MovieChat Forums > Frankenweenie (2012) Discussion > Cheap, cop out ending. And a few other ...

Cheap, cop out ending. And a few other thoughts.

posted 12 years ago by chuppachupp
38 replies | jump to latest

Really enjoyed the movie. A simple and straightforward story with some amazing visuals and atmosphere. But man oh man was that ending a total cop out. The film would have been much more memorable and dramatic had Sparky not come back to life.

Anyways, a few thoughts:

Did the neighborhood this movie take place in remind anyone else of Edward Scissorhands?

The windmill that catches fire at the end of the flick was right out of Sleepy Hollow's finale. The same camera angle was even used.

It's a shame to see this movie fail at the box office. Taken 2 makes $50 million opening weekend? Hotel Transylvania? Good lord America.

[–] alegnalolol 12 years ago

I cried enough during this movie, I was glad Sparky came back to life at the end. They went with the ending from the original Frankenweenie. A lot of things were similar between the 2 versions with stuff added in the new one to make it full-length.

I DEFINITELY kept seeing stuff that reminded me of Edward Scissorhands. And the Sleepy Hollow windmill. And lots of other stuff becauseeee this film was intended to include a ton of references to other classic horror films and Tim Burton's past films. (Like the giant turtle: spoof on I think The Bermuda Depths from '78.) I bet I missed a lot of references which is why I can't wait to go see it again.

I'm disappointed by the box office results, too. When we went to see it on opening day for a matinee, I expected a packed theater but there were 4 other groups of people there in a huge theater. I think parents are taking their kids to Hotel Transylvania. Shame.

[–] chuppachupp 12 years ago

As others have said, I thought it would have been more emotionally satisfying had Victor realized that Sparky coming back to life was not meant to be as he let his best friend rest in peace. Even Sparky did not feel that coming back to life was right, as evidenced by both being frightened by his appearance in the mirror and being confused when he saw his own grave.

Anyways, I saw Frankenweenie this evening on one of the biggest and newest screens in my city. Tuesdays are $5 tickets all day, and there were only about 15 people in the entire theater. Hotel Transylvania has the bright colors and cute talking animals. It's a shame that animated movies are considered kids movies, and not a lot of older people give them a serious look.

[–] mongoose_mania 12 years ago

Technically, the windmill at the end is really from Frankenstein, which ends with an angry mob cornering the monster into an old windmill and then burning it down. I guess Burton really liked that scene, since he used it in Sleepy Hollow.

[–] IpsaThis 12 years ago

I don't see what's wrong with the ending, and I don't see what makes it a cop out. It's consistent with the rest of the movie, isn't it? Given what we'd seen to that point, it is actually more logical that he comes back to life than it would be for him to stay dead. If he'd stayed dead, there'd be questions to answer, and I for one would wonder why they made it a sad ending without anything hard to support it. Why didn't he come back to life? His body seemed fine. Was it smoke inhalation? Does that mess with the electricity and they forgot to explain? Was he just out of juice, and they never got around to explaining the time limit, and the fact that you die for good once it runs out? THAT would have been a cop out.

I get that it's easier to take a movie seriously if it's sad and dramatic, but I think there's a place for happy endings in this world. Victor learned his lesson, and Sparky got to live and not die a pointless death at the hands of that oafish mayor. That's not a bad thing, and it's not a bad ending.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] chuppachupp 12 years ago

I'm not saying that I think happy endings are a cop out, and if Sparky had stayed dead at the end, that necessarily wouldn't have been a depressing ending.

The film would have carried more emotional power if Victor would have realized that bringing something beloved back to life from the dead wasn't meant to be and was able to move on with his life. Sparky on the other hand, would realize that he is not the same dog as before and that this was not meant to be as well (scared of himself in mirror, depressed when he sees his grave). There could have been a very rewarding final farewell between the two before the credits came up. That type of character development in a PG rated movie like this could have lifted the film from a light-hearted entertaining kid's flick to something that would have been remembered for years to come because it had something more to offer for the soul.

That's just my opinion.

[–] IpsaThis 12 years ago

I don't understand those points either. I've read from a number of posters that "Sparky wasn't happy with his life, he wasn't the same dog, he didn't want to be alive" etc. I don't get that. He seemed exactly the same to me, aside from needing to be juiced up once a day or whatever. The difference was the way he was being treated, and the people around him. He was the same happy dog he always was. He was scared because scary stuff was happening. The rest of the cast was scared too, but no one is saying they didn't want or deserve to be alive. I think there might be some projecting going on.

