Your Friendly Neighbourhood Monster

Victor Frankenstein stands in his an attic-laboratory,hugging the corpse covered in white cloth.

Victor Frankenstein stands in his an attic-laboratory,hugging the corpse covered in white cloth. As the skies rumble outside with lightening and thunder,faint smoke rises from its body,hinting at an experiment that preceded the scene. Suddenly,the corpse moves and wags its tail. Frankenweenie might be a throwback to one of the most endearing monsters on screen but Tim Burtons recreation is a touch different from the others. Burtons Frankenstein is an 11-year-old boy and he brings back to life Sparky,his dog.

Much like Burtons world of ghoulish creatures dark and isolated,yet so hauntingly endearing Frankenweenie is an eerie black-and-white setup. Victor,son of a salesman ,is a lonely man who spends long hours with Sparky and is passionate about science. The dog8217;s death in a car accident motivates Victor to learn how to infuse electrical impulses in muscles to bring Sparky to life. But in his reincarnated avatar,Sparky isn8217;t a cuddly dog but an abomination that needs to be chased away by New Holland residents.

A stop-motion remake of Burtons 1984 short film,Frankenweenie is a spectacularly detailed production. An elaborate and relatable set of people the grumpy neighbour Mayor Bergermeister,the psychic Weird Girl and an eccentric yet inspiring science teacher,Mr. Rzykruski surround Victor. Perhaps,the most magical part is Victors laboratory in his attic. A big wooden room,unfrequented by anyone else,houses toys,discarded electrical appliances,equipment and mechanical tools that come alive during his experiments with electricity. Even the way the kids go about their experiments are methodical enough to transport you to a chemistry laboratoryif only for a few hours.

The film is a minimalist project that strips itself off big-budgeted elements Dark Shadows anyone?,and is heartbreakingly simple. As a kids movie,there are important lessons about the underdogs and the use and misuse of science.

The DVD comes with a bonus Plain White Ts Pet Semetary,a forgettable number. But an interesting feature is the Frankenweenie Touring Exhibit,which goes into the making,the sets,details and micro-details of Frankenweenie.