makeshift laboratory filled with high-tech machinery normally seen in such adaptations of the Mary Shelley novel, we see regular household items to make equipment including a swing set, a bike, and an ironing board, which all absolutely look the part. A personal favourite is the adapted version of the windmill and its inevitable downfall.

Highly recommended if you want to one of three incarnations of Burton's Frankenstein - what, you didn't think Edward Scissorhands was actually a portrayal of Frankenstein?

I hope the new one is better

[JoshSharpe · 5/10 · 16 September 2012]

If you keep track of upcoming movies (like I do), you may know that Tim Burton is releasing a film called "Frankenweenie" next month. It is based on his original idea of a boy that brings his dead dog back to life. In 1984, he released a short film version. Well, almost released it. Disney fired him because it scared children and they didn't want him making those kind of movies for them. It wasn't released to the public until an edited version came out on VHS in 1994. It wasn't until 2008 that the original uncut version was released with the special edition DVD and Blu-ray of "The Nightmare Before Christmas". Unfortunately, I don't think all this work was worth it. The creative idea doesn't translate very well on screen here. I don't think most kids would be scared; just rather uninterested. And the black and white adds nothing to it and I found it unnecessary. I will be sure to see the new "Frankenweenie" next month and I'm hoping it will be an improvement over this.

good family fun

[darkneox119 · 3 June 2001]

Frankenweenie is ironic because it was banned for being too out there for kids yet crap like Pokemon and Power Rangers is ok for them. The kid from Neverending Story stars as a kid who loves his dog and one day when his dog is killed he resurrects him from the dead, ala Frankenstein and lets his dog live again. This is a cute film and is noteworthy as being a creative concept by Tim Burton. If it wasnt for this movie, Pee wee's big adventure would have never existed.***1/2

Really good short. Shame it's only on for 20 minutes

[lisafordeay · 7/10 · 25 October 2020]

Frankenweenie is a 1984 short starring Daniel Stern(Home Alone) and Shelley Duvall(The Shining) and its directed by and written by Tim Burton who would remake this again as a feature length movie in 2012.

The story is a parody of Frankenstein,except a dog is the main focus this time around. A young boy is grieving after his beloved pet dog Sparky gets knocked down with a car and dies. However the boy decides to bring his dog back from the dead and his now alive.

Will the young boys parents as well as the neighbourhood find out what the young boy did. The acting was good,especially the dog Sparky. If you love Black and White films or a fan of Tim Burton's movies then do check it out.

A truly funny classic.

[Chris-332 · 10/10 · 4 December 1999]

This short story is a flat out classic. It's funny and unique. And who better to direct than Tim Burton. The story is about the Frankensteins, a normal suburban family in modern times. Victor, the young son, is crestfallen when his dog Sparky dies.

The movie is very funny and original, and I'm glad that Tim Burton decided to do this movie in black and white, as he did 10 years later with his masterpiece Ed Wood. Frankenweenie is just a fun and original idea that is glad to be a short and mostly unknown movie. A great film.

wonderful homage to horror films

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 23 May 2006]

It's amazing that Disney, who paid for this project, initially shelved this short film because they deemed it "inappropriate for children"! This is only a slightly dark and very funny family film that is a homage to the horror pictures of the 1930s and 40s--complete with glorious black and white cinematography! And, I think that children of just about all ages would enjoy this without being traumatized. More importantly, there's enough fun to this story that adults won't watching it either--and that's important for parents that are tired of the usual drivel that was foisted upon families during the 70s and 80s. The acting is way overdone, but deliberately so--as everyone who initially sees this re-animated dog becomes deathly afraid and overreacts, since the pooch is a sweet dog underneath its ugly exterior. So, believe it or not, this is a great film about accepting others and not prejudging them--and you probably did NOT expect this film to have such excellent family values!

"Well, we can't punish him for bringing the dog back to life..."

[Polaris_DiB · 6/10 · 15 August 2008]

For a fun and nostalgic look at the 1950s and its expressionistic horror themes, here's a slightly underground early short by Tim Burton called "Frankenweenie," a movie apparently that "wasted resources" from good ol' Walt Disney's estate. In other words, a pretty creative, fun, nostalgic film that really didn't have an audience until Burton became the household name he is and got a super devoted fan base of goth kiddies from around the globe.

