Frankenweenie (2012)
Science goes astray!
When a car hits young Victor's pet dog Sparky, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked "monster" wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor's neighbors, he has to convince them that Sparky's still the good, loyal friend he was.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 4 October 2012 |
| Genre | Animation, Comedy, Family, Horror, Science Fiction |
| Director | Tim Burton |
| Starring | Charlie Tahan, Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short |
| Runtime | 87 min |
| Rated | PG |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.5/10 · Metacritic 74/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 87% · TMDB users 7.0/10 |
| Budget | $39 million |
Where to watch Frankenweenie
Frankenweenie is streaming on Disney+ ($21.49 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Disney+ is $21.49 at list price.
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Rent or buy
You can rent or buy Frankenweenie on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Frankenweenie in 57 other countries
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| Argentina | Disney+ $15599 ARS |
| Australia | Disney+ $17.99 AUD |
| Austria | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Belgium | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Belize | Disney+ |
| Bolivia | Disney+ |
| Brazil | Disney+ R$49.90 |
| Bulgaria | Disney+ €9.99 |
| Canada | Disney+ $15.99 CAD |
| Chile | Disney+ $10990 CLP |
| Colombia | Disney+ $36900 COP |
| Costa Rica | Disney+ |
| Croatia | Disney+ €9.99 |
| Czechia | Disney+ 219 Kč |
| Denmark | Disney+ 119 kr DKK |
| Dominican Republic | Disney+ |
| Ecuador | Disney+ $11.49 |
| El Salvador | Disney+ |
| Finland | Disney+ €11.99 |
| France | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Germany | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Greece | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Guatemala | Disney+ |
| Honduras | Disney+ |
| Hong Kong | Disney+ HK$88 |
| Hungary | Disney+ 2990 Ft |
| Ireland | Disney+ €11.99 |
| Italy | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Jamaica | Disney+ |
| Japan | Disney+ ¥1250 JPY |
| Liechtenstein | Disney+ |
| Luxembourg | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Mexico | Disney+ $259 MXN |
| Netherlands | Disney+ €10.99 |
| New Zealand | Disney+ $18.99 NZD |
| Nicaragua | Disney+ |
| Norway | Disney+ 129 kr NOK |
| Panama | Disney+ $12.49 |
| Paraguay | Disney+ |
| Peru | Disney+ S/49.90 |
| Poland | Disney+ 34.99 zł |
| Portugal | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Romania | Disney+ 34.99 lei |
| San Marino | Disney+ |
| Singapore | Disney+ $18.98 SGD |
| Slovakia | Disney+ €9.99 |
| South Korea | Disney+ ₩9900 |
| Spain | Disney+ €10.99 |
| St. Lucia | Disney+ |
| Sweden | Disney+ 129 kr SEK |
| Switzerland | Disney+ CHF16.90 |
| Taiwan | Disney+ NT$285 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Disney+ |
| Türkiye | Disney+ ₺449.90 |
| United Kingdom | Disney+ £11.99 GBP |
| Uruguay | Disney+ about $U522 |
| Venezuela | Disney+ |
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What kind of watch this is
Tim Burton’s 2012 film treats a suburban neighborhood like a gothic landscape, where the horror is not the monster but the adults who cannot handle it. Victor Frankenstein, played by Charlie Tahan, reanimates his dog Sparky after a car kills it. The result is a bolt-necked companion that terrorizes the community, forcing Victor to prove that the creature is still the loyal friend it always was. At 87 minutes, it moves with a brisk, dark rhythm. It is a comedy about grief that refuses to look away from the science. The tagline says "Science goes astray," but the real tragedy is that the neighbors only see the bolts, not the heart.
What the critics said
Critics called it generally positive, which is the highest praise a stop-motion ghost story can expect. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 87% as of January 2025, with an average of 7.5/10. Metacritic lands on 74 as of November 2024, a score that implies satisfaction without ecstasy. Justin Chang of Variety noted the "artistic coherence" missing from Burton’s live-action work. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter disagreed, calling it "second-generation photocopies." That is a harsh way to describe a dog coming back from the dead, but it is a fair one.
How it did with audiences
It cost $39 million and took in $81 million worldwide. TMDB users rate it 7 out of 10. The studio likely smiled at the opening weekend numbers, even if the long tail was quieter. It did the job.
What came next for the cast
Charlie Tahan moved from Charlie St. Cloud to Blue Jasmine. Catherine O'Hara went from the Home Alone franchise to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Martin Short shifted from Mars Attacks! to Only Murders in the Building. The timeline suggests momentum, but credits alone do not prove causation. The film sits in the middle, a pivot point rather than a cause.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Frankenweenie.
Sources
- Frankenweenie on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q1051023 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Frankenweenie (2012 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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