It’s been over 15 years since Tim Burton created the stop-motion classic “The Nightmare before Christmas,†a film that mystified the imaginations of millions of children and adults with a great soundtrack and beautiful animation.
Since its release, the cult following that fell in love with “The Nightmare before Christmas†wondered when Burton would work his magic with stop-motion animation once again, they now have their wish.
“The Corpse Bride,†while showing off the huge advancements in stop-motion technology over the past 15 years, doesn’t have the same charm that Jack Skellington and “The Nightmare before Christmas†did. The music, composed by Danny Elfman, the man responsible for composing the entire score of “The Nightmare before Christmas†and countless other Hollywood blockbusters, just doesn’t recreate the magic that was apparent in Burton’s first animated classic.
This in itself may turn off some die-hard fans of “The Nightmare before Christmas,†but that’s only because “The Corpse Bride†is a different type of film. While it’s apparent from the beginning that this is a type of spin off the same universe that Burton created in “The Nightmare before Christmas,†it’s not nearly as dark and is much wittier and heart warming and as a result, is a lot of fun to watch.
The story revolves around Victor Van Dort, voiced by Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean, From Hell). Van Dort is nervously stuck in the middle of an arranged marriage that will give his parents access to the upper-tier of society that they have always wanted to be a part of. Van Dort is first reluctant, but after meeting his fiancée, Victoria Everglot, voiced by Emily Watson (Red Dragon, Punch-Drunk Love) falls in love at first sight.
Now overcome with nervousness, Van Dort fails to memorize his vows at the wedding rehearsal, and is deemed unworthy of marriage until he can remember his vows. Van Dort then walks into the forest, trying desperately to recite his vows with utter perfection. The good news is that yes, Van Dort recites his vows perfectly, the bad news is he accidentally places his fiancée’s wedding ring on what he believes is a tree branch that turns out to be the dead body of the Corpse Bride, voiced by Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).What ensues is a fight for Van Dort’s love between his lovely fiancée and the heart broken but equally as beautiful in her own way Corpse Bride.
Those with a penchant for great animation will find that this movie is a shining example of the beauty of stop-motion animation. Those looking for movie that is equally enjoyable to watch and look at will not be disappointed either. For what it’s worth, “The Corpse Bride†may not have the soundtrack and charm of “The Nightmare before Christmas,†but that doesn’t mean it isn’t entertaining and a ball to watch.
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