[–] CountVladDracula 12 years ago

I don't understand those points either. I've read from a number of posters that "Sparky wasn't happy with his life, he wasn't the same dog, he didn't want to be alive" etc. I don't get that. He seemed exactly the same to me, aside from needing to be juiced up once a day or whatever. The difference was the way he was being treated, and the people around him. He was the same happy dog he always was. He was scared because scary stuff was happening. The rest of the cast was scared too, but no one is saying they didn't want or deserve to be alive. I think there might be some projecting going on.

Wisest post on this whole thread!

[–] CountVladDracula 12 years ago

Making things overly dark or "emotional" just for the sake of being "deeper" THAT is a cop out. Consider how many films have unnecessarily bleak endings just to play with the hearts of the audience and get extra attention at awards, it's shallow.

[–] ThatPeskyGhostWriter 12 years ago

I was happy to see Sparky come back to life. Why does it have to be dark and depressing? Sparky coming back is just a great notion, a beautiful one at that.

And, yes, dude, totally agree. This is a work of art, not that Hotel Transylvania isn't, but compared to something life this, it's such a shame that it isn't performing the way it should be.

"'When you are grown up and very lonely, you will understand. Love, Uncle Fester.'....He's a dead man."

[–] Wombstar 12 years ago

100% correct about the ending.
Yes he saved the boy at the end but it was his fault the town was a wreck in the first place for bringing him back to life. The kids will hate Victor because he still has his pet and they don't. The dog also knew he shouldn't have been alive. I know it's the same ending as the short, which Burton said he hated and Disney insisted on it.. so maybe the same happened here?

The whole meaning and point of the movie is lost thanks to those few moments at the end, it really spoiled it.

[–] rmoore23 12 years ago

The short film this movie was based on ended the exact same way. (Only without the transformed demonic cat.) If anything I think if they changed it by not making Sparky come back at the end, it would have made for a great twist. Nonetheless I still accepted the ending.

[–] CountVladDracula 12 years ago

We have enough bleakness and sorrow in the world. I'm tired of things being dark just for the sake of being dark. For God's sake, it's a CHILDREN"S film, people! Let children have hope.

Tim Burton had a small dog a few years ago that died, I don't think he could stomach killing a personification of him again.

And the Windmill (you cinematic philistine) is from the original 1931 Frankenstein with Boris Karloff. The scene in Sleepy Hollow was a homage to that. Tim Burton likes old movies.

[–] Beetlehands 12 years ago

Imagine for a moment the dog not coming back to life in the end and the sad credit music. It wouldn't have worked. This may be a Tim Burton film but it's also Disney.

Brian Dorton
writer / director
Trashology 2012
Crazy Fat Ethel 2013

[–] stript 12 years ago

Yes, just like when Old Yeller came back to life.

[–] GSmith9072 10 years ago

We have enough bleakness and sorrow in the world. I'm tired of things being dark just for the sake of being dark. For God's sake, it's a CHILDREN"S film, people! Let children have hope.

Your comments sound idiotic. This entire movie was 'dark'. I figured that this was the damn point of this horrible feature, to be dark and unusual. It certainly didn't give a crap about the other kid's pets dying, one quite graphically, so why the 'oh life's too sad already!' excuse for a movie like this? I'm just angered that all the labor of animating figurines when to this useless movie.

BUGS

[–] jjdb432 12 years ago

I kind of agree with the OP. It would have been really bold for the film to have the message that loved ones do die, and you just have to move on. They were beginning to hint at that message but then went ahead and made sparky come back to life again.

[–] CountVladDracula 12 years ago

Yes, and that "lesson" is done to death. The sad endingis a cheap cop out, not this ending. The sad ending is what people have come to expect from films like this. If you want that lesson go watch Marley and Me or Old Yeller. If you saw the short film you knew what you were getting with this movie and should be satisfied with it.

[–] Wombstar 12 years ago

Wrong.
The ending used in this film didn't reflect the films tone or the story the film was telling. Worse part is Tim Burton hated that ending in the short version and most of us fan were looking forward to seeing how he really wanted to end it. Disney sticking their nose in again i guess.