Tim Burton has made some truly great stop motion films in his life. I adore The Nightmare Before Christmas (even though he didn't actually direct it), and I love Corpse Bride, and I really wanted to like Frankenweenie. I'd say the first half is much better than the second half. The first half is what the movie really should be like overall. It's focusing so much on the relationship between a boy and his dog, and building on the emotion of such a relatable thing. It also manages to sneak in Burton's signature macabre stamp, including a hilarious rant by Martin Landau's character.
However, the second half takes a turn for the worst. The script turns out to be more black and white than the actual photography, it's rushed, it's underdeveloped, and Burton indulges a wee bit too much in the classic horror movie references. At the very least, Burton's visual eye has not been lost. The stop motion animation and the stunning black and white camera work are just pure eye candy. For all my problems, and I do have plenty, it's not all that bad, and it shows that Burton still has talent in him. He's just misusing it.
*** / *****
However, the second half takes a turn for the worst. The script turns out to be more black and white than the actual photography, it's rushed, it's underdeveloped, and Burton indulges a wee bit too much in the classic horror movie references. At the very least, Burton's visual eye has not been lost. The stop motion animation and the stunning black and white camera work are just pure eye candy. For all my problems, and I do have plenty, it's not all that bad, and it shows that Burton still has talent in him. He's just misusing it.
*** / *****