Blows everything Disney or Pixar have ever made

Rating: 8/10 (16 April 2007)

Tim Burton is a mad genius. His movies (with the obvious exception of "Planet Of The Apes") are so deliciously dark, funny and even sad that they entangle the viewer into their own unique world. "Corpse Bride" is one such example and my personal favorite animated feature. Compared to most contemporary animated movies it's a fairly low budget production but it has more heart and uniqueness then all of them combined. A 76 minute stop-motion animation that looks more lively than some live-action movies.
In a small town, young Victor Van Dort (voiced by Johnny Depp) and Victoria Everglot (voiced by Emily Watson) have been betrothed by their parents. They meet for the first time the night before their wedding to practice the vows. Victor is a bit nervous and it's no surprise he's experiencing some problems in recalling them correctly. After several failed attempts he is kicked out of the church by the annoyed priest who orders him not to come back until he's learned his lines. Strolling through the dark, creepy forest Victor practices his vow until finally he gets them right, he perfectly reenacts the whole ritual and anxiously completes it by putting the ring on a tree branch imagining it was Victoria's hand. Unluckly for Victor that branch turns out to be the hand of Emilie (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter) a young woman who was killed by her groom whom until this moment has rested on this ground, waiting for her true love to set her free. Now awoken, Emilie claims that they are husband and wife and drags Victor with her to the Land Of The Dead. While Victoria anxiously awaits him.
The world of "Corpse Bride" is a small and cozy place full with Gothic imagery. In it, death is just another phase of existence. And interesting enough it seemed to be the happier part. Where as the world of the living is portrayed as a dull, nearly boring place where characters live a monotonous life full of daily chores and concerns about money. The Land Of The Dead is a cheerful, jolly realm, it's denizens are free from the concerns that bother the living and just spent their time in...well... living. It's like Burton switched the roles of these two conditions, Death is living and Life is death, a beautifully morbid look on existence. Characters helped to reinforce that idea, with great designs and equally great voice acting, they are memorable and funny, even the tiniest role was not forgettable. Johnny Depp pulls a great performance as the nervously edgy Victor, while Helena Bohnan Carter spins a life-full take as the Corpse Bride.
But it was not just the characters that were detailed, the entire world of "Corpse Bride" had been turned into a moving work of art. It's an incredible visual experience watching the story unfold. All the movements are flawless it doesn't really feel like you're seeing stop-motion animation, because it lacks that choppiness in the action found in most films of the genre. The camera work is also surprising, because it doesn't use static positioned cameras. Instead it moves around freely, zooming in and out, rotating around characters. And of course as any Tim Burton movie, Danny Elfman provides the thematic score which as usual is a perfect fit, to the creepishly dreadful, joyous tone of the film.
The sheer amount of work poured into "Corpse Bride" while at the same time not depending on a 80 plus million dollar budget is a commendable achievement. More than that, Tim Burton and crew made one of the most watchable animated movies ever, accessible to both children and adults. And this dark, funny, beautiful Gothic fairy tale deserves all the respect it gets, and more.