5
(supernatural, a misguided preacher, and a good church scene)
7
(cartoonish violence, morbid characters)
6
(worth seeing more than once)
"Corpse Bride" is a wonderful movie. Like many other Tim Burton fans I can’t help but compare it to "The Nightmare Before Christmas." This is because they are both stop-motion fairy-tales involving ghouls and ghosts. How can you not compare them? My judgment: not as good but still delightful.
Victor and Victoria are scheduled to be married, but Victor can't get his lines right. In a moment of profound coincidence Victor finds himself wed to a corpse who takes him to the realm of the dead. Caught between the worlds of the living and the deceased and women who love him on both sides of the grave Victor must decide which of them will have his devotion.
It’s not as good because as great as Victor and Emily are, many of the characters aren’t as interesting as their predecessors. First of all we don’t spend as much time with the ghouls that, let’s face it, are more fun than the living. The most visible supporting characters of the unusual variety are the elder (whom I enjoy a great deal), the spider and the maggot who are good enough characters but not as strong in personality as those who we met in Haloweentown.
I don’t like the music as much either. It’s not as distinctive as Danny Elfman's previous work. I would find myself singing “Jack’s Lament” or “This Is Halloween,” but "Corpse Bride’s" songs haven’t stuck in my head like that. I’m not saying that these new songs aren’t good (well, actually I didn’t like the Spider and Maggot’s duet very much), this is still one of very few musicals I have liked enough to buy.
The music still carries Elfman’s signature and is entertaining with a lovely score. Danny himself delivers an enjoyable vocal performance in "The Remains of the Day." This one is reminiscent of Oogie Boogie’s song and is my favorite of the film, but the others just aren’t as memorable.
The contemporary animation is smoother; the puppets are wonderfully done, and the sets are eye-catching. I love the way that the world of the living is drab and stiff while the world of the dead is full of energy and color. I suppose you can attach whatever importance you want to the differences in styles, I liked it partially just because the typical presentation is opposite.
Visually Tim Burton’s unique style shows through strongly which is especially good for the long-time fans. Sure the story is far-fetched, but that’s true of all fairy-tales isn’t it? What are the odds of some guy practicing his wedding vows accidentally putting the ring on the finger of a dead woman who has been buried in a wedding dress? But if it didn’t happen we wouldn’t have a story. Right?
The focus is more about Victor learning about life… from the dead. His and Victoria’s parents are more concerned about money and social status than anything else. The kids feel compelled to go along with the planned marriage, and thankfully so since when they meet there is magic, but they are under the oppression of a society that puts too much importance on what’s on the outside without caring about what’s on the inside – whitewashed tombs to adapt a phrase. The kids would rather be alive inside and happy with each other which looks possible until Victor is claimed by the long-dead Emily.
I love the story but have a couple of minor issues with the end. The final drink isn’t played out well enough and could have been staged a little better. I can’t go into any more detail without spoiling it so I'll just say that it feels a little too obvious while the staging makes it feel somewhat forced. Also there is no real tie-up to the parents. They just kind of vanish from the story. It would have been great to include some of their reactions to the final scene, maybe an epilogue with the kids leading their own lives as their parents looked on wondering why they weren't as interested in all the superficial nonsense that brought them together in the first place.
All in all, it’s a good movie with impressive animation. If you hated "The Nightmare Before Christmas" I wouldn’t bother with "Corpse Bride," but I think fans of one will be fans of the other.
Morality
I think there is exactly one questionable word in the whole thing. It’s there for a reference joke.
I don’t notice any inappropriate sexuality at all. When Victoria's mother catches Victor in her room there is a scandal, but the two remain completely innocent.
There is some implied and cartoonish violence and some comically gruesome images. You have dead guys with swords through them, half-skeletonized corpses, and other such ghouls running around. But the ghouls aren’t in the least bit mean, in fact, they’re quite amiable. They’re a bit more gruesome but no more scary than "Monsters Inc."
Spirituality
The movie has spirituality in the sense that we are seeing a view of the afterlife which is not at all Biblical. The point, though, is not to present an accurate notion of what awaits us (though perhaps there are those who believe in a sort of party of the dead kind of realm), I see it more as an artistic contrast to the so-called living.
As I said, the world of the living is drab with people who are concerned about social status and other things that don't much matter once they arrive at their graves. I personally connect to the land of the dead because by being dead to myself I am alive in Christ. This, of course, is not the message of the movie, but it is why I am able to relate to the world Burton creates (besides the fact that I tend to have a slightly morbid sense of humor).
