Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

Corpse Bride is one of Tim Burton's best movies in my opinion. It really captures his animated best. In Corpse Bride he uses puppets instead of claymation, which allows for much more fluid animation. Although you are limited in a lot of ways I would definitely not say it's easier. Corpse Bride took 4 years to make! I own this on DVD, and I wouldn't change a thing about the movie. Everything, from Depp as Victor to the wonderful animation and theme of the movie is perfect for me.

The story of the Corpse Bride revolves around Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) who is forced into an arranged marriage by the parents of both parties (Victor's parents want to be seen socializing with aristocracy while Victoria's want to have the rights to the Van Dort's wealth). After a short piano solo Victor and Victoria begin to think getting married isn't such a bad idea however when Victor forgets his vows at the wedding rehearsal he is sent off to try and learn them. In an effort to please everyone Victor runs into the near-by forest where he manages to gain confidence and repeats his lines perfectly, even putting the wedding ring on the branch of a tree however it is not a branch, it is the finger of the long dead Corpse Bride who is looking for a new husband to call her own. Victor is then pulled down into the Land of the Dead where everyone is good-spirited and the pubs never shut.

Corpse Bride is certainly an interesting film. It's theme, macabre designs and funny-looking characters (courtesy of visionary director Tim Burton) make for a great film for teens and adults alike but not so much for young children or anyone who cannot get involved with the film's sophisticated side. In the build up to its release many fans of Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas expected a film of a similar style (dark musical for children) however this was not to be. While the film's musical cues and jazzy songs are great and funny they do not have the overexcitable energy that Nightmare's did. That doesn't mean Danny Elfman has made a mistake it just means someone somewhere along the line has mis-read the tone of the film. This aside the eeriness of the sets will keep Nightmare fans happy as well as the stellar voice acting and flawless stop-motion animation. Johnny Depp is charming as the shy, gentlemanly Victor Van Dort, Helena Bonham-Carter portrays Emily (the corpse bride)'s emotional rollercoatser perfectly and Emily Watson realises the frantic/nervous/kindly characteristics of Victor's bride-to-be Victoria to a tee. English comedy favourites Jane Horrocks and Paul Whitehouse inject a good bit of British humour into the supporting cast while Enn Reitel provides the oh-so familiar voice of the maggot. Overall a good film but certainly not another "Nightmare".

Never as macabre as one might expect (or hope), Tim Burton's latest film is instead a sweet, often clever fairy tale that charms you with both the story's poignancy and its imaginative stop-motion animation. Co-directed with Mike Johnson, all the ingredients of a twisted foray into Burton Land are here: the presence of the always enjoyable Johnny Depp, a Danny Elfman score, inspired visuals and a story involving the supernatural misunderstandings that cause the arranged wedding plans of the shy Victor Van Dort (Depp) and Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson) to go seriously awry. See, the nouveau-riche Van Dorts and the well-placed but financially depleted Everglots have hatched a plot to marry their offspring. Despite an immediate connection with his bride-to-be, Victor finds himself panic stricken at the wedding rehearsal and runs off into the dark woods outside his Victorian village for refuge, leading to his accidental proposal to the Corpse Bride (voiced by Burton's wife, Helena Bonham Carter). Meanwhile, Victoria finds herself trying to fend off a new suitor, the suspicious Barkis Bittern (Richard E. Grant).

Rest assured, there are plenty of quirky touches sprinkled throughout: the severe-looking townsfolk; the skeletal Scraps (Victor's long-dead dog come back to life sort of); the jolly assortment of netherworld residents. Yet Burton makes his three leads exceedingly sympathetic, especially the Corpse Bride herself. Murdered on the eve of her wedding, she has longed for love ever since her banishment to the grave and is overjoyed by the prospect of having found a husband, unwilling or otherwise. Far removed from some demonic 'bride from hell', she is instead a lost soul yearning for the happiness that was cruelly denied her.

The animation has a jerky, almost retro quality reminiscent of Ray Harryhausen (JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS; CLASH OF THE TITANS) that is a welcome break from the pristine computer graphics of many of today's animated flicks. Danny Elfman's songs, for their part, are entertaining enough in the context of the film and add some extra fun to the underworld scenes yet are largely forgettable once you've left the theatre. The movie can be slow in spots and lacks some of the manic energy that you'd hope for in a Burton film, but give the guy credit for not playing too much into the audience's hands. Defying expectations, TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE proves to be yet another interesting left-turn in the career of a director that is filled to overflowing with them.