Tim Burton has a habit of making some of the best Halloween films around. His own love of raising the dead recurs again in again in creepily comic masterpieces such as 'Beetlejuice', 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' and 'Corpse Bride'. His latest offering is 'Frankenweenie', a remake of his 1984 short film (check it out on YouTube), which itself was a parodying homage to the original black and white 'Frankenstein' film. So Frankenweenie is a (re)animated remake, of a pastiche, of an adaptation of a book- quintessentially post-modern, and likewise, quintessentially Burton.

Like many of Burton's movies, 'Frankenweenie' is a stop-motion animation, this time in black and white, aimed primarily at kids but one that will undoubtedly reach the hearts of adults as well. It's the story of a young boy, Victor, whose beloved dog, Sparky, dies. In a science lesson, Victor is presented with the idea of reanimation, when his teacher plugs a frog into the mains and its legs react accordingly. Victor attempts the same with Sparky- with success! But the residual effects are a little more than he ever expected.

Reviews have been fairly consistent in terms of content, but not entirely consistent in audience satisfaction. The Chicago Tribune gave it a mere 2.5 stars out of 5 saying that the “pathos seems misjudged and a little ruthless.” But The Village Voice sings its praises saying: “Tight and brief, hitting all the marks you'd expect from an animated kid's film, and enlivened by Burton's visual style. The man should make more small movies like this one.” It also seems we've found a new child star with everyone raving about Charlie Tahan, who voices Victor.

If you're already a Burton fan you will probably enjoy it, though it may seem all too familiar, and that if you're a kid, new to Burton's style you'll love it! The film will be available on nationwide release next week (UK) and tomorrow (5Oct2012) in the US.