Mroski Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie

In 1984, Tim Burton proposed a short film to Disney to be played before Pinocchio.  The film, called Frankenweenie, followed a boy named Victor Frankenstein, who resurrected his dog after it was hit by a car.  After it was completed, the studio rejected the film, asserting that the film was “too dark.”  Years later, the film has been remade, this time as a full length, stop-motion Disney feature film.

Frankenweenie, though it has been changed in many ways, still retains its core elements and plot line.  Also, many of the same exact shots have been replicated into the new film, while characters and events have been added.  The movie’s entire method of filming has been changed from live action to stop motion, with both positive and negative results.

Most of the plot line has stayed the same; the dog gets hit by a car, Victor revives him, the townspeople revolt against the dog, the dog dies, and then they jump him back to life with their cars.  The film shows striking resemblance to its 1984 counterpart; whole scenes have been cloned, such as the resurrection and grave digging scenes.  Other aspects also stayed the same, like the black and white production.  Otherwise, though, many ideas have been added to the film.  New characters from his school have been added, all with wildly odd personalities and features.  A branch has been added to the plotline, as all of these other students attempt and fail to resurrect other animals, with mutant results.  Though all of these aspects were funny, they made us take breaks from the solid, engaging plotline from the 1984 film.  The shorter format allows for a stronger story that moves at a quicker and more emotional pace. 

Though I find that I did not like the stop motion as much as the live action format, the stop motion does have some advantages.  The characters from Victor’s school are a perfect example of the high degree of characterization that can accomplished through this new medium.  Mr. Rzykruski was especially drawn out. His ridiculously long face and thick accent drew constant laughter throughout the audience, along with the other members of the classroom.  The best advantage to stop motion is the ability to further characterize animals.  Sparky is a far better stop-motion character than live action.  Real dogs don’t pay attention to whatever it is that they are trying to “act” out, but animated ones actually do show obvious emotional change and appropriate responses to situations.  Humans, however, are better filmed live.  Victor as a live action child was a far more moving performance than in the new film.  Everyone in a cartoon somewhat looks like a child, so I always forget that Victor is a kid in the newer film, whereas it is obvious that Victor is 10 years old throughout the 1984 film.  Also, seeing  Shelley Duvall in the older film was enough to make me pick the older one, since she is such a great actress.