Before I start this review, I would like to say thank you to each and every follower of 18 Cinema Lane! This blog would not be the success it is today without you, so I appreciate your support! For this Blog Follower Dedication Review, I wanted to choose a film that was Halloween themed, as the holiday is just around the corner. I also recognize how animated films are rarely covered on my blog. Combining the two concepts, I selected the 2012 Disney movie, Frankenweenie! While I have read Mary Shelley’s classic novel, I haven’t seen many adaptations of Frankenstein. Yes, I did review Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter. But there were very few traces of Mary’s source material woven into that film. When it comes to Halloween fare, vampires, including Dracula himself, have made their home on 18 Cinema Lane. So, Frankenweenie serves as a nice change! Put on your costumes and grab your Trick-or-Treat buckets, it’s time for this Blog Follower Dedication Review!

Things I liked about the film:

The animation: When it comes to animation, Tim Burton has a very distinct style. While this style shines in Frankenweenie, I want to talk about how the characters express emotion. Throughout the story, emotions are expressed through the mouth and eyelids. This prevented the characters from appearing static. One example is when Victor is working on his science experiment for the first time. After performing the experiment, Victor is curious about its effectiveness. When he thinks the experiment didn’t work, Victor’s mouth is turned in a frown and his eyelids are lowered. That combination created a facial expression that showcased Victor’s sadness and disappointment.

Creative ideas are typically found in Tim Burton’s animated films. In Frankenweenie, this creativity is found in the creatures who appear in the story! When Victor’s peers try to recreate his experiment, they receive unexpected results. A turtle comes back to life as a hybrid between a turtle and a dinosaur. Due to a mix-up, one girl’s cat turns into a combination of cat, werewolf, and bat. These creatures were so unique, as I have never heard or seen them in media before. Frankenweenie serves as an example of how imaginative the animation genre can be!

The “Easter Eggs”: “Easter Eggs” are references that are subtly woven into a piece of entertainment media. Disney and Tim Burton related “Easter Eggs” can be found in Frankenweenie! During Victor’s science experiment, he flies two kites in an attempt to capture lightening. One of these kites is shaped like a bat, a nod to when Tim directed Batman from 1989. In Victor’s room, there is a poster of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This is a reference to when Disney adapted that story in 1954. I love when a film scatters “Easter Eggs” throughout the story, as it keeps the audience engaged in what they’re watching!

The messages and themes: Frankenweenie included several good messages and themes into the story! One of them appeared when Victor is interacting with his science teacher, Mr. Rzykruski. During this conversation, Victor explains how his science experiment worked the first time, but not the second time. Mr. Rzykruski helps Victor understand his dilemma by stressing how he should do science experiments for the right reasons. This message becomes an overarching theme in Frankenweenie, as characters’ intentions determine an outcome.

What I didn’t like about the film:

No pops of color: Frankenweenie is presented in black-and-white imagery. This creative choice allowed the movie to boast a distinctive aesthetic. But what would have made the visuals even more interesting is if pops of color were included. Whenever lightening appears, a bright yellow flash could have graced the screen. If a character were holding a Sea Monkey packet, that packet could have delivered vibrant hues of blue and purple. Adding color to certain elements or objects would have emphasized important parts of the story. Those pops of color would have also stood out nicely against the black-and-white background.

An underutilized antagonist: In stories created for children/families, there will sometimes be a grown-up character as the main antagonist. A perfect example is Miss Trunchbull from Matilda. There is a grown-up antagonistic character in Frankenweenie, Mr. Burgermeister, the mayor of New Holland. But unlike Miss Trunchbull, Mr. Burgermeister was underutilized in the story. Victor faced more conflicts with his peers than with Mr. Burgermeister. Plus, the mayor’s appearances in the movie were far and few between. This makes me wish Victor’s peers had been the only antagonists in the film.

Parts of the story that are unexplained: For this part of my review, I will include a spoiler for Frankenweenie. If you have not seen this film and are interested in watching it, please skip this part and continue where it says “My overall impression”.

As I mentioned earlier, Victor’s peers receive unexpected results after they try to recreate his experiment. When these creatures cause chaos throughout the town, Victor helps his peers reverse the effects of their experiments. With the use of electricity, Victor is able to reverse the effects of the turtle/dinosaur hybrid, with the turtle becoming dead again. Yet, when Victor uses electricity on his dog, Sparky, the dog stays alive. Because the science wasn’t explained, this part of the story felt inconsistent.

My overall impression:

Disney has a history of re-telling pre-established stories. When re-telling these stories, whether it’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame or Oliver Twist, the delivery of these projects has adopted distinct identities and aesthetics, making the movie feel unique and creative. With Frankenweenie, it is a cute, unique take on Frankenstein! The combination of stop-motion animation and black-and-white imagery allow the movie to stand out among other versions of Mary Shelley’s story. “Easter Eggs” related to Tim Burton and Disney keep viewers engaged in the film they are watching. Yes, there are flaws within Frankenweenie, like unexplained parts of the story and an underutilized antagonist. However, this is a good choice for Halloween entertainment!

Overall score: 7.8 out of 10

Have you seen Frankenweenie? Are there any animated films you like watching during the Halloween season? Let me know in the comment section below!

Have fun during Halloween!

Sally Silverscreen