Corpse Bride--film review--
While a good number of Tim Burton films obtain a comfortable balance between style and substance, “Corpse Bride” relies entirely too much on the former.
Burton, the famed director of such films as “Ed Wood” and “Batman,” returns to ground he has previously covered.
He penned and produced the 1993 stop-motion cult classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” It was hailed as a visual masterpiece and conceptually clever.
More than 10 years after the success of “Nightmare,” Burton returns to stop-animation with “Corpse Bride.”
Though there has been little advancement in the world of stop-animation, “Corpse Bride” does contain quite a few stunning visuals.
But, like most of the characters in the world of the dead, there is nothing to the film but skin and bones. What the film lacks is a soul.
The story revolves around Victor Van Dort, voiced by the talented Johnny Depp. His parents arrange a marriage with the bankrupt Everglot family. Although his soon-to-be wife, Victoria, and he are apprehensive, it’s not long before they fall in love.
However, fate has other plans.
After ruining the wedding rehearsal, Victor retreats to the woods to practice his vows. It is here where he slips the ring upon the hand of the Corpse Bride, voiced by Helena Bonham Carter.
Brought down from the drab and dreary world of the living to the colorful world of the dead, he and the audience are barraged by the usual cast of Burton characters.
Jazzy skeletons and goofy ghosts drop one-liners sure not to illicit any laughs.
The rest of the story progresses predictably.
Alternating between both worlds, the bumbling Victor must choose between the Corpse Bride and the beautiful Victoria.
The entire foundation for the film is derivative and contrived. Borrowing aspects from nearly every hit Burton film, the plot becomes muddled and unclear.
Characters are horribly forgettable. In a failed ironic jab at animation cliche a la Jiminy Cricket, the screenwriters cast a small maggot acting as the conscience of the Corpse Bride. Not only are most of this character’s jokes dead on arrival, his bright green body throws off the entire color scheme.
In Burton fashion, the characters will break into song every so often. However, the lyrics are uninteresting and tedious.
Musically, it isn’t much different than “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Although the song and dance numbers offer little to the story and characters, the film boasts an impressive score by Danny Elfman.
Ultimately, Burton should have spent more time breathing life into the story and characters and less time with gothic idiosyncrasies.
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