EVELYN BARGE
A&E Editor
Weddings are usually a time for happiness and celebration — unless the groom has accidentally married a corpse.
This seemingly gruesome idea is the backbone of Tim Burton’s latest stop-motion animation film “The Corpse Bride,” which was released in theaters nationwide Friday. “Corpse Bride” is Burton’s first feature-length animation film since 1993’s cult classic “Nightmare Before Christmas.”
Although the new release has difficulty matching up to its acclaimed predecessor, “Corpse Bride” is a wildly entertaining film for adults and children alike.
The remarkable voice talent behind each character strengthens “Corpse Bride.” Johnny Depp, who partnered up with Burton again after this year’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” lends his voice to main character Victor Van Dort. Emily Watson provides voiceovers for Victoria Everglot, Van Dort’s living fiancee. Actress Helena Bonham Carter is the voice behind the eerily sultry corpse bride, who Van Dort mistakenly weds after placing a wedding ring on the finger of a woman’s skeleton while practicing his vows for his arranged marriage to Everglot.
It’s hard to mistake “Corpse Bride” as an animated film only for the kiddies. Each scene is packed with dark humor and sharp-witted banter. Combining Burton’s penchant for heavy-hitting one-liners and his obsession with all things dark and mysterious in the human soul, “Corpse Bride” is a guaranteed formula for intrigue and entertainment.
“It’s a tragic tale of romance, passion and a murder most foul,” declares one animated skeleton of the underworld.
But, typical of Burton, this tragic tale is mixed with a high dose of offbeat humor and wacky characters to keep the narrative amusing and palatable. Shortly after Van Dort’s ill-fated meeting with the corpse bride, she presents him with a wedding present — the lively skeletal remains of his childhood pet.
“What a cutie,” the corpse bride says of the playful doggie skeleton now reunited with its still-living master.
“You should have seen him with fur,” Van Dort quips.
Burton also plays off stereotypical imagery to bring his characters’ psychological states to life in the viewers’ minds. Victoria Everglot’s domineering mother, Maudeline, is a lean and overwhelming presence in each frame — a protruding chin and extraordinarily tall coiffure augment her character’s mental and physical stiffness. On the other hand, Van Dort’s mother, Nell, is hefty and extravagant, living well beyond her family’s means and lavishing in the prospects of the nouveau riche. Her portly, undulating figure gives a visual rendering of the character’s gluttony.
Burton comments further on his characters through his representation of the corpse bride’s rather charming underworld versus the stiflingly dull land of the living.
Vivid in both color and atmosphere, the underworld is bursting with activity and livelihood. In contrast, the world inhabited by the living is lackluster and, quite literally, grey.
In this way, Burton challenges viewers with questions about happiness, fulfillment and human nature. When the dead are more alive than the living, the living must be doing it wrong.
At times, “Corpse Bride” feels contrived and artificial, particularly during its musical scenes. The lyrics are too frequently bland and uninspired, leaving no room for creative imagination on the part of the viewer.
The songs detract from, rather than bring life to, the film’s high-quality animation and stylistic elements.
But something special about this film strikes a chord with all audiences. “Corpse Bride” is, after all, a tale of undying romance. It is only when Van Dort is ripped away from his bride-to-be that he realizes she is the love of his life, and he will risk everything to find his way back to her.
In this way, “Corpse Bride” climbs out of the depths of an unfortunate darkness into innocent hopefulness and optimism. It’s everyone’s favorite fairytale with a classically peculiar Tim Burton twist.
09-29-2005
