A Romantic Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (24 September 2005)

I had gone in to see Tim Burton's Corpse Bride with high expectations. His previous Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) was a great film, and added that I had read a countless amount of reviews from both critics and moviegoers alike, saying only wonderful things about this movie. Also, I am a huge Burton fan, and have learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to his work. He's never let me down before, so I had no reason to doubt The Bride.
And I must say, Tim's done it again.
The Corpse Bride weaves the tale of Victor Van Dort and his interesting journey through two worlds. As the story opens, we meet fortune-less Mr. and Mrs. Van Dort, who wish to marry their son off to the daughter of aristocrats Lord and Lady Everglot in order to pump up their social status. The Everglots, as we learn later, are not wealthy at all, in fact. Because of this, they are slightly perturbed that their daughter Victoria is going to be wed to a family of such low rank on the social ladder. The nervous Victor had elongated the wedding rehearsal for three hours on account of not remembering the vows. In a comic scene, we see him trying to do everything right, but either his candle doesn't light, he knocks into the table, or he completely forgets what to say. Everyone becomes obviously frustrated, and flustered Victor leaves. He walks through the woods for an apparently long while, desperately trying to get his lines right. Finally, he recites them correctly, and places the ring on a supposed tree root. His moment of contentment is short-lived, as the tree root grabs him and the figure of a woman in wedding garb rises out the ground. He has, in fact, accidentally wed himself to the Corpse Bride. Victor, in fear, flees out of the woods, but to no avail. The mysterious corpse catches him, and brings him to the underworld, which is depicted as a snazzy, funky-colored, lively and entertaining place, much unlike the "upstairs", which is gray, bleak, bland, and boring- much like the people in it. Once in the land of the dead, we are entertained by a jazz number telling the story of the Bride, that leaves Victor quite confused, or slightly amused...it's hard to tell. The story continues on, with Victor's desperate attempt to see Victoria and escape this obsessive corpse. Eventually, though, a decision has to be made: Will Victor remain in the wondrously upbeat land of the dead, with this charming and beautiful, yet strange and mysterious, corpse bride...or will he return home to the one shaded land of the living, to be with the sweet Victoria, whom he has come to love?
The Bride is a beautiful movie that grabs the audience and pulls them in, and doesn't let go until the very end. The animation is pure magic, stunning in every way. The stop-motion technique, especially in this movie, made it all the more a visual delight. At some point, you seem to forget that these are just foot-tall silicone encased puppets being moved by people. It feels like you're right there, in the movie. How many other animated movies can do that? Not many.
It's all thanks to Tim's unique vision, and the way he sees things. The look and feel of this movie is classic Tim Burton, with an unusually romantic twist. But the breath-taking visuals is just one part of what makes this movie so grand. It's funny, charming, sweet, and heart-wrenching. A top-notch cast gives a superb performance, one that leaves you feeling the emotions. The story itself, (although including dead and decaying corpses acting very much alive and functioning), just seems so real. It is wonderfully romantic. The leading characters have such human-like qualities and flaws, which you don't normally see in other animated movies. The story is unique and beautiful, and very believable.
At a short and sweet seventy-six minutes, The Bride delivers all that's expected, and even more. This movie is definitely up there with Tim's greats, and is sure to entertain audiences for years to come.