Frankenweenie
Stream
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When a car hits young Victor's pet dog Sparky, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked "monster" wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor's neighbors, he has to convince them that Sparky's still the good, loyal friend he was.
What critics thought
Frankenweenie landed as a genuine return to form for Tim Burton, with most critics finding the stop-motion black-and-white visuals exquisite and the boy-and-his-dog emotional core surprisingly affecting. The sharpest disagreement was over whether the expanded feature improves on the original short or drowns it — several critics felt the monster-movie third act overstuffed what worked as a simple, heartfelt premise, while others thought Burton kept all the plates spinning right to the end.
“The monster-movie component of Frankenweenie stomps all over the appeal of the original 30-minute version.”
Michael Phillips·Chicago Tribune
“Burton half succeeds in making this revamped Frankenweenie its own distinctive creature, pieced together from the essential bits of the 29-minute original. But he just doesn't know when to stop, and his overgrown creation gets the better of him.”
Stephanie Zacharek·NPR
“Frankenweenie is the apotheosis of goth director Tim Burton's oeuvre: artistic yet sterile, incredibly meticulous and totally misbegotten.”
David Hiltbrand·The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Revisiting the past - his own, and that of the masters who came before him - seems to have brought this filmmaker's boyish enthusiasm back to life, as well.”
Christy Lemire·Associated Press
“The story brims with self-parody, social satire, horror, nostalgia, wit and emotional insight, with Burton keeping all the plates spinning.”
Colin Covert·Star Tribune
Accolades
Genres
Animation, Comedy, Drama
Cast & Crew
Tim BurtonDirector
Catherine O'HaraMrs. Frankenstein / Weird Girl / Gym Teacher (voice)
Martin ShortMr. Frankenstein / Mr. Burgemeister / Nassor (voice)
Martin LandauMr. Rzykruski (voice)
Charlie TahanVictor Frankenstein (voice)
Atticus ShafferEdgar 'E' Gore (voice)
Winona RyderElsa Van Helsing (voice)
Robert CapronBob (voice)
James Hiroyuki LiaoToshiaki (voice)
Conchata FerrellBob's Mom (voice)
Tom KennyNew Holland Townsfolk (voice)
Frank WelkerSparky (voice) (uncredited)
Dee Bradley BakerPersephone / Shelly / Were-Rat / Colossus / Mr. Whiskers / Driver (voice) (uncredited)
Danny ElfmanComposer
John AugustWriterFrankenweenie
When a car hits young Victor's pet dog Sparky, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked "monster" wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor's neighbors, he has to convince them that Sparky's still the good, loyal friend he was.
What critics thought
Frankenweenie landed as a genuine return to form for Tim Burton, with most critics finding the stop-motion black-and-white visuals exquisite and the boy-and-his-dog emotional core surprisingly affecting. The sharpest disagreement was over whether the expanded feature improves on the original short or drowns it — several critics felt the monster-movie third act overstuffed what worked as a simple, heartfelt premise, while others thought Burton kept all the plates spinning right to the end.
“The monster-movie component of Frankenweenie stomps all over the appeal of the original 30-minute version.”
Michael Phillips·Chicago Tribune
“Burton half succeeds in making this revamped Frankenweenie its own distinctive creature, pieced together from the essential bits of the 29-minute original. But he just doesn't know when to stop, and his overgrown creation gets the better of him.”
Stephanie Zacharek·NPR
“Frankenweenie is the apotheosis of goth director Tim Burton's oeuvre: artistic yet sterile, incredibly meticulous and totally misbegotten.”
David Hiltbrand·The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Revisiting the past - his own, and that of the masters who came before him - seems to have brought this filmmaker's boyish enthusiasm back to life, as well.”
Christy Lemire·Associated Press
“The story brims with self-parody, social satire, horror, nostalgia, wit and emotional insight, with Burton keeping all the plates spinning.”
Colin Covert·Star Tribune
Accolades
Genres
Animation, Comedy, Drama
Cast & Crew
Tim BurtonDirectorCatherine O'HaraMrs. Frankenstein / Weird Girl / Gym Teacher (voice)Martin ShortMr. Frankenstein / Mr. Burgemeister / Nassor (voice)Martin LandauMr. Rzykruski (voice)Charlie TahanVictor Frankenstein (voice)Atticus ShafferEdgar 'E' Gore (voice)Winona RyderElsa Van Helsing (voice)Robert CapronBob (voice)James Hiroyuki LiaoToshiaki (voice)Conchata FerrellBob's Mom (voice)Tom KennyNew Holland Townsfolk (voice)Frank WelkerSparky (voice) (uncredited)Dee Bradley BakerPersephone / Shelly / Were-Rat / Colossus / Mr. Whiskers / Driver (voice) (uncredited)Danny ElfmanComposerJohn AugustWriterStream
Rent & Buy