Burton's best animated feature

Rating: 6/10 (14 May 2016)

I'm no big fan of these quirky, Gothic stop-motion animation type films, but I have to say that CORPSE BRIDE is a darn sight more entertaining than that overblown '90s film, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE Christmas. Tight pacing, plentiful action, some fun songs and excellent attention to technical detail make this the superior film in every way, and I can fully appreciate the fairy tale storyline of a man who accidentally finds himself married to a dead woman.
The film utilises some fine voice talent, which I admit was the reason I chose it in the first place. Helena Bonham Carter's vocal chords are put to excellent use as she plays the alluring, surprisingly affecting titular bride, with Johnny Depp almost unnoticeable opposite her. The pairing works so well that Carter and Depp were later also put to good use in Burton's excellent musical version of Sweeney Todd. Emily Watson, Paul Whitehouse, Joanna Lumley, Richard E. Grant and Albert Finney all provide solid support, and there are also a couple of made-to-measure parts for old-timers Christopher Lee and Michael Gough, who are both excellent.
The animation is colourful and action-packed and unsurprisingly Burton comes up with plenty of ghoulish creations, could they get away with a live action version of this? I think not! All in all a witty, dark fun little film.