Tim Burton has a unique cinematic vision, of which there is no denying, but it is not to everyone’s taste, including mine. His canon is rife with many weird and wonderful films filled with strange, gothic images and a quirky sense of humour. After a string of less than successful films, this year’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory brought his vision to a whole new audience and his latest venture into the world of animation, Corpse Bride, looks like keeping his name in the family film market. Maybe it’s something to do with him becoming a family man himself.
Although his name is associated with The Nightmare Before Christmas, his role was that of producer, as with James and the Giant Peach, which were both directed by Henry Selick (who also directed the anarchic Monkey Bone). His connection with the rather sinister Nightmare may prejudice people against this latest film, I know it did for me, and although it does give the impression of being a morbid tale it is actually great fun.
When Victor, the son of wealthy fishmongers, is betrothed to Victoria, the daughter of the less than wealthy local aristocrats, becomes very nervous on first meeting her, at the rehearsal of their wedding, and continuously fluffs his vows. Sent off in disgrace to learn them, he wanders into a forest reciting them. The one time he gets them correct, he slips the ring onto a twig which transforms into the skeletal hand of a long dead bride to be, who claims the poor, bewildered boy as her life partner, while his heart has gone to Victoria. It is a story about the power of true love.
The stop-motion animation is fantastic, although the puppets did remind of those from the Comfort ads. There is some incredible camera work which left me amazed when I considered that it was shot frame-by-frame, although there were some obvious inclusions of CGI. The use of colour was well done, with the world of the living shot with a pall of grey, while the land of the dead had a much warmer feel to it. This was also reflected in the characterisations, with the dead being infinitely happier than the living.
There is some great voice talent from Burton stalwarts Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, along with Emily Watson, Tracey Ullman, Paul Whitehouse, Joanna Lumley, Albert Finney, Jane Horrocks and Christopher Lee.
Some nice musical interludes, with a requisite song and dance routine from the skeletons, along with some really corny jokes and puns about death, make this more fun the one would expect. It is definitely a family film that is more macabre than scary, with the living being more terrifying than the dead. And it has a happy ending.
If you liked Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and want to take some younger relatives to another animated feature that isn’t Disney cute or features a man and his clever dog, then this is definitely worth seeing and at a running time of 76 minutes it will keep even those with short attention spans and weak bladders enthralled.
On general release