Depp and his stiffy.

Rating: 7/10 (28 May 2006)

The plot here is definitely secondary to the stylistic value of this animated film, but I'll give an explanation anyway. Johnny Depp's Victor Van Dort is a hapless, affable though well-intentioned young man who is being co-erced into an arranged marriage by his parents to Emily Watson's Victoria Everglot. Victor and Victoria meet accidentally and it's a joining of kindred spirits (pardon the pun) so they are keen for the marriage to go ahead despite the bullying from their respective parents.
The marriage rehearsal does not go well, however, and Victor is forced to promise to get his vows perfect before the big day. And, as all good plans in spooky films go, a late night stroll through the woods is in order. The climax of Victor's finally perfect speech sees him place the wedding ring jubilantly on a twig - a twig that's shaped strangely like a skeletal human hand.
The earth shakes and up rises Helena Bonham Carter's Corpse Bride: she's blue, she's half skeleton, she died in mysterious circumstances, and she also believes Victor's vows to be sincere. A curse made in her grave takes effect... Victor and the Corpse Bride are man and wife. This is when the fun starts.
Burton's films are so striking in their visuality that there's never any doubt you're watching one of his films. Corpse Bride is no exception; the whole film is a feast for the eyes and the senses. The set pieces during the musical numbers are outstanding and some of the characters' body shapes are mildly disturbing (in a good way). Depp and Bonham Carter are endearing in their roles, particularly Depp - you'd be hard pressed to guess the shy, bumbling Victor is voiced by a movie legend, and Bonham Carter even gets to sing a little. I wonder, did they record their dialogue, along with Deep Roy (who played the Oompa Loompas in Charlie...) during a lunch break whilst filming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
Of course, as with most films, there are some minor disappointments in Corpse Bride. The plot is somewhat clichéd and predictable. It also finishes rather abruptly. There are some extremely child-friendly characters, namely the Maggot and the Black Widow Spider which seem only to be there for mild amusement (extremely mild from where I was sitting). And whilst the set pieces leave nothing to be desired, the songs and lyrics leave a lot.
As for whether Corpse Bride matches Nightmare Before Christmas, Burton's other full-length animation, I'd say it falls fairly short. Corpse Bride is more mainstream and less likely to attract a cult status due to its child-friendly aspects and missed opportunities for spookiness. I felt Burton et al could have got away with a lot more with its PG rating; for a Halloween film the spook-meter is very low.
Overall, Corpse Bride is a must-see for existing fans of Burton. For new fans, it's more of a gentle introduction to his style of spooky animation than his previous works. Watch it if you fancy something a little different.