It should be no surprise to anyone who reads this blog that I have been impatiently waiting for the release of Tim Burton’s latest film, Corpse Bride. I have mentioned it numerous times. It is not slated to open until Friday, September 23rd so I was thrilled to receive a call from my wife over the weekend telling me that Jeff had set aside advance screening tickets that were sent to the comic shop. Last night Mary, Tori and I joined the unique crowd that only a film like Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride could draw.
I am a fan of all things Tim Burton, with a few exceptions, but my favorite is The Nightmare Before Christmas. I did not see this in the theatre when it was released in 1993…my first viewing was somewhere around 1999. Growing up as a fan of the stop motion animated work of Rankin and Bass in the Christmas specials Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer I had an immediate affection for Nightmare. It has been 12 years since Tim Burton has given us a stop motion film and the wait has been too long. If you have been one of those in waiting, however, you won’t be disappointed.
Calling to mind the tales of Edgar Allan Poe and the artistic visions of Charles Addams and Edward Gorey, Burton and company infuse Corpse Bride with a macabre sensibility entirely fitting for this season of the year and yet the film maintains a sweetness that is sure to make it treasured for years to come. Corpse Bride is loosely based on a Russian folktale and is penned by John August, Caroline Thompson, and Pamela Pettler. For those who have not seen the trailer the story opens on the night before a shy young man named Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) will be entering into an arranged marriage with Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson). A series of mishaps leads young Victor to the woods outside of town where he finds himself wed to the Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter). Grave-centered hilarity ensues as Victor finds himself in the underworld, desperately wanting to return to Victoria’s side. It would be spoiling it to tell more, suffice it to say that there is more going on in the land of the living and the land of the dead than meets the eye. The characters are all very fun and the voice actors are terrific. The inclusion of Christopher Lee as Pastor Galswells and a character who is an homage to Peter Lorre in both look and voice are a treat for those of us who enjoy classic horror films. And who else but Tim Burton could make you fall in love with a stuffed, Frankenstein-ish rag doll in one movie and a decaying corpse bride in another?
Tim Burton provided character sketches and then turned character development over to Carlos Grangel who skillfully designed a host of characters wonderful in their uniqueness and yet all quite obviously Burtonesque. The characters in Tim Burton’s animated films are brought to life with the use of puppets. The puppets are 3 dimensional works of art that are manipulated a millimeter at a time and shot frame by frame in a process that can take several hours to shoot a few seconds of film. There is a tactile quality that can only be achieved with this kind of animation. The fact that the sets and characters exist and can be touched and manipulated makes the film feel more real. Despite the use of digital techniques to render some parts of the film it is amazing how much is actually done with stop motion. I sat in awe as I watched the corpse bride rise from the ground, her veil and gown flowing around her, only guessing at the commitment and talent needed to achieve such wonderful effects.
The sets are fantastic. The land of the living employs a muted, monochromatic color scheme that is in direct contrast to the vivid, bright colors of the land of the dead. The color schemes point are symbolic of the level of “living” that is going on in each world. Attention to detail and subtle nods to Burton’s influences can be seen throughout the film which encourages multiple viewings in order to catch all the things you might have missed. The film is a visual feast for those who enjoy the look of a Tim Burton film. I cannot wait for the DVD to watch the behind the scenes of the making of the sets for this film.
Burton once again turns the musical reigns of the film over to Danny Elfman. In addition to writing the music Elfman also provides the voice of Bonejangles, the Skeletones’ band leader in the Ball and Socket Pub. Danny Elfman takes criticism for the similarities of his music from film to film but that similarity of style and feel is what I like about both Burton and Elfman. My criticism with the music in this film is that there aren’t as many great songs as there are in A Nightmare Before Christmas. With the exception of the song when Victor enters the underworld there is a lack of memorable numbers in the film. I was hoping for a lover’s lament similar to Sally Nightshade’s song in NBX but the corpse bride’s is simply not as moving. That’s not to say that the music isn’t good but it pales in comparison to its predecessor. Of course that’s just my opinion, my daughter left singing the chorus of one of the songs and had the exact opposite view of the music than I did!
The only other criticism I had is that the film is very short. At 78 minutes it was over much too fast, especially considering the fact that I have to wait a few more weeks in order to enjoy it again. Ironically I believe that the length of the film will be one of its strong points with critics as the story is faithfully served in that time and Burton packs the most into each frame of the film.
