Corpse Bride (2005)

It is quite evident when viewing the new animated picture, The Corpse Bride, that Tim Burton is responsible for the creation. This film bears the same look and feel as Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, but this time he's in the director's chair. Corpse Bride has many of the same qualities Nightmare has, and borrows a great deal of what made the former film so well liked. Twelve years have passed since Nightmare was released, and Burton's filmmaking and storytelling capabilities have changed in that decade, but his artistic sensibilities have remained in large part the same . I am have not been fully exposed to the man's body of work as I'm typically not a fan, but I can say with some assurance that this is the best Burton film I have seen.

The film tells the story of Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp), a man who is to be wed to Victoria (Emily Watson), whom he has never met. During wedding rehearsals Victor leaves the church, frustrated that he cannot get his vows right. He decides to go and practice them in the woods when he accidentally marries an undead bride voiced by Helena Bonham Carter. Carter and Depp did work together earlier this year in another Burton's recent Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They aren’t the only ones who worked together from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Deep Roy, who played all of the Oompa Loompas, and Christopher Lee who played Dr. Wonka are also in Corpse Bride. Their reunion with Burton for this film turns out to be a brilliant amalgamating of talent.  Though the film is only one hour and fifteen minutes it makes up for its brevity with a wonderful story and cast.  Even Johnny Depp manages to make you forget it is he who plays Victor.  In fact, all of the stars bring their animated characters to life with remarkable zeal.

One of the things that I truly loved about Corpse Bride is how Burton crafts the living world and the afterlife world which the film splits its time in. In Corpse Bride, the living world is a dark place where no one enjoys anything that they do. But in the afterlife world, everyday is a party with lights all over the place and where everyone enjoys themselves and engages in almost Dionysian fun. When Victor first arrives in the afterlife he wants to leave as soon as possible, but as he starts to spend time with Emily, the corpse bride, he sees that this might actually be the life for him. The dilemma for Victor: does he want to go back to his dull world but living Victoria and marry her before she marries Lord Barkis (Richard E. Grant) or does he want to stay with Emily in her realm of death.

It takes about twenty minutes for the film to really get rolling.  Like always, I endeavored to give the film the full extent of my patience and, fortunately, this time my patience paid off. The setup and introduction to the film are a bit weak and fail to grasp the audience's interest, but quickly enough the film allows you to get to know the characters better on their own terms.

One of the most prolific composers of film today and a perpetual collaborator with Burton is Danny Elfman. Not only did he compose the songs for The Nightmare Before Christmas, but he did Jack Skellington’s singing numbers in the film. The man is truly great and knows what he is doing in his line of work. In a sense, most of the film is a musical. There are about five or so musical numbers throughout the film, all very well done and professional.

Corpse Bride at its core is supposed to be a children’s film. The film brings with it quirky humor that garners some hearty laughs. Although the film is rated PG, smaller children may not understand some of the humor. They might even get scared.

Unlike most films of this genre, when they try to be funny in Corpse Bride they actually manage to pull it off. There are little things you notice about the film that can make you laugh. Even the stupidest things can be funny, like how Victoria’s grandfathers and great grandfathers all look like her dad. And when the dead walk the earth later in the film and her grandfather actually talks to them. There is romance in the film between Emily and Victor, and even Victor and Victoria. All of the elements work out nicely in the end.

In the second musical number in the film, a skeleton tells Victor about the life of Emily and what happened to her. It isn’t that hard to tell that Lord Barkis is the one that broke up with Emily at the tree, especially if you are an adult you should be able to pick up this early in the film. The film keeps you wondering until the end if Victor will actually leave Victoria for Emily. Despite only spending a couple days with each, Victor does truly fall in love with one.

Final

This is not only the best animated film of 2005, but it is one of the best films of the year. Since there wasn’t a Best Animated Film award at the Oscars when A Nightmare Before Christmas was released, I can't help but feel Tim Burton’s has an award coming with Corpse Bride. With a great story, a great look, and great acting, Corpse Bride is one of the best animated films in the last five years.