Frankenweenie

Tim Burton's star has tarnished a little of late.   Too many projects, too many attempts of being "Tim Burton" rather than just being um well Tim Burton, and doing a little too much mining in the nostalgia fields.  Still, there are times that the real Tim shines through and Frankenweenie is one of them.  Based on his own short done decades ago and sniffed at by Disney for being too weird he has now come back with a full length version proudly under Disney's banner.

Oh how the times do change. 

For those that don't know it's about a chld named Victor who's only friend is his dog Sparky.  Sparky has an accident and following the script from "Frankenstein" Victor brings him back as a loveable patched up little monster doggy.  Ah, but things never run so smoothly.  His classmates want his secret of bringing pets back and trying to keep Sparky a secret from the adults is a constant hassle.  It all ends in fun mayhem at the fairgrounds and to say any more would be a disservice.

This is a great little bit of animation.   The evocative black and white just is a perfect choice.  The designs are beautiful and creepy and the actors seem to be having great fun.  If you have kids you might have to explain all the references to classic black and white horror films.  Better yet, show them to the kiddies now.  No time like the present to examine the past!