Tim Burton indulges himself

Rating: Null/10 (11 September 2019)

Corpse Bride is about what I'd imagine goes around in Tim Burton's mind in any given moment. It is a sweet fairy tale painted in macabre colours. A children's colouring book if the only colour available was grey. And, if you've liked Mr. Burton's other creative efforts, this is pretty much more of the same and thus well worth a watch.
The story follows a young man named Victor (Johnny Depp) who is about to marry a woman named Victoria (Emily Watson). He's out in the woods, practicing his vows, but happens to be overheard by the spirit of a dead woman, played by Helena Bonham Carter, who promptly decides that he was saying his vows to her and that they're now married.
It's not a bad story and fits the usual grim Tim Burton imagery well. It's at the same time gothic, melancholy and just the right kind of naive. The characters are pretty one-note overall, especially the parents, but that also fits this kind of narrative well. It's supposed to be exaggerated and somewhat childlike.
That being said, the film has some problems when it comes to style. Like, for example, the colour palate is about as grey as a coal mine. Even for Tim Burton. The underworld is a bit better in this regard, but not by much. The aforementioned land of the dead is also tonally jarring. The film begins as this heavily gothic Victorian affair, but then they drop into the underworld and suddenly the film is a jazz musical of all things. These two don't mix very well at all.
Still, I can't say I minded seeing the film. Not the best effort any of the involved people have produced, but it has its moments and is well worth a watch if you have it in you to watch yet another Tim Burton extravaganza.