Cinematography:
Pete KozachikComposer:
Danny ElfmanCast:
Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Albert Finney, Richard E. Grant, Christopher Lee, Joanna Lumley, Danny Elfman, Michael Gough, Tracey Ullman (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Set in a 19th century European village, this stop-motion, animated feature follows the story of Victor (voiced by JOHNNY DEPP), a young man who is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride, while his real bride, Victoria, waits bereft in the land of the living. (official distributor synopsis)
Reviews (12)
Perhaps Tim Burton is just too readable, who musically and morbidly copies from The Nightmare Before Christmas, but still easily triumphs. There is incredible chemistry between Viktor and Emily, and the main villain is excellent even in a small space. When combined with perfect vocal accompaniment, this guarantees a pleasant experience even upon further viewings.
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In my opinion, this is Burton’s most beautiful fairy tale since Edward Scissorhands. The dialogue contains dozens of wonderful allusions and allegories, the sets offer a beautifully conceived contrast between the greyness of the terrestrial world and the colorfulness of the afterlife. The film also has a nice romantic-poetic element and the characters are fascinatingly designed in line with their natures. Corpse Bride is little gem of a film and I definitely won’t hold the formulaicness of its subject matter against it.
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The great theme of a wedding ring put on the wrong (dead) finger is perfect for Tim Burton. The visual stylization, which contrasts the mundane reality of cold English society with the exuberantly colorful impact of the world of the dead, is done to perfection. The film as a whole exudes stylish unconventionality, in which the afterlife is actually a party full of amazing musical creations, and in which all the classic "fairy tale" storytelling techniques are made fun of (I want to avoid the term "parodied") via many light-hearted catchphrases and everyone's behavior. On the other hand, the film also gives off a rather heavy-handed impression in many respects. How many times does a skeleton have to drop something before it stops being funny? Where does the film, interspersed with singing numbers, end and where does the musical begin? And most importantly, how good of an idea is it to subordinate all content to form? Before I was halfway through, I had a hunch about where the film was going. I certainly don't want to condemn the qualities of Corpse Bride in any way - on the contrary - it is a very pleasant bit of variety in the animation world. Yet I can’t give it a perfect review because I have to compare it to The Nightmare Before Christmas in terms of animation and runtime. Yet The Nightmare Before Christmas is musically richer, funnier, even more unconventional, and mainly a lot more entertaining. This makes Corpse Bride look a bit dead when the two films are compared.
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A beautifully portrayed fascination with death, to which Burton himself confesses as one of the great themes of his work. Corpse Bride is a decadent fairy tale that seems to have been born out of the Baudelaire aesthetic of filth, blessed with typical Burton affection and empathy. The result is an artistically extraordinarily mature film, for which a huge piece of work is done by the famous music of Danny Elfman, excellent actors who give the characters their souls and, of course, the fitting legendary story that Burton interpreted in his own way. It may be a little unfair to forget about Mike Johnson, but Corpse Bride is Burton's companion beyond the grave, breathing from every detail, from every precise verbal and visual gag, from the picturesqueness of places, from the typical neighborhood of the world of rationality and irrationality, on the edge of which the hero finds his true self. It's a poetic, riveting, beautiful film. It has no weak spots, unless one accepts the slightly conventional ending.
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Corpse Bride is an excellent movie, which is imbued from the very first shots with the typical Burton atmosphere and with his strange humor. It has momentum, gorgeous execution, wonderful voice casting, and a great soundtrack from Danny Elfman. But it's unfortunate in that it came after the brilliant Nightmare Before Christmas, and apart from the maturity of the animation, it can't compete with it in any way. Everything that is here at a very high level was one step better in Nightmare (it is especially noticeable in the songs). I also can't shake the impression that this is another in a line of movies based on Burton's tried-and-true (and thankfully still working) recipe for "his" kind of movie. Maybe it’s time for a bit of a change, Tim. ♫ OST score: 4/5
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Pretty ugliness accompanies us in every Tim Burton movie... but here it's probably the prettiest of all. Built on a quality script, beautiful animation, and above all an extraordinary atmosphere. The film is also accompanied by masterful music and piano. Enjoyable in the original version and with Czech dubbing. A beautiful dark fairy tale full of feeling.
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From a formal standpoint, one of the best animated films of the decade. Excellent artistic design and meticulous animation. This time, it's not about finding new paths but a return to storytelling classics. Given the precise form, my overall impression is 90%.
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A good idea with great execution, but it still failed to engage me enough to pull me into the plot. I'm quite sorry, because animated films are usually great entertainment and relaxation for me, but this strange movie failed to work somehow and even though it flows quite fast and there are some really great ideas and jokes, I can't help but give it a 3.
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Tim Burton's penchant for gloomy characters and depressing settings is evident in Corpse Bride, so as a viewer and fan of his typical cinematic atmosphere, I enjoyed it all to the full. The director served me a terrifying story about love that is eternal and can overcome even the worst obstacles. Visually, it is a perfect film, where, paradoxically, the grey world of the living and the colourful world of the dead contrast. Danny Elfman's music is once again enchanting. In short, a sweet and likeable fairy tale for the bigger ones, which will not grow old with time.
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I can't help it, but I liked it more the first time around. The second time around, it's just good old Burton, with not as great music as in The Nightmare Before Christmas, even though it was made by the same person, and ultimately, it doesn't have such a strong central story. But his world still works, as do the beautiful contrasts between our world and the realm of the dead.
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Expecting a would-be "normal and ordinary cartoon" from Tim Burton is almost impossible. But that's what makes Burton's films what they are. A reasonable dose of wit, a magical world, a magical atmosphere, and Burton's usual actors lending their voices to the main characters. I haven't seen something so beautiful and magical in a long time.
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I'm not a big fan of Tim Burton, but this dark romance with his famous sharp wit was quite appealing to me. The story is a bit weaker, but the form is almost perfect and for the amazing piano scene I can forgive the minor flaws. (80%)
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