Movie Monday - Corpse Bride

I have been having a really hard time trying to find words to express my feelings for this movie.

I had no interest in seeing this, to begin with, and only went out of compromise to my 15 year-old son (who loved the movie, by the way).

Aside from Edward Scissorhands, I do not believe I have ever seen another Tim Burton film. From the reviews, I have read, Tim Burton fans are unanimous in their appreciation of this “stop animation” art form. As an artist, Burton certainly has a unique, be it somewhat dark, perspective he likes to share.

This animated, feature length film offered a physical world, void of color, unless one includes gray scale in defining color.

The lead character, Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp), and his human bride to be, Victoria (Emily Watson) are both perplexed about their arranged wedding, until they meet each other. One look, and a short visit, and they know they have a connection.

It is, however, a dark and critical time and Victor does not perform well under pressure. A judgmental pastor intimidates Victor during the wedding rehearsal and the young man runs to the woods for some personal reflection.

While in this forest, pondering his inadequacies, Victor accidentally awakens a corpse bride, and he is drawn into the underworld. Here Victor finds life to be colorful, although somewhat morbid, as spirits are locked between lives.

While this version of purgatory is somewhat appealing, Victor still feels a longing for his life among the living.

The movie, sometimes comedic and sometimes overly dark, drags us to the conclusion that to be free, we must release the chains that accompany our angers and hatreds. Only love will loose these shackles.

Is it worth seeing?

Universally, Tim Burton fans will scream that this is a must see.

Animation fans, the world over, will want to see it to view the technical mastery of Tim Burton.

From a perspective of filmmaking, one can probably learn a lot from the use of caricature, lighting, color, and even dialogue. Tim Burton uses everything at his disposal to convey his message.

I still have not answered the question, have I?

I suppose I can say that I do not feel my 86 minutes were wasted. I will not be buying the DVD, unless it is a gift for my son, but I might be influenced to watch it again, if some beneficial trade is offered.

It is possible that I missed some of the puns. And maybe some of the macabre humor might be funnier to me in a different mood.

This is one you will have to decide on. If you liked Nightmare before Christmas, then I would suggest you see this. If you did not, I would avoid it.

The film clearly had some type of effect on me. Typically, I am able to tell you, right away, how I feel about a film. I am two days removed from this experience, and I am still struggling to voice my feelings. That is interesting to me.

If you choose to see this, share your impressions with me. I do think Tim Burton is probably a genius. Oftentimes, genius is over my head.