disappointing, derivative, diminutively daring, deserves derision

Rating: 5/10 (24 September 2005)

They should have gone with the Some Kind of Wonderful ending rather than the Pretty in Pink ending, if you know what I mean.
Much of the visual wit and even a couple of the songs were largely lifted from Nightmare Before Christmas. (When they're preparing the wedding cake, I dare you not to sing to yourself, "Making Christmas, making Christmas, it's ours this time.") MANY of the characters have analogues in NBC, and in just about every case the NBC character was more interesting.
The villain is obvious. Painfully obvious. Makes the Shrek villains seem elegant and mysterious by comparison kind of obvious. The most uninspired creation of Burton's career.
The chemistry between Victor and Victoria is non-existent, and honestly neither one of them develops very much or does anything particularly interesting. If you're going to try to sell "love at first sight", they need more of a connection than a shared feeling of being put upon by their parents. It would have made a great starting scene if they were going to develop a relationship gradually or if they were going to become best friends, but not "love at first sight." Corpse Bride is the only remotely well developed character, but even in her case the pathos is a little lacking. (Remember in Toy Story 2 when the cowgirl is relating the story of becoming unwanted- Corpse Bride's story should have been that kind of sorrowful, but with a jazzier score). Helena Bonham Carter voices her perfectly, though, and she has a few nice scenes here and there.
Overall, disappointing and strangely conventional, premise and visuals notwithstanding.