Frankenweenie (Walt Disney Pictures)

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Originally made in 1984, Tim Burton’s early live-action short film Frankenweenie was a genuine and affectionate tribute to classic horror movies, including 1931’s Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein.

However, Disney deemed it too scary for kids and shelved it for a number of years until its eventual home video release in the early '90s.

This year, Burton goes back to one of his early creations with a feature length stop-motion animated film of the same name.

 Young Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan) enjoys his hobby of making short horror films with his beloved dog Sparky much to the delight of his parents (Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short). But one tragic day, Sparky gets run over by a car and the family buries it in the town’s pet cemetery.

After watching his science teacher Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau) conduct electricity on a dead frog, Victor decides to bring his dog back to life, and hides it from everyone.

But once hunch-backed Edgar (Atticus Shaffer from TV’s The Middle) discovers Victor’s secret, he and the other kids decide to do some similar experiments. Suddenly, the entire town is in for a monstrous night of terror.

In Frankenweenie, Tim Burton blends the themes of death and morality from his previous films The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride. He also blends the dark, emotional themes with moments of comedy that help balance the film’s tone.

The film has a variety of characters, which bring the film to life.  It's strongest scenes, however, encompass the relationship between Victor and Sparky –  if you're a pet lover, it's easy to identify Victor and Sparky’s relationship.

The movie combines classic horror monsters in one film, including The Mummy, the Monster’s Bride and even Gamera. If you're a fan of old school horror movies, you'll get a kick out of this one. 

 Don’t forget to see it in 3D.

THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG (for thematic elements, scary images, and action)

THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.5 Stars (Out of Four)