Fantastic Fest Review: Tim Burton’s ‘Frankenweenie’ Wins with Heart

Tim Burton’s uphill battle back into the good graces of his early fans has taken a step towards realization. Frankenweenie, his latest in stop-motion animation, is a sweet story of a boy’s love for his dog and the lengths he goes once his best friend has been taken from him. It’s a film about dealing with death, though not in the most pragmatic of ways. Using skills learned in science class — see, something can come from paying attention at school! — the boy becomes a scientist worthy of his name. The results, though slight, are cheerful and heartwarming, and Burton’s clout has regained a few inches towards winning us over again. Frankenweenie is a feature adaptation of Burton’s early short (from 1984) of the same name. The live action has been switched for nearly flawless stop-motion, the CG touches on the characters and their movements creating a fluidity that’s becoming more …