"Frankenweenie", as the name implies, is a take off of Frankenstein involving a child's favorite, Fido-like dog, Sparky. Speaking of Fido, the movie is kind of a lot alike the later, 2007 movie "Fido" involving 50s decor and zombies: much is made out of the faux-McCarthy era imagery, where tight-knit neighbors look into each other's windows "Irma! Irma!" style and freak out enough over a zombie dog to almost burn a little kid and his playmate alive. Where the concept of a Frankenstein's monster as childhood best friend joke starts to drag, Tim Burton's love of making fun of suburbanite conformity takes over, and the two concepts run for a pretty decent 30 minute parody.

Apparently, it was short films like this that got Burton fired from Disney. Personally, though, it seems to me more like Disney was doing Burton a favor in letting him go from its vastly unoriginal production company so that he could take his visions and make much bigger, grandiose Gothic productions. Burton, like so many idiosyncratic names in show business, is a success built both on talent and general good timing--nowadays, people don't trust a children's movie that doesn't have a little darkness in it, and movies like "Frankenweenie" are what many kids are raised on. If the rumored "Frankenweenie" remake is true, believe-you-me no one will blink any more than they did for "Wallace and Gromit in the Case of the Wererabbit." --PolarisDiB

Great for kids and adults!!

[ShaunaLynn · 10/10 · 21 July 2005]

I saw this movie when I was finally old enough sit up by myself. It was a great movie, and always had a great impact on me as a child. It was the first movie I ever remember watching, causing me to later in life become a huge Tim Burton fan. I thought the film was very well written and directed, and as I watched it recently I enjoyed it just as much as I did when I was two! Great movie, along with Edward Scissorhands, and Nightmare Before Christmas. Though it isn't easy to get hold of a copy now with VHS being discontinued, you can probably find a copy on VHS on eBay.com or on the Special Edition nightmare Before Christmas, there is a section that has the short film Frankenweenie on it. Have fun watching!!

"Creatures from long ago"

[Steffi_P · 6/10 · 2 March 2011]

One of the stupidest trends in modern children's TV and literature is this notion that kids should be protected from the darker things in life, and that anything made with them in mind should be unfeasibly cheerful and inoffensive. This is nonsense. Kids get enough rose-tinted syrup in the form of cough medicine, and as the Grimm brothers knew they like a good exhilarating scare as much as the rest of us.

Frankenweenie sees a young Tim Burton reworking the Frankenstein story around a young boy and his beloved dog. Burton and co-writer Leonard Ripps have drawn especially from the 1931 movie version with Boris Karloff, borrowing motifs such as the burning windmill and a twitching hand (or tail, in this case) to indicate re-animation. Of course, most youngsters (indeed most contemporary viewers) will not realise what these are references to, and there's a level of meaning that's only for the film buffs in the audience, who may find themselves chuckling at the more satirical nods. It's the kind of insider wink that cinema, even children's, was full of at this time – think of the clip from The Quiet Man in E.T. (1982). But this in no way diminishes what we see on screen, and it's nice that kids (a lot of whom won't know the Frankenstein story at all) will simply accept the movie in its own right, and be touched by it for its own message, which incidentally has a rather different slant to that of Mary Shelley's novel.

This was one of Burton's earliest efforts at live-action, his work prior to this largely being in animation. He's good for a beginner, his horror-geek background showing with some of the basic but little-known tricks of the genre, such as keeping open doorways or corridors at the back of shots for a sense of unease. As in his later career, he creates a generally strange look with lighting and expressionist design (which even at this early stage he clearly took a personal hand in – check out the oddball graveyard), and using the weirdness of the shot for mood and emphasis. For example, in the classroom scene, Burton cuts to a weird low shot with wide-angle lens, making the teacher look really ominous at the point where he explains about the use of electricity to create movement in animals. Burton has the sense not to overuse such tricks, and carefully tempers the quirky visuals in line with what is going on in the story.

As a finished piece Frankenweenie is certainly no masterpiece, and its inventiveness is betrayed by a rough, haphazard look. Its story idea is clever but the script could certainly use some emotional development and improved dialogue. The casting choices seem a bit makeshift too, Daniel Stern looking nowhere near old enough to have a son that age. Still it works well enough as a short, an appetite-whetter to go before a main feature. However the 1980s Disney chiefs were appalled, fired Burton and put the movie in the vault, deeming it too scary for kids. They should have looked a little closer at their own history. Classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio and Dumbo each have their own frightful and disturbing moments. The writers and animators back then knew that terror and darkness is something kids need to go through. And, as with those older Disney movies, Frankenweenie rewards its young audience with light and happiness at the end.

