Corpse Bride

Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) is supposed to marry Victoria Everglot. Both sets of parents are in favor of this arranged marriage, as the Van Dorts have money but are not part of high society and the Everglots have noble blood but are dirt poor. However, at the rehearsal, Victor screws everything up and he's sent off to try to memorize the wedding vows...which he keeps screwing up. While walking through the woods and practicing, he finally gets it right and ends up married to a corpse who has just come back to life after he put the ring on her skeletal finger! What is poor Victor to do? After all, life in the underworld with a skeletal wife isn't most folks' idea of a great marriage!

The animation is pretty spectacular...though the Laika stop-motion films are a bit prettier and are more fluid...though for 2005 this is awfully good. It's also interesting how they used colors in the story. The world of the living is all in gray tones...whereas the underworld is very vividly colored...quite the opposite of what you probably expected.

As for the story, it's very nice. My only complaints about any of this is that the story is perhaps too simple and the music isn't at all memorable (unlike Tim Burton's more famous stop-motion predecessor, "The Nightmare Before Christmas"). But the visuals are amazing and the story is fun.

By the way, I would NOT recommend it to small kids. The story about death is awfully creepy and this is more a film for older kids and adults.

I liked this a lot, and a large part of the reason is that it is pure a Burton film as we are likely to find.

And when I say Burton, I mean that oddly successful collaboration between him and Elfman colored by commercial realities.

The big picture is that there are very few filmmakers with the skills and courage to be unique, to make movies that only they could. This goes beyond style into the nature of the soul.

If you do not have an interesting soul, you cannot be an artist. If you do not have the courage and ability to reveal that soul in some way to us, you cannot either. So hurrahs for the few in the world of film that do.

In a way, this film is a notion expanded around Ub Iwerks' (yes, that's a real name) "Skeleton Dance" done for Disney and quoted in a couple more hip Betty Boop cartoons. In another way, it is a simple date movie: boy gets girl, boy loses girl by misunderstanding, boy gets girl back and the thing ends in a wedding.

And also in a way, it is a love poem to his girl friend. I'm fascinated by these things, where a talented director (usually a man) can shape the image of the woman he loves. Films DO influence how we think of love, but this is more genuine and powerful than any of them, this real love that shines through purely cinematic means. Just think about casting the woman you love as a corpse! She is as alluring here as she has even been.

But beyond that is something that is more lasting, the business between Depp and Burton. Johnny is a fine actor, but many fine actors don't get the opportunity to explore new and unknown corners of darkness. He has and is better off for it. And so are we, though whenever this happens we end up with a new character template that inevitably becomes a stereotype. Depp already mines that stereotype in his Pirate movies.

But what concerns us here is how Burton/Elfman deepens what he has with Depp. He introduces the character as a pianist, and does so with a piano piece. That piece is a skillful blend of Chopin and pop, but more on the Chopin side. For many, Chopin is the most nakedly emotional yet dark soul they will encounter. No humor, only intimacy and passion.

So two clever things were done with this. The first is that the Depp persona (though an animated avatar here) was made deeper by reference to our deepest pianist. The second is that a few musical scenes and effects are set up, all of which reference the scene in some way. There's a sweet musical duet with Helena where they do fall in love. There may be few things more lovely than making love via music played to each other -- with each other.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

People say that Corpse Bride was horribly boring, etc. HOWEVER, that is because they are comparing this nonstop motion picture with Nightmare Before Christmas. Those who were really upset after the movie, saying that 'it's definitely not Nightmare', you are absolutely right. It is not Nightmare. It's Corpse Bride, a completely different movie. Everything was comparison, Nightmare to Corpse Bride, and yes, I'll admit, I enjoyed Nightmare more. However, when going to see this movie, you cannot compare Corpse Bride to Nightmare because then yes, you will be upset. If they had done another Nightmare, they would have done it years ago. But this is a different movie with a beautiful plot when you think more closely about it. It's a very strong plot of love, betrayal, hate, death, etc and you see that very strongly if you listen closely to Danny Elfman's wonderful music, vocal and instrumental. Basically, go into the theaters with an open mind and enjoy and pay attention to the movie because it truly has strong, very strong, meanings. If truly watching and comprehending, at parts you cry and at others you smile. It's very clear that it is beautifully created and the actors match their parts well, but the storyline is simply beautiful. Do not think about Nightmare because that movie has been finished years ago, but enjoy Corpse Bride. I will not give anything away, so I leave my review at that. Enjoy Corpse Bride people! And for others who think I am Anti-Nightmare or something, I am seriously not. I loved and still love that movie, but just enjoy Corpse Bride without judgement until after the movie.

After enchanting audiences with "The Nightmare Before Christmas," Tim Burton brings another stop-motion animated spectacle, "Corpse Bride." In this story, Victor Van Dort, an inept young groom-to-be, can't make his way through his wedding rehearsal. Going outside to get his lines right, he accidentally winds up marrying the corpse of a murdered bride-to-be. The animation is spectacular, proving stop-motion can be good enough to compete with computer animation. Johnny Depp provides the voice of Victor, showing mild-mannered and nervous grace. Helena Bonham Carter is the voice of Emily, the Corpse Bride, giving the dead character lively emotion. One striking element of the movie is the color scheme. In the living world, there is no bright color, making a near-black and white appearance. The story is well-written, and the music is good. Overall, "Corpse Bride" must definitely be seen!

Burton takes another playful swipe at his stop-motion heroes with this nicely-done treat.

Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) is a milquetoast. A bumbling, unlucky dreamer. To make things worse, his parents (multi-talented Paul Whitehouse and Tracey Ullman) are forcing him into the classic "arranged marriage", which is more like a contract with the cash-strapped but aristocratic Everglots (Albert Finney & Joanna Lumley). Things turn around, however, when he meets his intended, Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson) who is actually very attractive, inside and out.

The ceremony is as arranged as the marriage, unfortunately, and the frustrated minister (Christopher Lee) demands that Victor take time out to PRACTICE HIS VOWS. This too, is awkward, as in the midst of his rehearsal, Victor places a ring upon a corpse's poking finger (just the place to rehearse a wedding, a cemetery) thus rousing the title character (Helena Bonham Carter), who leads Victor on a voyage through life and death and an unwitting quest to figure out what he really wants.

Exquisite, yes, and enjoyable, but not without a few flaws. Most of the songs, while well written, feel out of place, and potentially powerful villain, Barkis Bittern (post-Doctor Who Richard E. Grant) doesn't seem to be allowed to do enough. But the good far outweighs the bad--moviegoers who get past the title will find a light-hearted romp that is rife with parody and spoof, from the Harryhausen brand piano to the diminutive character Bonesapart (played by the diminutive Deep Roy). A cameo by Jack Skellington would have been cool (O.K., Disney) but Danny Elfman's Bonejangles does pull off an eye-popping number. Even the unsettling, Peter-Lorre-channeling maggot residing in the Bride's skull threatens to steal the show. Good cast (with many Burton stalwarts, incidentally), with the philosophy that less is more make for a good time.

Like it or not, it is well-worth noting that this film delivers many firsts to film-making, including new-style digital camera-work on refined stop-motion. To animators and film students, this offering comes highly recommended.