Frankenweenie

Based on a 29-minute short from 1984, Frankenweenie follows an intrepid youngster (Charlie Tahan’s Victor) as he successfully brings his dead dog back to life using a Frankenstein-like contraption. There is, unfortunately, never a point at which it’s not completely obvious that Frankenweenie has been adapted from a short film, as the movie, scripted by John August, has been suffused with a number of sequences that are either palpably overlong or flat-out needless – with the padded-out vibe, as anticipated, diminishing the strength of the film’s positive attributes. It’s clear, though, that Frankenweenie benefits substantially from Tim Burton’s expectedly larger-than-life approach to the material, as the director has infused the proceedings with a broad and decidedly gothic sensibility that’s more in line with his earlier efforts (Edward Scissorhands, Batman) than with his newer, comparatively garish output (Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows). (The film’s highlight is, for example, a long, bravura sequence in which Vincent resurrects his departed pooch.) There’s a lack of momentum here that grows increasingly problematic as time progresses, however, and it’s worth noting, too, that the aggressively action-packed final stretch, which seems to take up a third of the movie’s running time, ensures that the film concludes with a whimper instead of a bang. Still, Frankenweenie is nevertheless an obvious step in the right direction for Burton after a series of overwhelming, over-the-top blockbusters – although it’s becoming less and less likely that the filmmaker will ever return to the above-average landscape of his first features.

**1/2 out of ****