The Corpse Bride

Voices of : Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Joanna Lumley, Christopher Lee, Albert Finney, Richard E. Grant, Tracey Ullman

Directed By: Tim Burton/Mike Johnson
Released by: Warner Bros.

When the Oscar for Best Animated feature is announced next year, don't be surprised if The Corpse Bride manages to upset the Disney offerings and take out the award. Tim Burton's cooky, clever animated effort is a real gem. In much the same vein as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Burton tells a wickedly black tale, of a most unusual wedding. The movie feels a bit like an animated version of Edward Scissorhands, with the exception that in Bride, Burton makes less comments about society and adds more fun and humour. You get the feeling that he has let his imagination roam freely in making this movie, and the results are really impressive.

The film introduces us to Depp's charatcer Viktor Van Dort, who is to be married off to a family in a higher class than his own, in order to advance his parents up the social scale. What is not known however, is that the family he is being married into, lives by title alone. Whilst they may be Lord and Lady, the Everglot family desperately need the marriage to work to ensure their survival. They see Viktors nouveau riche fish monger family as the ideal cash cow. After a disastrous wedding rehearsal, a nervous Viktor roams off into the forest to run over his wedding vows. In the process he mistakenly marries a young corpse bride, tragically killed on her wedding day years ago, and forever since searching for a husband to match her decaying bridal attire. The obvious complication of Viktor being alive, doesnt seem to phase our corpse bride, who is quite content to keep him in the amazing underworld crafted by Burton.

The voice cast for the film really is amazing, and is one of the main reasons why the film is so entertaining. With the exception of Depp, the cast are all British, and the 19th Century London feel of the setting is enhanced by the authenticity of the actors accents. That said, Depp is impressive as leading man Viktor, adding a neurotic charm to the character, that endears him to the audience. Helena Bonham Carter, as the Corpse Bride herself, is also wickedly funny, delivering her dialogue with a delicious irony and really infusing the character with a sense of her own personality. Of the other supporting cast, Emily Watson is very convincing as the good girl and rightful bride Victoria, and her parents, played by Johanna Lumley and Albert Finney, are an absolute riot. They really could be a real life husband and wife, so genuine is their banter. Richard E. Grant, as the mysterious "Lord Barkis Bittern", is wondefully evil, and is the perfect villain, with a voice that is rich in texture and emotion.

When all is said and done, The Corpse Bride is good, clean fun. For good escapism, and an entertaining time, it is a refreshing alternative to traditional Hollywood fare. It is perhaps because its humour is more British than American, that Bride is able to stand clear of the Hollywood animated mould. And whilst it has been outgrossed by most of its Pixar counterparts, it is in many ways a superior animated film, getting back to what a trip to the movies should be all about.

out of ten

Reviewed by Nick Bailey

Moviemarshal.com home