Corpse Bride

Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Watson

Directed By: Tim Burton

2.5 out of 5 stars

Before going to ‘Corpse Bride,’ you have to remind yourself not to make any comparisons to ‘Nightmare Before Christmas,’ as they are two different movies. And when, in the first five minutes of the film, you find it impossible not to compare the two, remember not to judge too harshly.

The similarities are blatant right from the start. Besides the fact that both films are done entirely in claymation, they both contain the same eerie-yet-lovable feeling that director Tim Burton is so good at producing. In any other genre of movie, the living dead would be grotesque and repulsive. Yet when they’re made of clay, you can’t help but feel warm fuzzies for creatures like the maggot who lives in the Corpse Bride’s brain and pops out of her eye when he wants to speak.

The story is the tale of Victor Van Dort, who is being married off by his fish peddler parents in the hopes of moving up in society by their daughter-to-be Victoria Everglot’s connections. Her parents are only allowing this downgrade in society because they are way in the poorhouse. On the day of the wedding rehearsal, Victor loses his nerve and runs to the forest to collect his thoughts. There he practices his vows and very accidentally marries a corpse who comes back from the dead to claim her hubby, much to the dismay of everyone with a pulse.

Since it’s Burton’s second time with the technique, the movie is much more professionally and cinematically done than ‘Nightmare.’ But somehow, the fact that it’s better made takes away from the overall production. What made Burton’s past claymation work so much fun was the fact that it was a little rough around the edges. The creatures were widely absurd, and the humans were disproportionate and amusing. And while the characters remained so in ‘Corpse Bride,’ they seem toned-down instead of purged further into the world of Burton’s imagination.

The music isn’t nearly as wonderful as one is accustomed to with the work of Danny Elfman. While I personally have the entire ‘Nightmare’ soundtrack on my computer, there was not a single song worth downloading this time around. The tunes actually seem if they were rejects from Elfman’s past scores. None of them are too catchy, many are too repetitive and the rhymes often seemed forced and, actually, annoying to listen to.

Yet, the movie wasn’t all bad. Beyond anything, ‘Corpse Bride’ is visually stunning. There is a vast and clear difference between the world of the living and the dead, down to the smallest details. While the former is bleak and gray, much like the characters themselves, the latter is vibrant and full of life; quit the feat as it’s the world of the deceased.

And the casting was exquisite. In his fifth production with Burton, Johnny Depp provides a wonderful voice for the timid Victor, Emily Watson for the optimistically love-struck Victoria and Helena Bonham Carter for the dark but alluring Corpse Bride. The movie also features the great vocal talents of Christopher Lee, Albert Finney, Tracey Ulman and Deep Roy (of Oompa Loompa fame).

So don’t expect another ‘Nightmare,’ or any of the characters from it to be showing up, because they aren’t there and you’ll just end up disappointed. Instead, take this movie what for what it is: a cute film to go see when there’s nothing else, but really, not a matter of life and death.

Published on September 21, 2005 at 12:00 pm