Wonderfully original, ghoulish fun

Rating: 8/10 (28 December 2016)

Victorian England and Victor Van Dort is about to marry Victoria Everglot. It is an arranged marriage - the two have never met before. At the wedding rehearsal Victor fluffs his lines and is told he needs to sharpen up, or the wedding's off. Victor sets about learning his lines - in a graveyard. In saying his vows he then accidentally commits himself to marrying a dead woman, the Corpse Bride.
Written and directed by Tim Burton, this has all the trademarks of his handiwork: an original, quirky plot, a fantastical setting, brilliant animation and production and a catchy Danny Elfman- composed-and-performed score. Oh, and the cast includes Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, of course. Wonderfully fun and quite clever too. Some very funny lines and scenes.
Voice casting is spot-on with a cast that includes, in addition to Depp and Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Richard E Grant, Joanna Lumley, Tracey Ullman, Albert Finney, Christopher Lee and Jane Horrocks.
Despite the ghoulish nature of the plot, ideal for children too. Quite innocent and fun.