Once again Tim Burton has crafted a marvelous work that will have fans of A Nightmare Before Christmas hoping they don’t have to wait 12 more years for another stop motion animated film. An abundance of visual and verbal humor combined with a very poignant story should provide enjoyment for all but the very youngest of viewers. The many and varied characters are thoroughly engaging and they populate a world that is a joy to behold. This is a film that I will treasure almost as much as I treasure Nightmare and one that I will definitely see again while it is in theatres.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the film. When Debbie said she received the passes for this film I immediately hoped you and your family could go. You guys are the biggest Burton fans I know and if anyone deserved a free preview it was you guys. š
I love the look of the movie from the trailers and can’t wait to see it up on the big screen. The songs were great in NBX. My favorite was the opening song. It really creeped me out. I honestly got goosebumps and I can’t wait to compare the songs in the new film to that one.
I love that you also mentioned the Rankin and Bass Christmas specials. Some of my favorite childhood Christmas memories were watching those specials. I still love them today and I bought some VHS ccopies of them years ago and my kids have enjoyed them too. With all the CGI push on special effects in movies these days I love that there still is a place and appreciation for stop motion.
Corpse Bride, Neil Gaiman, Serenity, James reading Trek what a great second half of the month this is shaping up to be!!!!!!!
Much as I WANT to read this, I’m going to refrain til after I see the movie! *sticks fingers in ears* (hope there was no typos, I typed this with my eyes closed)!
Once again thanks for the passes Jeff, it was a thrill to see it early.
I understand, Janet. I plan on moving this post back to the top after the movie comes out so people can post their thoughts after they see it.
I had a conversation with a friend this weekend who rightfully pointed out that I don’t always do the best job of differentiating between what I like vs. what I’m crazy about. The past few movie reviews (Skeleton Key and Brothers Grimm) were ones that I did a little better job being fair about and pointing out flaws. I say this to tell you that I have HUGE GEEK LOVE for the Tim Burton animated films (Vincent, A Nightmare Before Christmas, and now Corpse Bride). They are among my absolute favorites for so very many reasons. Go See This Movie!!!
James and I saw Nightmare Before Christmas at the theatre with James’ sis and brother-in-law. Dave was TOTALLY geeked out about it. I didn’t quite get why he was so excited but maybe now I am beginning to understand that there’s quite a following. I can’t believe I was 21 when it came out! Seems like a lifetime ago.
It was really interesting seeing the mix of people that were at the sneak preview. There were a fair number of tattooed “goth” young people, a few people dressed up as corpse brides and grooms, some families like us and an astonishing number of elderly people. It was really quite odd. There was a grandma behind us who is a fan of Tim Burton movies and was waiting for her daughter, also a fan.
I think part of the appeal has to do with the medium and people’s attachment to it and there are of course a large number of people who just love Burton’s sensibility. I like them for both reasons and many more. A lot of the humor is more adult, and by that I mean that children just wouldn’t get it, not that it is inappropriate and yet there is also the appeal of the scariness of the films, especially Nightmare. I think most kids like to be scared on some level, at least in a controlled environment…hence the appeal of amusement parks, scary stories, etc. and these movies have a little bit of a fright to them but also show that scary things are often just misunderstood.
And they are just tremendously well done and super fun!
This is one that I really can’t wait for.
I’ll be looking forward to reading your thoughts Fence after you see it…and everyone else’s for that matter.
Have I mentioned that I truly adore how you write a review?
Can’t wait~!
mg
Mean_girl…do you mean how I fawn all over things that I enjoy like a geek who has just discovered the holy grail of geekdom?!?!?!
presactly! š
Great review, C-man. Ok, big secret: I’ve never seen NBX! AHHHH! I know, I know, I know. What a fake geek I am. š
Hey, wasn’t Burton behind James and Giant Peach? (didn’t see that one either).
I got some catching up to do, eh?
Both are excellent! I think Burton only exec produced Peach but his influence can be seen and felt throughout…you need to see these ASAP or you risk losing your geek membership and all the privileges therein!
you-you already saw it? i’m so jealous…
Believe me, I wasn’t expecting it Mysfit and the phone call was a pleasant surprise. I really look forward to seeing it again and hearing what others thought once they see it.
