Corpse Bride Review

Written by: Moviemaven   

I just got back from the magical world of Tim Burton and it pains me to say that the journey wasn't exactly what I'd hoped it to be. Burton fans, take heart though. Corpse Bride was just as visually stunning as you expect and the music of Danny Elfman is firmly in place. My only disappointment lies in the fact that the story itself was a little weak and predictable. In short, and I know this has been said a lot, it was no Nightmare Before Christmas. But don't let that stop you from enjoying it. It didn't stop me.

Poor Victor is set to marry Victoria according to the plan of their parents. Victor's parents are newly rich and require the marriage to plant them in society. Victoria's parents are cash poor and need Victor's money to keep them in their station. It looks bad for the youngsters until they discover they love one another and are looking forward to the union. Then tragedy strikes. When Victor is walking in the woods one evening, he is accidentally married to Emily, the corpse bride. He desperately wants to return to Victoria, but Emily was wronged in life and dreams of making it right.

An interesting thing to note is that the world of the dead is vibrant and fun while the land of the living (upstairs) is mostly black and white. This makes for a tough choice. I found myself heming and hawing as to how I wanted it to go. On one hand, both girls are sweet and Victoria is alive. LOL But Emily loves Victor as well. I felt bad for her because she had already suffered a terrible heartbreak. But, it ends as you would expect. There is even a villian to add some mystery. But he doesn't. He is rather transparent and you pretty much know his story from the moment he arrives.

Do I also sound like I'm heming and hawing with my verdict of the film? That's because I am. I wish there was more to the story and that it wasn't so obvious (and maybe a little longer) but I also thoroughly enjoy the abilities of both Burton and Elfman. In that respect I was not disappointed.

Add to that, the incredible voice talents of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Joanna Lumley, Tracey Ullman, Albert Finney, and the always amazing, Christopher Lee. With a cast like that, you can't really go wrong.

So here we are at the end and I still can't make up my mind. My love of Burton is strong. Let me leave you with this final word. If you are a fan of Tim Burton's directorial talents as well as the unquestionable abilities of Danny Elfman, you will enjoy this film. Even with the above mentioned shortcomings, Corpse Bride is a visual feast. It is chock full of beautiful scenery, haunting music (much that is reminiscent of Beetlejuice), and witty dialogue that is loads of fun. Hell, the guy behind me laughed so hard I thought he was gonna hurt himself.

So fear not, reader. Every film can't be perfect but that doesn't mean it's not worth the viewing. I had a good time in spite of it all. Just as I knew I would.