Rather than deal with the death of his beloved dog Sparky, youngster Victor (Charlie Tahan) comes up with an ingenious solution. In a homemade lab, and with some help from the elements, he brings his pet miraculously back to life.
The resurrected pooch becomes the talk of the street and soon his neighbours, including mischievous Edgar 'E' Gore (Atticus Shaffer) and sinister Nassor (Martin Short), steal Victor's techniques, reanimating everything from goldfish and seamonkeys to rats and hamsters. However, without Victor's expertise, the innocently deceased creatures rise to become terrifying undead monsters, and it's left to the young scientist and Sparky to save the town from destruction.
Almost three decades after Frankenweenie's first appearance as a short film, Tim Burton revives and extends his own earlier handiwork with ghoulishly grand results. The distinctive director teams up with star Ryder for a third time, but despite some humorous input as Elsa Van Helsing (namesake of the original Bride of Frankenstein), she is eclipsed by the brilliant 'E' Gore.
The macabre tale is a delightful stop-motion homage to days of horror past (with an obvious nod to genre legend Vincent Price). Recognised with a deserved Oscar nomination, Burton is back to his best with this charming family feature.
Frankenweenie is a Film programme that first aired in 2012 and has been classified a PG certificate.
