3D brings Frankenweenie to life
4
By Just another movie review
Note: As for the movie Frankenweenie, I’m giving it four out of five stars (and I have given it that above accordingly so the iTunes rating system will not be sabotaged). While it’s not perfect or anywhere near the genius of Nightmare Before Christmas, I still personally enjoy it. It has a good story, likable characters, a strange but enjoyable style, and a surprisingly warm heart. I won’t be quick to judge if you don’t like it, as it’s flaws, especially in the climax, do make the story a little less impactful. But all in all, it’s still an earnest and lovable little movie. However, this is not a review for the film, but rather a review for the 3D effects in the Blu Ray 3D version of Frankenweenie.
Tim Burton is no one if not a cinematic artist of many talents. And while his style and heart certainly can be found in his animated film Frankenweenie, one must wonder whether or not he has made the 3D in this feature actually worth the price. While not everyone is into 3D, those who are have come to the right place because today, we’re going to answer the question of whether or not the 3D in Frankenweenie gives it an extra spark.
Does it fit 4/5
As I have said before, animated films are usually always a shoe in for a 3D fit because they almost always take place in a world where the 3D can certainly become most memorable. Frankenweenie doesn’t exactly have quite the advantage of How To Train Your Dragon or Bolt because it takes place pretty much entirely in a suburban neighborhood. However, its black and white style along with the stop motion animation makes for an interesting 3D experience. And it does use the 3D in some pretty neat ways from the resurrection scenes to the surreal graveyard scenes to the frightening third act. And come on. Who wouldn’t want to feel an extra dimension closer to Sparky?
Planning and effort 4/5
While Frankenweenie from its premise alone sounds like a movie in which the 3D was added on later, there was actually plenty of planning and effort applied ahead of time that makes for some pretty cool 3D. While the 3D does try to take a somewhat modest approach for around 70% of the runtime and doesn’t always use up its depth field as much as it could, it still works very well in the overall product making for an experience that you can tell was intended from inception.
Before the Window 4/5
While the 3D in Frankenweenie isn’t always particularly drawing attention to itself, it still lends itself to some decent pop outs such as a cat, a mutant rat, a baseball, and even Sparky at times. We also get more subtle pop outs such as characters’ heads and body parts. However, because the 3D through most of the film is so modest, and because I felt there were some missed opportunities for pop outs in the third act, the score should actually be about a 3.5. But like the movie itself, it about round to a four.
Beyond the Window 4/5
Once again, the 3D doesn’t always draw too much attention to itself with a few notable exceptions. However, it still lends itself to some pretty mesmerizing depth in spite of its suburban setting. As I said earlier, the graveyard and resurrection scenes are here. And they make for some of the best usage of 3D depth throughout the movie. And even the in between scenes feature lifelike and surreal depth showing off the strangeness of Frankenweenies world. And those who want to see Sparky himself in the third dimension will for sure not be disappointed. It’s not Hugo level depth or as vast as the shots in How To Train Your Dragon. But it works well enough.
Brightness 4/5
For a movie with its color palette limited to black, white, and gray, you’d be surprised at how bright and easy to watch this movie is even with the 3D glasses on. Although there are a few scenes in which a lack of brightness was clearly present, it remains on the whole a very watchable.
Glasses off test 3/5
For those of you who don’t know, the glasses off test simply means that if you take off your 3D glasses at any point during a movie, the amount of blur on screen determines how much 3D you’re getting. While there aren’t any real perfect 2D scenes in the film, the 3D through some of the movie remains pretty light. Blame it on the modesty or whatnot, but personally, I would’ve like to have seen more depth even in Victor Frankenstein’s living room. Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of blur during the graveyard scenes, the resurrections, and the windmill showdown displays some of the most blur in the entire movie. But still, if it had been a bit more consistent, it might’ve gotten a 4/5. You won’t be taking your glasses off too often to see if the image is in 3D, but I just wish there had been a bit more blur. In actuality, this category is more of a 3.5. But factoring in the modesty, it’s a bit more of three.
Audience Health 5/5
I left Frankenweenie 3D feeling 100%.
Conclusion 28/35
Coincidentally, this score ends up similar to what we gave Nightmare Before Christmas 3D. While one of these movies is a bright and colorful experience slightly bogged down by a few technical errors, the other one is a technically pitch perfect slightly bogged down by how modest it is. But make no mistake, Frankenweenie is still worth seeing in 3D. Once again, it’s not quite a perfect presentation, and it’s not even on the level of films like Ant Man 3D or The Adventures of Tintin 3D. But in its own way, it’s conveys enough depth and proper 3D usage to make for a thoroughly enjoyable 3D experience. If you’ve already gotten films like Nightmare Before Christmas 3D and are thirsty for another fun 3D animated stop motion film, look no further than Frankenweenie 3D.
