The boy who powers the emotional heart of Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie is young Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan). Victor is a film nerd of the classic persuasion. The film opens with a creature feature shot by Victor with his beloved dog Sparky as the main attraction. Victor is more or less friendless, though not ostracized. It’s just that his classmates are a little on the creepy side and he’d rather hang out with boy’s best friend than chat up the weird girl (the always welcome Catherine O’Hara, who also voices Victor’s Mom and the Sue Sylvester-esque Gym Teacher) whose cat has scat-related premonitions. A tragic accident gets Sparky killed and the boy succumbs to utter despair.
[“We can make a death ray!”]