A Doggone Good Movie! - "Frankenweenie" Mini-Review #3

     Frankenweenie, created by Tim Burton, was a thoroughly enjoyable movie!  The sets were unrealistic but fitting, the use of shots was fantastic and the plot was well put together.  It is unbelievable that this was one of Burton’s first films.  In his style, this movie had very strange sets.  It’s hard to describe them; they look kind of like pictures in a pop-up book.    A good example of this is during the graveyard scene.  The silhouetted hills in the background look like cardboard cut-outs pasted in the back.  This style really works for this film so I really liked it.  Another great thing about this movie is the different camera shots.  Point of view, close-ups on expressions and beautiful establishing shots were all used very effectively in Frankenweenie.  One shot that stuck out for me the most was when Sparky (the dog) was hit by the car.  Right before he’s killed, you see through Sparky’s eyes as the car comes right at you.  It makes it a bit scarier to have a car drive right at you!  This shot makes you feel bad for Sparky too because it allows you to imagine how horrible it would be to have a car come at you like that. 

It's like "The Train Pulling Into the Station" but scarier!

Furthermore, this movie had a wonderful moral message.  Sparky’s acceptance into society at the end shows that it’s what is on the inside, not outside, that counts and that being strange does not make you bad.  Movies like Edward Scissorhands and The Hunchback of Notre Dame have similar morals.  This is a feel good movie that can appeal to anybody.  It has some humour, horror, science-fiction, action and even romance!  Not only is it appealing to everyone but it is a very “feel-good” movie.  In a world where so many bad things happen, we need movies like this to cheer us up.  It may not be a masterpiece like Avatar but Frankenweenie is a wonderful movie, I recommend it to anyone!  This delightful film deserves an 8 out of 10.