McCurdy- Frankenweenie

Victor and Sparky in the 2011 Frankenweenie.

        Tim Burton's Frankenweenie tells the tale of a young boy who loves his trusty dog, Sparky, so much that he literally can't bear to live without him. After Sparky is fatally wounded by a car accident, Victor decides to bring him back to life. The 1984 and 2012 versions of Frankenweenie share basic plot elements, but there are major differences between the two. 

       The most obvious difference between the films is Burton's use of animation in the 2012 version. I believe this technique makes it much more Burtonian, since it allows for more creative expression. The characters in the film look strikingly similar to previous drawings we've seen of Burton's. The wide-eyed girl with the cat in Frankenweenie is nearly identical to Burton's illustration of Staring Girl in The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories. Overall, the freedom stop-motion allows give the movie an artistic flair that Burton fans are accustomed to. Since the people aren't actually real, the characters' figures and expressions can be extremely exaggerated. The 1984 version is more relateable because of the live cast, but the 2012 version reaches a higher level of poignancy than the older one for me. This could also be due to another big difference between the two films. The 2012 version is much longer and has a more detailed story line than the prior. Being only about half an hour, the 1984 version did not develop the story as extensively as the stop-motion. The science fair and resentful kids at Victor's school is not included at all in the 1984 version, making Victor's outsider-ness seem less prominent. His feelings of loss and loneliness affected me more deeply when the 2011 movie included emotionally charged scenes.

        The stop motion characteristic of the 2012 version also seems to match the overall story much better. I say this mainly because of the gothical fantasy feel this film has. Live people bringing a dog back to life could obviously not happen in the real world, so it is much more convincing when animated. Additionally, it just makes the film seem spookier and definitely more Burtonian.  There are multiple scenes that are basically identical in both versions, but to me they are better suited in for 2012 film. For example, whenever the dog's neck bolt's would spark, it just looked a little silly. He is brought back to life for the final time in the 1984 version, but the scene lacked seriousness because the sparks emitting from him looked unnatural and a little absurd. The fantastical aspects of Frankenweenie are better executed in the the newer version.

       Both films convey the importance of life and death, but I personally preferred the stop-motion version. I think it better the suited the plotline and brought to life the unique characters in the film. Tim Burton's aesthetic flair really added to the morbid attitude the movie is centered around as well. The concept of death was approached  in an offbeat and entertaining fashion, but the serious undertone is still present. Burton's strength in the art of stop-motion brings this story to life. 

McCurdy- Sweeney Todd

Judge Turpin and Sweeney Todd

       Benjamin Barker becomes a mass murderer as a result of tragic events from his past. He takes on the persona of Sweeney Todd, luring in customers that he plans to kill and bake into pies with the help of Mrs. Lovett. In attempting to avenge his wife's death and daughter's absence, he kills numerous individuals with absolutely no remorse. The good side of Benjamin Barker disappears and he is taken over by the shadow, Sweeney Todd. Strangely enough, although he has become a murderer, the audience still sympathizes with him; they realize that he has begun a new lifestyle because he was permanently hurt after being ripped apart from his family.
       Tim Burton illustrates the story in such a way that cannibalism doesn't seem so wrong. Victims being killed and baked into pies initially sounds macabre, but the audience becomes sympathetic to Sweeney due to his situation. He is trying to cope with the loss of the most important people in his life: his wife and Johanna. People need outlets for inner tensions, and Sweeney finds his in a very brutal form. The film does not hold back from showing the gruesomeness Sweeney Todd used on his victims.
       Sweeney Todd makes sense of cannibalism and does not make it seem like the horrible crime it is. In a way, it shows the lengths people would go to in order to survive. Urbanization was starting in London and Sweeney Todd portrays the unbelievable things people would take part in so they could be successful.Mrs. Lovett came up with the idea of baking people into pies as a result of her twisted morals and failing business.  She realized if she didn't have to pay for the main ingredient (meat), her business would begin to boom. London was growing and she needed to keep up. People would go to great extents such as this so they could have a thriving career and not fall behind as the city urbanized and grew.
       The film has a twisted theme, but Tim Burton and Sweeney make it seem justifiable. Sweeney takes on a new persona that brings his inner desires to the surface, just as many others wish they could do at times. The story may come off as grotesque at first, but the characters convey the importance of what they're doing and earn sympathy from the audience.

McCurdy- Big Fish

Edward Bloom in Big Fish

Edward Bloom meets very interesting characters as he goes through life, but they do not necessarily have the same positive outlook on life as he. He generally has a very sunny disposition throughout Big Fish, and he tries to spread this to others when interacting with them. He is happy and wants everyone else to be. However, many of the people he meets are very different from him. Interestingly enough though, the grotesque characters he encounters are drawn to him, and vice versa. They seem to find joy in being with each other, regardless of their differences. For example, when Edward meets the people of Spectre, they try to force him to stay in their idealistic, cookie-cutter society. He treats them with kindness, even though he realizes their differences. Even when he decides to leave the town, he remains on good terms with them and does not reject them because of contrasting opinions. They feel the same way toward him as well, because they respect his sunny personality and respectful tone.
The giant Edward meets would generally scare people, but he is drawn to him and understands that he is a genuinely sweet person on the inside. The giant and Edward both trust each other, putting their differences aside. The giant believes Edward will stray from him when they are journeying together, but Edward assures him that he won't and gives him his backpack as a symbol of trust. They have mutual respect for each other and accept them for who they are.
Making these connections between contrasting personalities is very important to Tim Burton, seeing as he has been doing it his entire life. Burton went through life meeting various people he was drawn to and created somewhat of a family out of them. He realizes that just because people have differences does not mean they can't get along. In fact, varying personalities can often come together and create a beautiful friendship. This is highlighted in Big Fish, especially when it comes to Edward Bloom's relationships with others. They both accept themselves for who they really are. 

McCurdy- Sleepy Hollow

Johnny Depp in Sleepy Hollow.

       In comparison to Washington Irving's original story, Burton's film adaptation is very different.  The entire narrative is  transformed, and it basically is a new story. However, Burton noted that it was important to him to keep the atmosphere of the story the same as well as the historic character names. Both of those things gave a certain feel to the story that he did not want taken away. Regardless, the plot is completely different and Burton adds many more elements that definitely make it more appealing to Hollywood audiences.

       An important element he creates is Ichabod Crane's parental backstory. The audience learns that his mother died when he was a young child and his father was a stern religious man. Because of this, the audience develops a sense of poignancy toward the character and can relate to his early struggles. It also explains his dependency on science and reason. In Washington Irving's story, his parents were not even mentioned and he did not have trouble straying away from the ideals of scientific thought. The flashbacks in Burton's film help the audience understand why Ichabod has become the man he is.

       Also in Burton's version, Ichabod does not suddenly disappear at the end. Instead, he saves the day by returning the skull to the Headless Horseman. Additionally, he continues falling in love with Katrina, which was not expanded on in the original story. The ending resolution and addition of romance makes the story more likeable to audiences, since  people generally enjoy happy endings and evil being defeated. 

       Another contrast between the two stories is the addition of Ichabod Crane's accomplice, the young boy. Since his parents have died, he asks Crane if he can join in figuring out the mystery of the Headless Horseman. He helps him along the way and adds to the plot.

       Burton's version enhances the story in a way, but really it is completely different so it's hard to compare which one is  "better." He uses the original legend in the story, the character names, and the familiar atmosphere, but the entire narrative has been changed. He does much more with Irving's story, making it very different from the original Sleepy Hollow.