Delight short

[Woodyanders · 9/10 · 13 April 2010]

Victor Frankenstein's beloved dog Sparky gets hit by a car. Victor (a fine and engaging performance by Barret Oliver) brings Sparky back to life by using electricity. Alas, the neighbors mistake Sparky for a monster. Director Tim Burton, working from a witty script by Leonard Rips, deftly crafts a funny and affectionate tongue-in-cheek homage to vintage 30's Universal fright fare like "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein." Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern are excellent as Victor's warm and loving parents Susan and Ben. Moreover, there are neat supporting turns by Joseph Maher as snoopy neighbor Mr. Chambers, Paul Bartel as stuffy science teacher Mr. Walsh, and Sofia Coppola as Mr. Chambers' excitable daughter Anne. Kudos are also in order for Tomas E. Ackerman's crisp black and white cinematography and the robust orchestral score by David Newman and Michael Conventino. Best of all, there's a sweet charm evident throughout that's impossible to either dislike or resist (Sparky in particular is absolutely adorable while the conclusion is both touching and uplifting). A real treat.

pretty goofy and transparent homage, but it's very good for kids

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 14 July 2006]

Frankenweenie is Tim Burton's first live-action short film, shot for Disney in the mid-80s, and has enough imaginations to overpass some overbearing cheesiness at times. It's a sign of things to come for Burton, and the story and some of the side characters remind one of Edward Scissorhands (no one understands this 'creation', and becomes an outcast despite good intentions). As a fable it ends on a pretty silly note, almost too much so to take. But it's got a genuine heart to it though, and it's probably a very personal work for Burton aside from being a clever homage. The beginning of the film, for example, showing a movie made by the son with the dog Sparky, seems like it's taken autobiographically from Burton's life as a kid. The story, just in the cover art on the VHS tape (the original one, albeit a cut version), tells all about what needs to be known.

What is then remarkable, and what makes it a lively and funny trip of a quickie for kids, is how visually creative it is. The shots taken from Frankenweenie's POV are downright charming, and the physical reactions from the neighbors to the new and improved dog almost makes the film worth seeing just for those parts. The lead boy, played by Barret Oliver, is actually quite bland for the lead and doesn't do much except sulk, or act quasi-happy, and not very well either. But his work doesn't matter in the end as much as the side characters, or the parents (Duvall and Stern) who are good enough for what it's worth. In the end, Frankenweenie is kind of like an expensive student short film, where a style is emerging but not fully formed, and at the same time there's real entertainment to be had. As a kid, more so than now, I watched it with more enthusiasm, but years later it's still a fun ride. 7.5/10

comic but disturbing tale, typical Burton-esquire

[rebeljenn · 4/10 · 25 November 2005]

'Frankenweenie' is a story of a young boy whose dog is killed, and he is so upset over the loss of his pet that he decides to bring the dog back to life. This is a sad film with a comical twist - there were some funny scenes and some very sad/disturbing scenes too. It is interesting to see Burton's style of film-making when he was starting out as compared to now. This is not as 'polished' as his current work (obviously), but you can tell it is a Burton film because of the use of dark humor.

Overall, 'Frankenweenie' is not a very long film, and Burton did well to tell the story in the amount of time that he did. It was not rushed at all, and it was a story that just spoke a lot about the character and his emotion for his pet. If you can see this and you're a fan of the film-maker, I would see it. However, I think a general audience would find the film to be average. You won't really appreciate it unless you're a big Burton fan.

I have heard that this is/was a difficult film to find. I located it at my local Blockbuster rental store a few years ago.

80's cinema

[nadstar4 · 24 July 2008]

This film was shown in the Cinema's to kids in the UK, before the main film started. I never knew what is was called but always remembered it, as it freaked me out. If it was 84 when it was shown, I would have been 5. That feels about right. So now i'm remembering this film, tipsy and thought... oh with the power of the internet I may actually discover this film's name. Now I have and by Tim Burton of all people! My job is done, after years of wondering about the scary dog, that should have been dead. Concentrating on typing is difficult right now. Any other 29 year old seen it in the cinema and felt scarred? Not sure what the main film was after. I can't wait to watch it again now I have found it :-)