The Corpse Bride (Movie Review)

With films such as Beetle Juice and Edward Scissorhands to Tim Burton's credit, I'm beginning to recognize recurring themes in his films: death, dinner parties (unusually interrupted) and a penchant for finding beauty where others never think to look.

And it's not so much the things Burton portrays, as it is the way he does it -- particularly when he employs stop motion animation, as is the case for The Corpse Bride (2005) -- a story about a Victorian man (Victor) engaged to marry a girl (Victoria) he's never met.

The night before his wedding, he's kidnapped from a forest and dragged down into the underworld, the unwitting husband of a corpse bride he "accidentally" proposed to.

As Victor tries to return to his bethroed in the Land of the Living, he likewise grows fond of his rotting bride (who initally repulsed him). Either way, this film personifies male-pattern cold feet in the most eerily charming fashion possibly.

Only real complaint I have is that this is a "musical" of sorts -- and I don't care for musicals. The characters do periodicially burst into song, which annoys me more than I care to admit... even if they're not your traditionl "Beauty and the Beast" standards.

But with insightful lines like "Die, die we all pass away // But don't wear a frown cuz it's really okay // And you might try 'n' hide // And you might try 'n' pray // But we all end up the remains of the day" it's hard to complain to much.




FINAL GRADE: B+