Tell me more, Tim!

Rating: 7/10 (1 October 2005)

First, let me get the negative portion of this review out of the way: I did feel a little let down by this movie. At a very brisk 76 minutes, it seems as if there should have been more story to tell, more details to give...and maybe one or two more Danny Elfman songs (even though he wasn't really at his best in this movie). A few more moments between Victor and Victoria would have been especially wonderful; their characters shared such a special chemistry with each other. The story was so straightforward, and it definitely could have benefited from slowing down the pace a bit more. (But then again, had the movie been any longer, the poor animators would have spent several weeks more finishing it up!!)
Otherwise, Corpse Bride was a wonderful movie. I am absolutely a sucker for the Tim Burton "look", which was here in spades. The slightly macabre, utterly haunting world of the dead, which was placed in direct contrast with the antiseptic, colorless world of Victorian England, conjured up some memories of Nightmare Before Christmas without being a complete retread. Also, the acting in this movie (both by the puppets and the voice actors) was wonderful. Although the characters were pretty much par for the course in this kind of movie, they were acted so wonderfully that we in the audience still cared for them and hoped for Victor, Victoria, and Corpse Bride to all have a happy ending, as they did. And although we knew from the first that Lord Barkin is a rotten apple, we want to know how he's going to get what's coming to him in the end.
Though slightly disappointing in the story department, Corpse Bride is still a wonderful film that will tickle your quirky-bone as only Tim Burton can. I definitely recommend this film.