Okay, I here by have to hang up my geek card as well…..I had no idea that Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter were together and have been for awhile! I love both of them but I don’t know that I can picture them as a couple at all. Very odd.
just dropped in to say thanks for visiting my blog earlier. i was thinking of takng my youngest to see this, she’s 10, don’t know whether it is suitable for her or not. that film actually just had it’s premiere here, at the toronto film festival.
Cool, didn’t realize you were from Toronto. I read interviews from that premiere just today as a matter of fact. Tori was around 7 when she watched Nightmare. 10 is probably fine. I like what Burton said in the Toronto interview, something to the effect that kids are often good about letting you know what they can handle in regards to scary things if you listen to them. If you end up seeing it come back and let us know what you and your daugher thought.
Yup, I can’t wait either.
After having read your blog, you have just convinced me to see Nightmare before Christmas and Corpse Bride.
Sweet! Hope you come back and share your thoughts.
I didn’t read all of your post because I’m going to see it at the weekend.
What scares me though is that when I found myself attracted to Jessica Rabbit I could somehow justify it. But an animated corpse? Oh dear, I am in trouble.
We’ll form a therapy club later, Adamant! š
Can’t wait to see this one – I love the Burton/Elfman partnership and Mr. Depp seems cast perfectly…Thanks for the review.
I kind of skimmed the review because I do want to see the movie, and didn’t want to know too much, but I’m glad to hear that you liked it. I haven’t even seen The Nightmare Before Christmas, but wanted to see this one just from the previews. I think I’ve seen everything else Burton has done, though.
Thanks for visiting my site last week (again) by way of Michele. I was on vacation last week and this was the first chance I could come back to say “hi.”
Not a dissapointment in the least. I thoroughly enjoyed this film along with the wonderful music. Tim Burton has done it again. I only wish he would do it more often.
Glad you liked it Jamie, I’m looking forward to catching it one more time while its in the theatre. I too wish he would do movies like this more often.
I finally got to see it tonight, and … WOW! I loved the dog, that brought a tear or three to my eyes. Also: “And who else but Tim Burton could make you fall in love with a stuffed, Frankenstein-ish rag doll in one movie and a decaying corpse bride in another?”
So I assumed you liked it? I’ve always been one for crushes on movie damsels, even the animated ones, so though silly there is some truth to my quote! š Glad you got to see it and appreciate you coming back to comment. I was wondering if anyone had seen it this weekend. I’m trying to get together with a friend who hasn’t seen it tomorrow night so I can give it a second viewing.
oh definitely, I loved it! Plus I have a fascination for skeletons!
I’m going to see it again tonight with Jeff and hopefully James. I’m really looking forward to seeing it again.
Hey, I’ve been looking high and low for a place that will even allow me to download a clip of the music to see if I really actually want to buy the soundtrack, since I can’t seem to find any, espcially since the soundtrack doesn’t hold the extra songs by Bonjangles and the others. I would really appreicate any knowledge of this. Thank you.
LV, if you go here and scroll down you can listen to 30 second clips of every song on the soundtrack.
Went to see this with Jeff and James tonight. I’m sure they weren’t nearly as thrilled as I was and I’ve already seen it. I enjoyed it even better the second time. Its such a well crafted film. It was a chilly fall night so the weather was perfect for setting the mood. What a great film. I am even more anxious to get my hands on the DVD to watch the extras.
Sorry I hadn’t made it back hear yet but I really did enjoy the movie. It was just too short. I wanted more. Great time. Thanks for the invite.
Glad you came and glad you enjoyed it. Like I said, I didn’t expect you and James to be as geeked about it as I am. You liked it much more than James I’m sure…I think he was just glad to get out and do something.
I have to agree with you on the music. NBC is my favorite as well and every song I could hum or sing after the first viewing. Unfortunately I didn’t get that with CB in the least. Although I LOVED the movie I was glad that I did not obsess over it like I did with NBC. My 850 s.f. condo can NOT take anymore collectables…well maybe a few…..if they are really cute and have a fully posable action body.
I know the feeling of amassing too many collectibles…its just so hard to stop and I can’t bear to part with anything. We were joking last night about what I would insist on saving were the house to start on fire. That’s pretty sad!
Great review. Now, I must put this as an ASAP selection.
You really do offer wonderful reviews!
Thanks Michele, I really appreciate the kind words. Hope you enjoy the film when you get a chance to see it!
johnny Depp is so fucking hot
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