Learn Your Vows

Tim Burton movie #2: Corpse Bride. If I’m not much mistaken, this was Tim Burton’s first animated feature since The Nightmare Before Christmas (which technically isn’t even a “Tim Burton film;” he produced it, while Henry Selick directed). I remember having very high hopes when it came out, but not getting around to seeing it until I was in film school.

Overall, I think I definitely like Corpse Bride. I don’t love it, and I don’t dislike it. I think it’s just a little more mediocre than I was expecting. Periodically I’ll remember one of the songs and it’ll get stuck in my head, but usually they’re more annoying than pleasant. The only song I really enjoy is the piano duet, but it’s (obviously) instrumental and so a little trickier to get stuck in one’s head. The entire score actually is quite lovely and whimsical, as usual from Danny Elfman.

I really enjoy the premise of Corpse Bride, and I love the small twist at the end. Still, I feel like the plot could easily be a short film. It’s already a shorter runtime, even for an animated film, and much of it is sort of “filler” content. If this is another case of a more kid-friendly film, though, I’m willing to be overruled. Either way, though, I have to say that I really enjoy the character designs, in particular Emily’s. I’ve seen some wonderful Corpse Bride cosplays that are seriously inspiring. Plus Laika’s animation style is delightfully quirky. So as I said, I think I definitely like it, but probably not much more than that.

(P.S. The theory that Frankenweenie, Corpse Bride, and Nightmare are all part of one giant movie is adorable and actually slightly compelling.)

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