CORPSE BRIDE (Theatrical Release USA 2005)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.9|5.0 Starsììì

Corpse Bride—typical Tim Burton style, a little weird and differently blended—uses stop motion animation to its highest advantage. The story line is great, the voices well chosen, and all in all it succeeds on every level for entertainment value.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Victor Van Dort (voice of Johnny Depp) plans to marry Victoria Everglot (voice of Emily Watson). With both his parents’, William Van Dort (voice of Paul Whitehouse) and Nell Van Dort (voice of Tracey Ullman); his future inlaws, Finis Everglot (voice of Albert Finney) and Maudeline Everglot (voice of Joanna Lumley); and Pastor Galswells (voice of Christopher Lee) present at the rehearsal, he finds himself unable to get the vows right. So, the Pastor sends Victor out of the church and tells him to not come back until he can get his vows right. Victor retreats to the woods, finally gets his vows correct, and puts the wedding ring on a limb sticking out of the ground.  The limb begins coming out of the ground as a skeleton hand and soon the body of a woman appears and drags Victor to a place that looks like hell; but, in this hell the dead live happily ever after. The skeleton that has dragged Victor into this place is mostly bones and some flesh. She tells Victor that she is the Corpse Bride (voice of Helena Bonham Carter) and that she was left for dead by a fiancé in the world of the living and has been consigned to live in the Land of the Dead. Through a series of circumstances, Victor agrees to drink a death potion to stay with her. The dead then return to the Land of the Living to finalize the deal; but, at the last minute, the Corpse Bride has second thoughts and gives Victor another chance to live a life with Victoria Everglot.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Directors Tim Burton and Mike Johnson for their directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Jeffrey Auerbach and Joe Ranft for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Barkis Bittern (voice of Richard E. Grant), Elder Gutknecht (voice of Michael Gough), Black Widow Spider/Mrs. Plum (voice of Jane Horrocks), Maggot/Town Crier (voice of Enn Reitel), General Bonesapart (voice of Deep Roy), Bonejangles (voice of Danny Elfman), Emil (voice of Stephen Ballantyne), and Solemn Village Boy (voice of Lisa Kay).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. The story can, at points, be slow and a bit boring as if it is more in love with itself than with entertaining its audience.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers