Lennox Frankenweenie

Both Adaptions of the Tale

Tim Burton's Frankenweenie is the story of Victor Frankenstein and his best friend and dog, Sparky. Sparky dies tragically before young Victor's eyes, breaking the boy's heart. victor realizes through demonstration in his class that electricity can reanimate the dead. Victor gathers all the electronics in his house, digs up Sparky's corpse and proceeds to successfully bring his pet back to life. Victor then attempts to keep Sparky a secret, but he fails and notices that Sparky is not accepted and viewed as a monster. Once it is realized that Sparky is kind, it is too late and Sparky is already dead once again. Out of remorse, the towns people attempt to bring Sparky back to life and succeed.

This is the basic plot of both Frankenweenie films. In 1984, the original film was released in black and white, and the film starred human actors, as well as a real dog. In this film specifically, we watch a real young boy witness the death of his dog caused by his own negligence; Victor throws Sparky's ball further and further out until Sparky is hit by a car. We later see a depressed Victor doodleling in class and his nonchalant teacher explaining  electricity's effect on muscles. We later see a real human boy, Victor, dig up his dog's corpse and successfully bring it back to life. Now, we'll stop right here.

In the 2012 version of the film, stop motion puppets are used to tell the story of Victor Frankenstein and his dog, Sparky. In this film, the events leading up to Sparky's death are a little different. Victor is portrayed as a child who only loves his dog and science. Victor wishes to participate in the science fair and his father makes him make a deal; Victor can participate in the science fair if he joins his school's baseball team. Victor is not as bad at baseball as he thought; he practically hits a home run. The flying ball leads to Sparky running into the street after it, and dying right before Victor's eyes. I will stop this here.

Seeing these scenes played out by a real actor is quite disturbing. In the 1984 version of the film, we see a young boy practically rob a grave. That is not normal and to a child, it may appear all too real. With animation, the child somehow understands that the story is "make-believe." It's a puppet dramatically acting out the scene, not a real, human boy. Without the special effects the 2012 version of Frankenweenie, the story is pretty short and straight to the point in 1984: Dog dies, boy brings it back to life, dog dies again, everyone works together to bring it back to life. This all happens in the 2012 version, but the effects allowed the story to be stretched out more. We get to see Victor's personality and his ability to think quickly and save the towns people from the revived creatures.

Stop motion animation allowed the story to be accepted into the imagination and viewed as a less mature film.

(I am terribly sorry for this being submitted late)

Lennox Sweeny Todd

Sweeny and Eleanor

In Sweeny Todd, Todd and Mrs. Lovett are at the bottom of the food chain. They have no say, no power, no anything. Sweeny Todd wants revenge for the years he had been locked away and his lovely wife and daughter taken from him. Mrs. Lovett wants money and Todd. They agree to help each other get the power they desire. Todd begins to murder the poor nobodies of London and Mrs. Lovett begins to grind down their bodies and use the meat for her meat pies which are consumed by everyone of London. Mrs. Lovett uses the little people to get themselves to the top.  

 

It's a dog eat dog world out there, and Mrs. Lovett takes advantage of it. She doesn't have a care in the world as she grinds up the corpses. She feeds it to people as if she is doing nothing wrong. It's how she is getting by. It is not until the end do we realize how selfish she really is. We see that she knows that Todd's wife is still alive, but she wants the man and the property all to herself. She lets Todd kill his own wife in cold blood. Mrs. Lovett did what anyone with the right opportunity would do. 

 

Sweeny Todd was unjustly put in prison for something that he did not do. He is angry and bitter when he gets back to London, but deep down, he wishes to come home to a wife and child. When Mrs. Lovett tells him the story, all Todd wants more than anything is revenge. The men with power chewed him up and spit him out to get what they wanted, and Todd delightfully returned the favor. While he can't get to the judge, he takes the lives of innocent men in cold blood.

 

Mrs. Lovett and Sweeny Todd were looked down upon, they were filled with jealousy and hatred that only mend with depriving others so that they may gain. Man devouring man. It happens every day, everywhere. We see at the end of the film, those stepped on others to get where they are don't get the luxury of a fairy tale ending. 

Lennox- Big Fish

Big Fish

Edward Bloom was a friendly guy. He was brave, too. When everyone in the town feared Karl because of his height, Edward went to talk to him. Just as Karl was literally too big to live in such a small town, so where Edward's ambitions. Edward related and connected to Karl on that level. Edward did not judge or shun Karl based on something that Karl could not change about himself. 

I guess one could say that Tim Burton judged his parents (his father), for something they couldn't change. Burton's parents did not push him away as the villagers attempted to push Karl away, Burton ran away; he left his problems behind like Will does when he is simply tired of hearing his father's stories. We see that Will comes to regret that as he watches his father on his death bed. That is how Edward and Will differ. Edward did not judge anyone based on their actions or their appearances, he found something in them that he could accept. 

The Twins, Jing and Ping, were two headed sisters; they were so close, they might as well have shared one body. When Edward met the twins he had been longing to get back to his wife. He wanted to get as close as he possibly could to her and the army was standing in his way. Jing and Ping listened to his story and I assume they couldn't imagine if they ever had to separate from one another. They understood Edward and Edward understood them. With the exchange of promises, the three of them worked together in order to leave that country. 

Burton had always been an outsider, in school and at home, he had no one to get close to until he reached adulthood and began to surround himself with weird  people like Ed Bloom did. Burton fought to get certain actors parts in his films because they were who he connected to. The leaving of his father and the coming of his son opened his life up just a bit more and allowed him to understand and accept more of what comes his way.

Lennox Sleepy Hollow

Ichabod, Katrina and Masbath

Washington Irving's Sleepy Hollow was interesting. We learn of a man who has plans to corrupt a small village of superstitious and bored people. Sleepy Hollow is a place filled with house wives who tell tales of headless horsemen and other things. Ichabod Crane, the teacher, wants money and land, and the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel has all of it. Brom Bones is terribly jealous of the awkward man and Katrina is not the least bit attracted to him. The duo manages to run the man off, and Ichabod becomes a politician. This does not sound like much of a fun movie.

I think it would be terribly difficult to make this into an interesting movie. People love drama, romance, comedy, horror and action. Tim Burton took Irving's characters and made them "new." Ichabod was no longer a superstitious, womanizing school teacher- Burton made Ichabod Crane an enlightened, justice seeking constable who puts business before pleasure. Brom Bones was still jealous, but he's too full of himself to be a hero. Katrina Van Tassel is still beautiful, but she seems to have a crush on Ichabod Crane. Burton also presents the superstition of the headless horseman by bringing him to life.

Burton is not just using the characters' names to enhance his own horror story, he's bringing Irving's story to life with new twist. Burton gives his three leads, Ichabod, Katrina, and Masbath tragic back stories and brighter futures. Burton gets rid of Brom Bones who came off a jealous jerk to Ichabod as he met Katrina. Burton introduces magic to the story which explains the existence of the terrifying headless horseman. The women, who were only superstitious house people in Irving's story, were powerful and feared for their knowledge of magic. Burton enhanced Irving's story and made it theater ready.

I personally prefer Burton's version of Sleepy Hollow because it has what your basic movie watcher wants. We have our bumbling hero, his beautiful love interest and his small side kick. Irving's tale was great, but it left me unsatisfied and yearning for more.