Movie Praise: Frankenweenie

This past Tuesday night, the little man and I headed out to the theater to catch a promo of the new Disney film Frankenweenie. It is a special treat to get to skip soccer practice and be out late on a school night, so we had to do it up right with a box of chocolate Crunch and a pop.

Of course Eph has been drooling over the previews of Frankenweenie for the past couple of months and he was super excited about seeing it. He told me that he was a “little” nervous because he thought it might be scary. I promised him that it wouldn’t be too scary and I was right. There were a couple of really great loud bangs and some 3D effects that had us jumping out of our seats but those normally ended with a cackle of laughter rather than a scream of fear.

Frankenweenie is about a beloved dog that is unfortunately meets an untimely death. Stricken with grief the boy, inspired by a great science teacher, decides to bring the dog back to life Frankenstein style. Chaos ensues when Victor’s friends decided to copy his experiment bring all their dead pets (or other dead animals) back from the dead. 

The movie is produced by and directed by Tim Burton. It is completely in black and white although their are so many shades and “colors” that your brain almost doesn’t even notice. The characters are so unique in their appearances with larger than normal heads and eyes. You will taken a back by the attention to detail and constant random oddity.

As with all good “kids” films, Frankenweenie does not disappoint on the subtle references. If the pool of gigantic sea monkeys doesn’t remind you of the Gremlins then you must have been a living under a rock in that decade. However the brought back to life “Colossal” in his 3 minute cameo before being ceremonially crushed by a King Kong imitator was our favorite part. 

About the movie:

From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous. A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” was filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which elevates the classic style to a whole new experience.

Overall, I thought Frankenweenie in 3D lived up to the expectations. Great film, creepy and creative. Perfect for the season. Make sure you head out to see it tomorrow!

Disclaimer: I received tickets to attend the promo in exchange for this post. Regardless, I only post my honest opinions. This blog is in no way affiliated with Twitter, Facebook or any other social network.