[7.7/10] A great entree into Tim Burton. You can see all the little quirks and budding virtuoso moves that would eventually encompass his style going forward here. There’s the same sort of “weirdness in suburbia” vibe that be his lodestone. There’s a lot of art deco and german expressionism at play. And there’s his trademark affection for dreamers and misfits within communities more apt to fear than understand them, let alone embrace them.

There’s also a wry, understated tone to everything. The biggest laughs in the episode come from Victor’s parents having vaguely normal, matter of fact conversations with their son and with one another over the fact that he brought their dog back from the dead. There’s a dry, almost corny-but-sincere wit to each of these moments, which helps make the short comic and sweet.

The short’s also fueled by the simple brilliance of translation the classic Frankenstein story onto a boy who simply misses his canine best friend. Little details like Victor getting the idea from an elementary school science class demonstration or turning the angry villagers into busybody neighbors are deft choices.

The short also succeeds on the back of Burton’s eye for visuals. The high point of the film comes from the final set piece set in an old putting range that has the mix of the gothic and the twee that Burton would make famous. But even in the suburbs, he finds creative ways to frame Victor’s world that help communicate his tenuous position in it, and the panic his little bud Sparky (a great name for the titular dog in this story) causes in the neighborhood. And the production design for Victor’s makeshift laboratory is outstanding.

Best of all, the film ends on a light but heartening note, with Sparky earning the trust of the town by saving the boy who saved in, and being revived again by the community (or their car batteries) after that bit of redemption. It’s a testament to the heart that always beat strongly beneath Burton’s affinity for the macabre and the fantastical.

Overall, this is a great watch for any Burton fans, with little hints of the director’s style in a compact and entertaining package.