Tim Burton's "Corpse Bride" knocks them dead
Scott Waldyn
Issue date: 10/28/05 Section: Op-Ed
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*** ½ stars out of *****
Yet again, Tim Burton has come out with a memorable film to entertain both younger children and adults alike. His unique style (clearly evident in all his work) and his creativity never cease to amaze.
In Corpse Bride, Burton tosses the viewer into an emotionless, colorless, dreary, and depressed Victorian-era society where an arranged marriage is going to take place between Victor (Johnny Depp) and Victoria (Emily Watson).
Surprisingly, the two actually find comfort and joy in each other's company, but that does nit stop Victor from botching up the practice ceremony.
A bit of a problem arises (literally) when Victor is practicing his part of the wedding in the woods, placing the ring upon a branch jutting out of the snow. The small branch actually turns out to be the hand of a corpse, and now it seems, Victor's in a tight spot.
The pace of the film really begins to pick up when Victor and his bride venture into the underworld, a place full of vivid imagery and great coloration. The only real memorable song of the film is found here, sung by Danny Elfman, the film's composer, himself.
I would not put too much strain on the composer. He really did not have much space to work around when it came to setting. As I noted earlier, the setting for the land of the living is dull and gloomy, the only real color provided by a butterfly just happening to cruise around. With this society in mind, it is hard to come up with some catchy tunes people will be cherishing for years.
Where the music lacks, the movie makes up in characters. The characters portrayed in this film are strong, developed, and likable people. They even show duality, something usually taken out of animated films. There was not one part in the movie where I felt a line didn't sound right. The cast and the acting were both great, something that is very rare when it comes to any movie.
Running at only 77 minutes, this is obviously not a really long film. Yet, it has much more originality than its counterparts in theaters. I would definitely recommend seeing it. This is a movie the whole family can see without having to worry about scary monsters and wicked skeletons.
The dead folk are actually the most lively and fun people on the scene. The only restraint I can see for small children is the dialogue. It is very grown-up and most of the plot is relayed through conversations.
I'm not exactly sure the young ones will comprehend all of what is going on. Overall though, it's a great romp between the realm of the dead and the world of the living. I enjoyed it, and I hope you will too.
Yet again, Tim Burton has come out with a memorable film to entertain both younger children and adults alike. His unique style (clearly evident in all his work) and his creativity never cease to amaze.
In Corpse Bride, Burton tosses the viewer into an emotionless, colorless, dreary, and depressed Victorian-era society where an arranged marriage is going to take place between Victor (Johnny Depp) and Victoria (Emily Watson).
Surprisingly, the two actually find comfort and joy in each other's company, but that does nit stop Victor from botching up the practice ceremony.
A bit of a problem arises (literally) when Victor is practicing his part of the wedding in the woods, placing the ring upon a branch jutting out of the snow. The small branch actually turns out to be the hand of a corpse, and now it seems, Victor's in a tight spot.
The pace of the film really begins to pick up when Victor and his bride venture into the underworld, a place full of vivid imagery and great coloration. The only real memorable song of the film is found here, sung by Danny Elfman, the film's composer, himself.
I would not put too much strain on the composer. He really did not have much space to work around when it came to setting. As I noted earlier, the setting for the land of the living is dull and gloomy, the only real color provided by a butterfly just happening to cruise around. With this society in mind, it is hard to come up with some catchy tunes people will be cherishing for years.
Where the music lacks, the movie makes up in characters. The characters portrayed in this film are strong, developed, and likable people. They even show duality, something usually taken out of animated films. There was not one part in the movie where I felt a line didn't sound right. The cast and the acting were both great, something that is very rare when it comes to any movie.
Running at only 77 minutes, this is obviously not a really long film. Yet, it has much more originality than its counterparts in theaters. I would definitely recommend seeing it. This is a movie the whole family can see without having to worry about scary monsters and wicked skeletons.
The dead folk are actually the most lively and fun people on the scene. The only restraint I can see for small children is the dialogue. It is very grown-up and most of the plot is relayed through conversations.
I'm not exactly sure the young ones will comprehend all of what is going on. Overall though, it's a great romp between the realm of the dead and the world of the living. I enjoyed it, and I hope you will too.