It would have been so easy to be better

Rating: 6/10 (30 September 2005)

Tim Burton has been quoted as saying that the budget of "Corpse Bride" was about "two-thirds less than any computer film," which can cost in excess of $100 million, but that "story, not cost, should determine how a film is be made." Bunk. Burton's puppets never came to life for me - not even the "live" ones. The look and feel of this movie is one of a cheap, creepy comic book rediscovered in a damp basement. The color palate was dismally and needlessly dull. Put it alongside Triplets of Belleville and it pales by comparison - literally. Infusion of some sepia tones for the "upstairs" characters might have provided the exciting transition we loved in the Wizard of Oz's fade from black (and white). The soundtrack was forgettable, save for an all-too- brief piano duet. The story suffered as so many characters were introduced and very few were allowed to develop. And I felt cheated knowing that Johnny Depp was a star of this film but was being held prisoner by a 2-dimensional stop-action puppet. The best part of this film was a corpse dog and as cute as he was, I'm not sure he covered the price of admission.