I decided to watch something like and fun tonight and FRANKENWEENIE was it.

In case you don't know, it's animated and by Tim Burton, in B&W tones so it has the dreadful scary look...

A young Victor Frankenstein loses his dog and in a scene that is truly magnificent homage to the original FRANKENSTEIN from 1931 brings his dog back to life...

Of course, without spilling the beans, the other children want their own "Raised from the dead" creatures and when the moon is full dark and dreadful things happen to those who would fool with nature.

I smiled all the way through it. IT's fun and silly and just plain adorably cute.

It's got all sorts of in jokes for those who are grown up and have seen the classic monster movies.

I doubt it would scare the kids.

I saw a version of this with Barrett Oliver back in the 90's I think it was, live action.

Very cute and well done!

I loved this movie. The plot is heartwarming, and the characters are really fun. (The one google-eyed girl with the cat had me laughing every time.) And yes, it was based on a live-action short film that Burton did back in 1984 while he was still with Disney. And they're pretty much the same aside from the addition of an extra subplot and the expansion of the cast of side-character kids. Both excellent films.

With that said, though, I think I liked "ParaNorman," another stop-motion film from this year, a bit better. That one REALLY hit home for me with its tones of acceptance and anti-fear, in addition to being funny and entertaining. Plus the animation is absolutely GORGEOUS!!! (There has NEVER been a better-looking stop-motion animated film. The facial animation in this movie makes the facial animation in Frankenweenie look like cardboard cutouts are trying to show emotion.)