Tim Burton reanimates Frankenweenie, his 1984 live action short, stop-motion feature (Corpse Bride, The Nightmare Before Christmas), giving the story more characters and expanding its plot. When Victor’s dog Sparky meets his untimely demise, Victor (Charlie Tahan), inspired by his science teacher, uses lightening to resurrect his beloved pooch, à la Frankenstein. Burton creates an ambiguous suburban town, New Holland, and populates it with an assortment of strange neighbourhood kids—including Frankenstein and Igor look-alikes—who all want in on Victor’s scientific discovery. Of course, that’s when things spiral out of control. Canadian comic greats Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short, are a welcome addition to the cast, voicing numerous characters, including Victor’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frankenstein. For its hour and a half duration, Frankenweenie remains consistent creepy-cute entertainment, without verging on sentimental.
