Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie

Horror movies aren't tailored for little children — but that's who they impact the most. With their imagination in its prime, most kids eventually find themselves breaking parental codes and soaking in the terrifying, twisted conjurations of genre filmmakers. There might be thick plots that make little sense to young minds, but at that moment in time, it's all about imagery. Spooky, memorable, and like little else in the real world.

Tim Burton captures that experience in Frankenweenie, a horror primer for kids that playfully dabbles in the past of creature features without overcomplicating itself. Stuffed with Burton's signature oddities, the stop-motion animated film follows a young boy named Victor as he attempts to use science (a maligned line of thinking in his conservative hometown of New Holland) to resurrect his dead dog Sparky. The experiment is a success, but the reanimated pup causes a stir in the middle school crowd. Suddenly, everyone wants an undead best friend.

Realized in crisp black & white and 3D that varies from eye-popping to barely existent, Frankenweenie manages to unfold its youth-skewing screamfest with visceral scares that effectively (and appropriately) shock the young ones, while delivering parent-friendly humor and adventure. The boy-and-his-dog setup pulls at the heartstrings (anyone who has ever had a pet, prepare to ''awwwwwww''), but the real joy is Victor's wacky ensemble. Unlike The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie is mostly ''natural'' characters, albeit ones with horror movie personas. That makes for a wonderful blend of strange and human; the gleefully diabolical Edgar playing evil assistant to Victor, the long-chinned teacher Mr. Rzykruski, crazed over the power of electricity; and Weird Girl who... lives up to her name. Frankenweenie doesn't sport much in the way of drama or true thrills, but what it lacks in tension it makes up for in its devilish sense of humor, pitting kids against kids.

Frankenweenie is a light, bonkers time at the movies that is enjoyable until the very last moments, when a strange ending nearly pulls the carpet from under its feet. Nearly, because little can detract from the film's throwback charm. Finally, a horror movie for kids who can't stay awake until midnight.

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 stars.