In a very minor way, filmmaker Tim Burton has recaptured some of the magic of ‘Ed Wood’ and ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ with his latest film ‘Frankenweenie’, an homage to old school horror as well as a feature length remake of his short of the same name. This black and white stop-motion animation feature is certainly an offbeat and sometimes even strange work, distinctly fitting into the oeuvre of Burton, but there’s a charm and likability on display here that I haven’t seen from the director in some time. It’s often amusing and sometimes even manages to be heartwarming, another welcome departure from the recent Burton outings. This horror/comedy hybrid isn’t on the level of what Pixar is doing at their best, to be sure, but it certainly is better than ‘Corpse Bride’ and is one of the better animated films of 2012 so far. I could easily see the Academy taking a shine to this black and white kids flick and giving it a Best Animated Feature nomination. I don’t know that it can win, but it’s certainly in the hunt. There are a few missteps here to be sure, but overall the product is rather satisfying. It opens this weekend and even if you haven’t liked Burton of late, I think this is worth checking out.
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