Review of Frankenweenie (2012) by Oskar T — 02 Feb 2013

Tim Burton was a king in the 80s and 90s. But over recent years, his career has taken some serious nose dives. The occasional gem like Sweeney Todd and Corpse Bride have shown through, but overall, he seems to be seriously running out of ideas. At first when I heard Burton was remaking his own film, I didn't have much faith in his sense of originality coming back. But he proves wrong with this one.

This is really the film that Burton wanted to make back in '84, but didn't have the budget to make. It's great that he was able to revisit this personal story of his and present it the way it was surely meant to be presented. This is a perfect example of how Burton is at his best and most creative with stop motion. He's a master at the craft. The character models are wonderful, and the animation is flawless. The black and white tone and classic horror film soundtrack really adds a great sense of quirky nostalgia.

Some of Burton's latest efforts have been really messy and stale. But Frankenweenie is not only his most solid work in a while, it's also got the most heart in a film of his since Big Fish.