Choi Frankenweenie

Tim Burton’s 2012 version of Frankenweenie is quite unlike the original 1984 version of the film as it utilizes stop motion animation through the entire movie. Whether someone prefers live actors to stop motion animation is solely a matter of preference, but using stop motion animation to create a movie such as Frankenweenie definitely has its advantages in many different aspects.

Some might argue that using live actors would have been a better choice than using stop motion animation, as using live actors are more realistic. However, I believe Burton has made the right choice by choosing to utilize stop motion animation in his 2012 version Frankenweenie as stop motion animation grants more freedom than live actors in terms of visual and emotional expression.

Let’s take Sparky for example. Since Sparky is one of the key “characters” in the movie, it is crucial that the audience understands Sparky’s inner feeling and its emotional connection with Victor, its owner. This can be a tricky task, as facial expression, the main medium for delivery of emotion, is chiefly a human trait that a living dog doesn’t have. Sparky in 1984 version of Frankenweenie certainly doesn’t have any facial expression, and therefore it is hard for the audience to decipher Sparky’s inner feelings. The 2012 version of Frankenweenie, however, easily tackles this problem, as stop motion animation successfully personifies Sparky through use of facial expression. As a result, the modern version of Sparky effectively communicates various emotions such as happiness, sadness, confusion and loneliness, and we see a direct, two way emotional communication between the Victor and Sparky. This not only allows the audience to relate to their friendship to a much deeper level, but also adds a new dimension of emotional depth that adds to the dramatic aspect of the film.

Furthermore, stop motion animation allows a much more detailed characterization of the characters in the movie, which allowed Burton to blow more style and color into each character’s personality. Mr. Rzykruski is an excellent example of successful characterization that wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for stop motion animation. Mr. Rzykruski, with its gothic energy and disproportionate head-to-body ratio, is a highly caricaturized figure that creates an unmistakable imprint in the audience’s mind. His highly stylistic visual characteristics also justify his cynical, dark, yet strangely likable personality. 1984 version of Mr. Rzykruski, in my opinion, is not nearly as memorable as the newer version of himself, as stop motion animation allowed the creation of such a visually and psychologically striking character. Other characters such as Edgar, Toshiaki and Nassor also are very visually memorable as they have distinct, exaggerated physical traits made possible through the use of stop motion animation.

By far the most interesting character in this film.

Stop motion animation also is an effective tool of justifying highly unrealistic aspects of the movie. For example, no one would question the validity of the absurd character Weird Girl, the turtle Godzilla, or the twisted Sea Monkey, as exaggeration of reality is a key aspect of any animation.