Tim Burton's loving tribute to Universal's Frankenstein movies. The story's about a boy who brings his beloved dog Sparky back to life using the same method as in Frankenstein. It's a beautiful-looking film, shot in black & white, with lots of the clever touches we've come to associate with Burton over the years. The cast, from Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern to Paul Bartel and Joseph Maher, all do an intentionally exaggerated job that's fun to watch. Lead Barret Oliver is great (whatever happened to him?) and there's even a young Sofia Coppola in a small role. It's an enjoyable movie, suitable for the whole family, despite Disney's concerns at the time that it wasn't kid-friendly. It's got heart and humor and a healthy dose of nostalgia going for it. If you love the old Universal horror movies then it has even more appeal. Burton expanded on the idea in 2012 with an animated film that's not bad on its own, but has a different feel to it than this.
Review of Frankenweenie
