I recently had the opportunity to snuggle up with my 4 year old and check out Tim Burton’s newest movie creation: Frankenweenie. Tim Burton is well known for being wildly creative and a little offbeat. From Edward Scissorhands to Alice in Wonderland, Burton does a great job of drawing you into a story, resounding with characters and entertaining all of your senses. Frankenweenie does exactly that!
I love that Frankenweenie is a play on the classic monster movies I watched growing up, but geared toward today’s kid. And I found the movie to be more “cute” then “scary.” That being said, some children may find certain parts to be a little tense or frightening, although it’s clear the movie is meant to be funny and entertain.
The story centers around Victor Frankenstein, a boy who loves his dog, Sparky. After being encouraged to spend more time with his friends (as opposed to his dog), Victor loses Sparky to a car accident. Bereft, Victor takes lessons he is learning in science class about electricity to build a lab in his attic. During a thunderstorm, Victor successfully brings Sparky back to life – but not without a few consequences (no spoilers here! If you want to know what happens, I highly recommend seeing the movie!)
My four year old may be on the young side of the target audience for the movie. He missed out on many of the jokes, as he was not familiar with who Dracula or Frankenstein are. Kids ages 5 and up will love this movie, even more so for children ages 10 and up, especially for animal-loving families. Frankenweenie is a movie that makes you appreciate the relationship you have with your pets!
Disclosure: I received a DVD of the movie for the purpose of review. As always, all opinions are my own.