There may be some who see this as a sort of communing with the dead, and there is a pseudo-ritual that can be taken as having occultic tones. If that sort of thing bothers you then I certainly recommend avoiding the movie, but in light of the overall positives of the movie I don't view these elements in such a light. I've already described how I interpret the land of the dead, and the ritual magic is simply a device to get Victor back to the living world while imposing limitations which play an important part in the plot later on.
There is a touch of religion here. Christopher Lee plays a pastor who is a stern man. It's hard to say if he is truly as worldly as the kids' parents, but he is definitely caught up in tradition. He has little patience for Victor's inability to get the marriage ritual exactly right. When the denizens of the realm of the dead decide to have their own wedding ceremony they want to do it right and hold it in a church. As they file into the building in the land of the living the pastor tries to drive them out as “demons from Hell.” One of them tells him to “keep it down, we're in a church.” In other words they show grater reverence for the house of God than the man who claims to serve Him but shows no love in his actions.
Having heard many stories of people being treated poorly by a church congregation because they were different I thought this was a better lesson of acceptance than what I see in a most Christian entertainment. Say what you want about this type of person or that, but if they come to church looking for Jesus how are they going to find him if we run them off? Maybe some of us could use a lesson in revering God from one of these “weirdos.”
There are other positive messages in the story. One of the biggest is that you reap what you sow which is certainly Biblical. Those who sow evil find that the fruits are not positive. Those who seek to use others for selfish gain find themselves used, and none find fulfillment in their quest for the things of the world. Meanwhile, Emily and Victor who remain innocent and pure of heart are able to find the courage and strength to face their struggles. They are not undaunted but neither are they stopped. Those who do the right thing find peace in doing so even if the outcome is not what they had initially been hoping for.
Final Thoughts
I love the movie and have seen it multiple times at this point. As far as questionable content it's appropriate for older kids who won't have nightmares after seeing ghoulies running around, and it's something that parents can watch with them.
Buying Guide
Most likely you'll see “Corpse Bride” listed as “Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.” I seriously doubt Tim married a corpse so the title is something of a misnomer.
I'll be focusing on the Limited Edition DVD with the lenticular cover later in the review. There are widescreen and pan-&-scan DVD editions available (they're all pretty much the same thing just with different ratios).
You can also get it on HD DVD, Blu, and in at least 3 Blu multi-movie sets. Here are a few more details on those.
Here are a few more details I researched on the HD versions:
All of the HD releases appear to be pretty similar. The Blu's offer a 1080p high-def widescreen picture and 5.1 EX surround sound. Comments say that it is exceptional quality even compared to other Blus. The extras list looks exactly the same as the DVD. I haven't seen the Lenticular sleeve and book packaged with the Blu, unfortunately.
The HD DVD has less info available but appears to be the same in all pertinent respects as the Blu.
Of the multi-movie sets one is a triple features with other Tim Burton films. It appears to offer the exact same Blu as the original release just repackaged in a combo case.
Another is a large Tim Burton Collection which includes a book that has art, info, and trivia about each movie in the set. Several reviewers say the book is very nice. The only difference I see in this and the regular Blu is the packaging.
Lastly is a Best Of - Family 4 pack which is offered on Blu and HD DVD. Details and comments suggest that this is, once again, the exact same product you would get with the regular Blu or HD DVD just with some additional movies.
Final Recommendation:
I have found this a DVD well worth owning especially with the book I got in my limited edition. The extras are enjoyable especially the isolated score which all by itself is worth revisiting more than once. There's something here for your money alongside a great movie. If you prefer HD to DVD even if that means not getting the book then you have a few options depending on whether or not you want any other Tim Burton movies along with this one.
The Limited Edition DVD is really just the regular DVD (the Widescreen Edition in my case, I can't say for sure if a pan-&-scan counterpart exists) in a special slip cover and packaged with a book. This was originally a Wal-Mart exclusive.
Video
1.85:
It looks a little grainy compared to HD releases, but is actually quite good by DVD standards. Much of the movie is dark and drab, but it looks very good with enough light and contrast to not have any problem with visibility.
Audio
5.1 Dolby:
It's got a good sound to it, strong and clear. The surround sound immersion is quite good, and there is enough bass to feel full.
Packaging
The regular DVD packaging is a standard plastic case. The Limited Edition also includes a lenticular slip cover.
The interface features some nice animation and music. I particularly like the skeletons leading into the chapter selections.
1 preview plays automatically.
Extras