Tim’s back on form

At first I was a bit reluctant to watch Frankenweenie because any film in 3D and entirely in black and white sounds about as dull as watching Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland … again! But I couldn’t have been more wrong!

Burton is finally back to creating the on-screen magic we have been waiting for! He reacquaints his fans with the gothic humour and the ‘outsider’ nerd-love we know him for.

I hadn’t seen (or ever heard of) the original short-film that Burton directed in 1984, but from the title alone I knew what the movie was going offer. However, I didn’t expect it to be as warm, witty and unusually personal.

Frankenweenie is hands down his best film in years and far beyond his recent live-action work.

Unlike with the destruction of the Alice in Wonderland franchise and the disappointing Dark Shadows, Burton provided fun characters that kept me engaged throughout this movie.

The film tells the story of young Victor Frankenstein, voiced by Charlie Tahan, who only cares about two things in his life: science and his pet dog named Sparky.

The genius loner makes amateur stop-motion monster movies with Sparky, but his parents, voiced by O’Hara and Short, think he needs to spend his time playing baseball with the other boys.

Unfortunately, when Victor agrees, Sparky goes off chasing a baseball and gets hit by a car, leaving Victor crushed.

He learns about re-animation in his science class, so decides to put together a classic Burtonian mad scientist’s lab in the attic of his house (resembling the inventor’s lab in Edward Scissorhands) by borrowing his mother’s kitchen utensils and an assortment of umbrellas. He digs up Sparky’s body from the pet cemetery and brings him back to life.

Sparky’s tail may fall off from time to time and he may leak when he drinks water, but it’s nothing a sewing kit can’t handle.

But life, death and science are an explosive blend and when Sparky inevitably escapes and goes exploring, the truth gets out. Then things really get crazy.

Not only does the film capture the spirit of Burton’s earlier work with a perfect combination of dark humour and imagination, it also feels like a cross between Edward Scissorhands (one of my favourite movies) and the stop- motion animation Corpse Bride.

Most of the characters are homage’s to classic movie personalities (including Godzilla) and provided unique and enjoyable individuals. Short and O’Hara didn’t really show off their talent but still managed to make the film entertaining.

O’Hara’s creepy, wide-eyed Weird Girl who makes disturbing comments and is never without her pet cat, Martin’s Frankenstein-esque goon and, my favourite, a snuggle-toothed hunchback, voiced by Atticus Shaffer, whose humorous cackling steals the show, all provided the movie with pure entertainment.

Moreover, Tahan is soft-spoken and provided several sombre moments throughout the film. In one specific scene, post Sparky’s death, Victor’s face remains on screen while the background fades to different locations showing the same devastated expression. Not only was the sequence incredibly moving, but also it is the first time I truly felt the despair that Burton strives for in his films.

Winona Ryder, who voices Elsa Van Helsing, Victor’s classmate and neighbour, didn’t make many appearances but was clearly cast as a known face of the Burton film world, giving his fans a sense of nostalgia.

Burton’s artistry is evidently on the same level as his imaginings in The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The film was frighteningly emotional and even when Burton turns the ordinary to spectacular, he never leaves behind the bond between Victor and Sparky … and that’s what makes it so special.

*Showing in Cineco, Seef II and Saar Cineplex