Movie Review

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

Corpse Bride was marketed as being ?From Tim Burton, the creator of The Nightmare Before Christmas? (and he actually didn't direct that movie). Fans of that flick would notice the similarity in the animation and would probably guess that this is a sequel to that beloved cult flick, or at least a loose sequel. That alone builds a certain buzz ? and when have Tim Burton and Johnny Depp screwed up together? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (B-) was not one of Burton?s better movies, but Depp saved the picture with the absolute weirdness of his performance. But in Corpse Bride, Depp is not seen ? only heard, and the script doesn?t allow him to do anything wild or memorable. And this movie is not a follow-up to Nightmare Before Christmas; the only similarity is the animation. This is a completely different story with a completely different feel, and the movie is a complete disappointment as a result.

Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp), an awkward, mumbling young man, is to be married to a woman (voiced by Emily Watson) he doesn?t love. When he takes his wedding ring out to a forest, he places the ring on what he thinks is a stick in the ground, and practices his vows. Suddenly there is rumbling from beneath the ground, and we find out that the sticks are actually fingers of a bride ? a corpse bride (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter) who is awakening from the dead. She is under the impression that Victor was proposing to her, and wants to spend the rest of her life with him (using a spell, Victor would become just like her ? dead ? and could then logically marry her). Who is Victor going to tie the knot with ? the woman he doesn?t love, or the lonely corpse?

That's all that Corpse Bride is about. Unlike Nightmare Before Christmas (B), there are no gateways to other exciting worlds, no interesting characters, and no catchy tunes. And the story is so weightless that the movie becomes dreadfully boring immediately; it never springs to life. "Supposedly" offbeat characters just act strangely and talk in silly voices, and it is meant to be cute.

Nightmare Before Christmas wasn?t known for being silly and was a lot darker (Corpse Bride is gothic but feels very calculated in its attempt to be a feel-good piece). Nightmare had a main character who was likable and was interested in some kind of change, and ended up discovering new worlds around him that ultimately changed his own world. Even with Depp?s voice work, Victor is just downright bland and clich? as a character. There isn?t any reason to like him and there isn?t any character development for anyone involved; it?s all very straightforward ?blah? material. The tunes, which were a highlight in Nightmare, also come off as a minor part of the experience; rather than feeling necessary, they?re randomly placed and don?t have any memorable lyrics.

To call Corpse Bride a disappointment would be an understatement. When I first watched Nightmare Before Christmas, I couldn?t get enough of it ? watching it repeatedly never got old (it had a repeat quality somewhat similar to the first Willy Wonka). I can?t even imagine watching Corpse Bride again. More than anything, I was left confused: I didn?t see the movie I was expecting to see, and I can?t imagine I?ll be the only one with this reaction. I know that cute family fare is usually not my cup of tea (I was one of the few who was not exactly won over by The Incredibles {C+/B-}), but that?s not what this was supposed to be.

And so, it can finally be said?unfortunately: Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have slipped and fell together. Luckily Corpse Bride is merely animated fare; if it were live action, people would care a lot more about whether this movie works or not. And in that regard, Burton and Depp have found the right picture to experiment with, as not everyone will care that this piece is very mediocre.

Lee's Grade: C
Ranked #86 of 143 between Layer Cake (#85) and The Longest Yard (#87) for 2005 movies.

A	0.4%
B	30.0%
C	61.7%
D	8.0%
F	0.0%