One of Tim Burton's First Films Is Also One of the Best Frankenstein Updates Ever Made

Tim Burton Officially Changed the Monster Movie Formula in This Major Hit image via 20th Century Fox Published Sep 29, 2026, 5:42 AM EDT Jeffrey is a freelance features writer at Collider. He is an MPA-accredited entertainment journalist and a Tomatometer-approved critic based in the LA area. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Radio, TV, & Film and a Bachelor of Arts in Theater. Oscar-nominated director Tim Burton possesses a clear affinity for Mary Shelley's iconic tale of Frankenstein, especially the creature Dr. Victor Frankenstein creates in the story. A recurring motif throughout Burton's works concerns characters who resemble Frankenstein's monster, which Burton utilizes in many of his live-action and animated features. However, Burton’s 1990 hit, Edward Scissorhands, his first live-action short feature, Frankenweenie, and its 2012 stop-motion animated remake, demonstrate the best updates to Frankenstein. In many ways, Edward Scissorhands stands out as one of the best spiritual updates of Frankenstein ever made. 'Edward Scissorhands' Is a 'Frankenstein' Update for a New Era Image via 20th Century Fox The titular Edward Scissorhands (Johnny Depp) and Frankenstein's creation share many similarities, including the fact that both are intelligent and sentient, experience rejection from society, are treated like monsters and sent into exile. Burton's love for Frankenstein clearly comes from his identifying with Frankenstein’s “monster,” viewing the famous monsters of iconic horror tales as the true protagonists. These creatures were not reprehensible sources of evil and villainy, but misunderstood and sympathetic figures. As Burton once explained in a Film4 video about horror, his connection to Frankenstein's monster was comparable to how other kids his age connected with Fred Astaire or John Wayne. Burton elaborated, "That's when I first learned about how people perceive normal, what’s weird or not weird, when in fact these characters were the most human." Burton's reinterpretation of Frankenstein in Edward Scissorhands reframes the monster as an ageless, gentle, and kind being. The plot reveals that Edward was a type of homunculus crafted and imbued with life by his creator, The Inventor (Vincent Price). However, The Inventor passed away from a heart attack before completing Edward, and he's left alone in the factory. After getting "adopted" by the Boggs family, he's manipulated by Jim (Anthony Michael Hall), the malevolent boyfriend of Kim Boggs (Winona Ryder), the object of Edward's affection. Unfortunately, Jim manipulates Edward into wrongdoing, leading Edward to be shunned by the community. Edward's subsequent isolation and rejection by the suburban neighborhood resembles humans reacting to Frankenstein's monster out of fear or rejecting him, and frequent Frankenstein adaptations showcase the creature as he is hounded or chased by angry mobs. In truth, Edward's actions always come from an innocent and kind place, and the real monster is Jim. Burton Parodies Frankenstein in 'Frankenweenie' Burton's first foray into live-action is the 1984 short, Frankenweenie, which straight-up parodies Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. However, it pulls this off from a very genuine place. Rather than a mad scientist wanting to create life, Frankenweenie's premise explores the young boy and aspiring scientist, Victor Frankenstein (Barret Oliver), wanting to revive his beloved dog Sparky, who dies in a tragic car accident. Of course, Victor's experiment works, and Sparky is brought back to life, but many high jinks ensue. Sparky's mischief throughout town causes Victor's neighbors to see his dog Sparky as a monster. In contrast to Frankenstein, Frankenweenie features a much more humorous, uplifting, and happier ending. The angry mob sees the error of their ways after Sparky rescues his beloved human Victor from a burning windmill, but once again dies in the process. The neighbors then come together to help Victor revive Sparky once more, and in a cutesy ending, Sparky falls for a neighbor's poodle, resembling “The Bride” from The Bride of Frankenstein. The 2012 animated remake expands the original's storyline but follows a similar narrative. However, it integrates Victor's classmates, who attempt to emulate Victor's experiment with Sparky, creating "monsters" of their own, unleashing chaos upon their town. The children's new monsters allow Sparky and Victor to prove their heroism, with Sparky once again tragically sacrificing his life to save Victor from a burning windmill. Both versions end similarly with the townspeople banding together to revive Sparky, and Sparky’s adorable romance with another dog. Refashioning the relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his monster into a story about a boy and his dog is a stroke of brilliance by Burton, as it's an incredibly relatable, heartfelt, and emotional concept. 'Frankenstein' Motifs Recur Throughout Burton’s Filmography Image via 20th Century Studios Although Edward Scissorhands and the Frankenweenie movies stand out as the best examples of Burton essentially offering his own spin on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, similar themes and characters pop up throughout his filmography. Sally of The Nightmare Before Christmas, a film that Burton wrote the original story for and produced, takes visual cues from various versions of Frankenstein with her stitched-together appearance and relationship with her creator, Dr. Finkelstein. And the Penguin, aka Oswald Cobblepot (Danny DeVito), in Batman Returns, represents another character who becomes similarly rejected and ostracized by society, although he's the movie’s villain. Born with a malformed appearance, he’s cast aside by his parents and sent away in a makeshift raft. Then, after feeling rejected by the people of Gotham City after Bruce Wayne/Batman (Michael Keaton) foils his mayoral campaign, Penguin is prompted to act out in revenge. Although Penguin responds to his rejection with more villainous actions, Burton still maintains a clear level of empathy toward the character. The Penguin's villainy arguably stems from his feelings of isolation and loneliness, making him a tragic and sympathetic figure similar to Frankenstein's monster. Nevertheless, Burton's takes on Frankenstein provide classic cinematic experiences, and they've aged remarkably well over the years, especially Edward Scissorhands. Fans of Frankenstein should revisit and discover Burton's iconic works, which beautifully explore how the "monsters" rejected by society are the most human of us all.