Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (www.the-usher.com)

"But you're dead"

Victor (Depp) has had his marriage arranged by his parents, as they endeavour to climb the social ladder. His intended is Victoria Everglot (Watson), a daughter of great social standing but her parents have no money to live the life they are accustomed to. Victor's shy and clumsy demeanour doesn't help him when he is trying to get his vows right during the wedding rehearsal, so he seeks solace in the forest to practice. But when he finally gets them right he didn't release that someone is actually listening and thinking that he is actually talking to her because in her eyes he has just married the Corpse Bride (Bonham Carter).

Tim Burton returns to animation again and instils his own unique vision into another journey into the underworld but can he recreate the magic of 'A Nightmare Before Christmas'?

With computer generated features taking the animation genre by storm, the more traditional methods like hand drawn and stop-motion are taking a backseat. The reason CG movies have been such a success however isn't all due to the technical wizardry that brings them to the silver screen; it is their stories and characters that have won people over. 'Corpse Bride' tries to compete and for most part succeeds.

'Corpse Bride' succeeds in creating some very memorable and creative characters. Chief amongst these is the Corpse Bride herself. Voiced wonderfully by Helena Bonham Carter, the bride is both beautiful and frightening but it is her vulnerability that makes her so appealing. The same can be said and the shy and retiring Victor. He is a timid sole, who just wants to be left alone and Johnny Depp creates a vocal performance that brings him to life. The instantly lovable Victoria draws Victor in but also frightens him to death and Emily Watson's voice makes her all the more likeable. Add to this social climbing William and Nell Van Dort, voiced by British comedians Paul Whitehouse and Tracey Ullman, desperate for money Finnis and Maudeline Everglot, voiced by Albert Finney and Joanna Lumley and the manipulative Lord Barkis Bittern, highlighting the vocal talents of Richard E. Grant, and you have a very memorable set of characters.

These memorable characters are let down slightly by a very slight story however. The premise is very good, a man accidentally marrying a corpse but the rest of the plot is extremely predictable, never capitalising on it total potential. The inclusion of songs also distracts you from the plot and Danny Elfman's compositions don't really have the same impact or catchiness of his previous effects in 'A Nightmare Before Christmas'. The basic plot just seems like a method of getting to the next song and this lets down the brilliantly designed and realised characters slightly.

The visual style that worked so well in 'A Nightmare Before Christmas' returns in 'Corpse Bride' as director Tim Burton and Mike Johnson take you back to the world of the dead for another visually stunning stop-motion animation master class. The film looks absolutely superb, with some animation that is just as lush and creative as anything created inside a computer.

'Corpse Bride' is a visually stunning piece of animation that proves that there is more to animation than that created with a computer. With only the slight storyline letting the film down, this is still excellent entertainment that the family should enjoy and Tim Burton fans should revel in.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good, highlighting the exceptional animation.

BONUS FEATURES

Inside the Two Worlds (4.04 mins)
Director/producer Tim Burton, co-director Mike Johnson, screenwriter John August, character designer Carlos Grangel, art designer Nelson Lowry, puppet makers Peter Sauders and Ian Mackinnon, producer Allison Abbate and vocal stars Johnny Depp and Emily Watson highlight the difference between the land of the dead and the world of the living.

Danny Elfman interprets the two worlds (4.56 mins)
Director/producer Tim Burton, co-director Mike Johnson and composer Danny Elfman talk about the songs and music for the animated feature. Highlighting the jazz approach, the composer takes you through the different songs for the movie.

The Animators: The Breath of Life (6.38 mins)
Director/producer Tim Burton, co-director Mike Johnson, screenwriter John August, character designer Carlos Grangel, art designer Nelson Lowry, puppet makers Peter Sauders and Ian Mackinnon, producer Allison Abbate, director of photography Pete Kozachik and vocal performers Johnny Depp, Christopher Lee and Emily Watson talk about the unique approach to the movie and breathing life into stop motion animation.

Tim Burton: Dark vs. Light (3.39 mins)
Co-director Mike Johnson, director of photography Pete Kozachik, screenwriter John August, puppet makers Peter Sauders and Ian Mackinnon and vocal performers Johnny Depp, Christopher Lee, Albert Finney, Emily Watson and Joanna Lumley talk about director Tim Burton's unique vision.

Voices of the Underworld (5.59 mins)
Director/producer Tim Burton, co-director Mike Johnson, screenwriter John August, producer Allison Abbate and vocal performers Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Albert Finney, Joanna Lumley, Christopher Lee, Emily Watson, Jane Horrocks and Tracy Ullman talk about breathing life into their characters.

Making Puppets Tick (6.33 mins)
Director/producer Tim Burton, co-director Mike Johnson, screenwriter John August, producer Allison Abbate, puppet makers Peter Sauders and Ian Mackinnon and vocal performer Johnny Depp talk about the creating and the design of the many different characters that inhabit the worlds of the dead and the living.

The voices behind the voice (7.36 mins)
Watch split screen footage of the vocal performers recording their lines and the actual finished footage. Highlights include the first meeting of Victoria and Victor, the two families, the wedding rehearsal and going to the land of the living.

The Corpse Bride Pre-Production Gallery (13.29 mins)
See the puppet development of Victoria, Victor, Barkis, Nell Van Dort, William Van Dort, the Corpse Bride, Bonegangles and many others from the land of the living and the dead. Music Only Track Watch 'Corpse Bride' with only Danny Elfman's score and the songs.

Theatrical Trailer (1.51 mins)
Watch the cinematic preview of the film.

OVERALL

Warner Bros. has packed the DVD with mini featurettes that cover most aspects of the films production that should keep fans very happy. The only thing missing is a commentary track but this doesn't distract from a good value DVD package.

DVD

A Nightmare Before Christmas

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2005