CORPSE BRIDE (2005)

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride is yet another solid effort from the director who, at present, can do little wrong. It's not his best work to date, but it's still an enjoyable movie non the less. It's similar in look and style to his other stop-motion tale, The Nightmare Before Christmas, but story and mood wise the two films are very different. The Nightmare Before Christmas, for all it's gloominess was far more upbeat and fast paced, whereas Corpse Bride is a little more pedestrian and far darker during certain scenes.
Johnny Depp is the voice of the lowly Victor Van Dort, a sad man about to go through an arranged marriage. Victor winds up practicing his vows in a graveyard and places a ring on what he thinks is a twig. It's not a twig though, it's the decomposed finger of Emily, The Corpse Bride, nicely voiced by Helena Bonham Carter. And according to the rules of the land of the dead, the marriage is a legitimate one. So Victor and Emily are whisked away to the zany, song and dance filled world of the afterlife. What's interesting, and one of the things I really liked about the film, is how horrible, and gloomy the world of the living is made to be, while the world of the dead is more colorful and cheerful. It's a theme that comes up in a few Burton films (take Beetlejuice for one) but in Corpse Bride, he makes the real world seem more horrifying than ever before.

Although I'm no expert, the quality of the stop-motion seems the same to me as in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Both films are smooth and beautifully done but I thought maybe this time around there would be something new or more advanced pertaining to the craft, yet no progress was made in my eyes as far as that goes. Maybe there is only so much you can do with stop-motion and it's reached its peak. I don't know for sure, but the overall appearance seems comfortingly familiar. My only gripe would be the foggy haze used to add atmosphere to certain scenes which, at times is annoying and at others adds to the films creepy ambience. The talented voice cast also enhances the movie greatly. Christopher Lee has a small yet extremely funny voice part as Pastor Galswells and Tracey Ullman is equally hilarious as Victor's mother. Emily Watson is perfectly sweet as Victor's soon to be living wife Victoria Everglot.
Composer and habitual Tim Burton collaborator Danny Elfman is back lending his vocal talents as well as his musical compositions. These two were basically made for each other as everything they do seems to fit so perfectly together. The score is very good, and the songs fit into the movie well and keep the story moving forward. Whenever the songs bust out, the surreal imagery is also taken to new, and crazier heights along with it.

Go into Corpse Bride expecting a Tim Burton movie and that's what you'll get. If you like most of Burton's other films than you'll know what to expect and you won't be disappointed with this latest offering. It's filled with his usual trademarks. There's the hauntingly beautiful imagery as well as his splendid visualisations of the afterlife. And there's also a simple but well told story to enjoy as well. Burton fans won't be disappointed.