Expected more

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

A short film directed by Tim Burton, this is absolutely sublime. It is a brilliant, touching film which both parodies and pays tribute to "Frankenstein", the 1931 film version in particular. It tells the story of a ten-year-old boy named Victor Frankenstein, based on Burton himself as he makes short films in his backyard, who is distraught by the death of his (very appropriately named) dog Sparky. Shortly afterwards, he learns that electricity can be used to stimulate muscles, which inspired Mary Shelley to write "Frankenstein" in the first place. He harnesses the power of lightning to revive Sparky, who soon comes to be misunderstood and feared by the Frankensteins' neighbours. The script by Lenny Ripps, based on an idea by Burton, is top notch.The use of black and white is extremely effective and Burton's direction is excellent. Barret Oliver, a prolific 1980s child actor best known for his roles in films such as "The NeverEnding Story", "D.A.R.Y.L." and "Cocoon", is pitch perfect as Victor, who manages to seem like a real boy in spite of the plot. Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern are great as his supportive parents. Joseph Maher excels as the film's "antagonist" Mr Chambers while Roz Braverman is a laugh riot as Mrs. Epstein. It also features fairly small appearances by Stern's future "The Wonder Years" co-star Jason Hervey and Sofia Coppola, a making a rare appearance in something not directed by her father Francis Ford Coppola.Considering that I basically prefer dogs to people, I was a little apprehensive about watching this given the subject matter but I need not have worried as it is as heartwarming as it is macabre. It perfectly conveys how much a dog can mean to a person. I couldn't imagine life without my dog Freddie! It has already become both my favourite film about a dog and my favourite short film. Were it not for "Ed Wood", my 17th favourite film of all time, this would be my favourite feature or short film directed by Burton. My enthusiasm for it knows no bounds.

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.

...Yet sweet at the same time! This film is based (obviously) on the original story on Frankenstein and yet it is about a dog who comes back to life. The dog is the sweet part of this film, the rest of it is at times funny, at times a little mediocre and at times spooky.At the beginning of Frankenweenie, we meet a young boy called Victor and his dog Sparky. He is playing ball with Sparky one day, when Sparky runs out to catch the ball on the road and he is run over by a car. We then see a spooky and surreal pet graveyard, where Sparky is buried. Victor misses Sparky with every molecule of his heart and when his science teacher shows a way of using electricity to make animals come back to life, Victor is off and bringing his beloved dog back from the dead...Unfortunately, I spent the whole of this film wondering how scary it would get, which is why I did not enjoy it so much at the time. When I look back on "Frankenweenie", I can see its good points properly and ignore the freaky parts and look more on the sweet parts. I originally liked this film for the plot and for the dog, the human characters just came in the way a little bit for me, but now I see them as the enhancers of the story. After all, Victor is the person responsible here for giving life to Sparky, just as Professor Frankenstein creates life in his monster in the original book (which I have not read, but know the basics about).This very good Tim Burton creation can be seen on the same DVD as "The Nightmare Before Christmas", which is very convenient. I recommend this to people who are not faint-hearted and who like dogs. Enjoy "Frankenweenie"! :-)

This movie is another masterpiece created by the wonderful genius we all know and love, Tim Burton. Any ways, this masterpiece is about a young boy and his best friend, Sparky, his dog. One ordinary day, Sparky and his best friend were out when Sparky suffers an unexpected death,so he decides to try to reanimate him! This movie is a beautiful, heart warming classic very much like Frankenstein. Yes, there have been many versions of Frankenstein, but this one is completely different! Tim Burton put his own,quirkiness, beauty & sweetness into it. So pretty much this is another masterpiece of a film created by Tim Burton. So I recommend this movie to everyone of all ages! (I don't at all understand why it received a PG...)