Review of Corpse Bride

Movie #49 - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

Corpse Bride is another one of Tim Burton's masterpieces. It is a stop-motion animation film, and I'm just in absolute awe every time I watch it. It's right up there with Nightmare Before Christmas.

This film focuses on Victor and Victoria. Their families both have no money to their names, and so they are marrying off their children to try to bring financial security to their household. Little do they know that both families are poor, so neither family will be receiving any money. Victor is nervous about marrying Victoria, so he runs into the forest to calm down and work on his vows. While reciting his vows, he places the wedding ring on what seems like a tree branch sticking out of the ground. Wrong. It ends up being the finger of Emily, a corpse bride. She emerges from the ground below and chases after Victor, dragging him into her underworld. Victor tries his hardest to leave Emily and get back to Victoria, but nothing works. Victor realizes that he has most likely lost his chance at marrying Victoria, and that her parents have probably married her off to someone else already. He agrees to kill himself and marry Emily. All of the creatures from the underworld rise into the land of the living to attend the wedding of Victor and Emily. Meanwhile, Victoria has been married off to Lord Barkus, who thinks he is to receive money from Victoria's family...NOPE. They are poor, which he learns a little too late. Emily spots Lord Barkus when she arrives in the land of the living, and we find out that he is the one that left her for dead in the forest after stealing all of her money. HE was the one SHE was supposed to marry before she died. Barkus accidentally drinks the poison that was meant for Victor to drink, and Barkus dies. All of the creatures attack him and pull him back into the underworld. Emily is finally at peace, and releases Victor so he can marry his true love, Victoria. Happy ending.

Corpse Bride is a fantastic achievement. Stop-motion animation is one of the coolest forms of filming out there. It takes so much time, effort, skill, and detailing. Tim Burton is a genius for thinking it up. He truly is a master at his craft.

The music, by Danny Elfman, just adds to the already eerily awesome atmosphere of the movie, so it makes Corpse Bride the total package to watch. I always look forward to hearing Danny Elfman's music in a Tim Burton film. Johnny Depp is the voice of Victor, Helena Bonham Carter is the voice of Emily, and Danny Elfman created the musical score...and obviously, Tim Burton was the writer and director. That's the dream team.


Overall, I give Corpse Bride 4.5 out of 5 stars.