It's different...

Rating: 7/10 (20 January 2006)

Tim Burton has made a whole career out of doing out-of-the-ordinary films so it's no surprise that he extends this weirdness to animated features. Of course, we've already had Nightmare before Christmas and this is more of the same.
That said, the distinctive animation style can only hold interest for a short while before you start looking for more substance, like a plot. Luckily, Corpse Bride has a plot - albeit a very simple one. Young man wants to marry young girl, but instead accidentally marries a dead girl. Actually it's more fun than I've made it sound.
If the movie has a problem it's with the opening fifteen to twenty minutes. These set the scene but are rather humourless and dry. Fortunately, just as you're starting to wonder whether you've made a horrible mistake in sitting down to watch this movie, it takes off. The young man's descent into the "underworld" and the ensuing hijinks, though not side-splittingly funny, certainly entertain with (mostly) sight gags and "dead" humour. If you think along the lines of the undead visual gags from Pirates of the Caribbean you won't go far wrong in your expectations from Corpse Bride.
I don't think it'll win any prizes, but it is fair entertainment and at about 1hr and 20 mins doesn't last TOO long - a fault of some films.
Certainly worth a look.