Tim Burton's Corpse Bride Review

Overall Rating

Great ensemble voice cast and clever animation add much to this charming supernatural tale.

Some slow pacing in parts.

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.