Alice Howland (Moore) is a  brilliant linguistics professor who has a warm and loving home life and a rewarding career where she is respected by students and colleagues. Then she begins forgetting things. At first, the problems are relatively minor. She loses track of where she’s going in a lecture. It’s an embarrassing moment, but little more. Then after getting lost while going for a jog around her college campus, she decides to seek medical help. 

It’s hard to tell if Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s contemporary re-imagining of Henry James’ 1897 novel is too ambitious, or not ambitious enough; either way, the promising film features unavoidable plot holes large enough to fall straight into. There’s no question that Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan are both superb actors, but as little Maisie’s inept, spoiled parents, not even their combined power can fill these empty characterizations. 

Most of Burton’s movies are instantly recognizable thanks to the filmmakers’ unique artistic vision and his ability to blend dark, film noir elements into genres known for sunnier treatments.  His touch is particularly welcome here because “Frankenweenie” – presented in black and white – is visually similar to director James Whale’s 1931 version of “Frankenstein.”  The likeness adds to the idea that Burton is not only re-imagining Shelley’s story but paying tribute to its previous film incarnations.