Corpse Bride (2005)
One of the most commonly held misconceptions in animation is that Tim Burton directed The Nightmare Before Christmas. Pedants know it was actually Henry Selick who deserves the credit- although Burton was responsible for the story and characters. It wouldn't be for more than a decade that Burton would actually direct a stop-motion animated film- and even then he shared the credit with Mike Johnson. And that film was Corpse Bride
Corpse Bride was originally released in 2005. It was written by John August, Caroline Thompson, and Pamela Pettler, based on characters created by Burton and Carlos Grangel. It was produced by Tim Burton Productions and Laika Entertainment, and distributed by Warner Bros. The film has been released for the first time in 4K in 2025, with a UHD Blu-Ray release and new theatrical screenings.
The voice cast features (pre-cancellation) Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Richard E. Grant, Christopher Lee, Paul Whitehouse, Tracey Ullman, Joanna Lumley and Albert Finney.
In an unnamed English village, young man Victor Van Dort is preparing to marry Victoria in an arranged marriage. Following a disastrous rehearsal, he runs to the nearby woods to practice his vows. In doing so, he finds himself inadvertently hitched to a wedding dress sporting dead woman named Emily, otherwise known as The Corpse Bride.
You probably have expectations of what a stop-motion Tim Burton film is going to be like. And this film is likely to live up to them all. A gothic sensibility, a gallows sense of humour and a cast packed with people he has worked with before- it's all familiar from his live-action work from Beetlejuice to Wednesday. Burton also teams up again with frequent collaborator Danny Elfman, contributing music and songs (and also popping up in a voice role).
The puppets, made by the UK's McKinnon and Saunders, are simply exquisite, crafted with incredible skill. The character designs are pure Burton, looking like they could have jumped out of the pages of one of his artbooks. Combined with excellent set design and well-integrated VFX, and the Corpse Bride looks just fantastic. Surely one of the best-looking stop-motion features ever made.
Beautiful looks are all very well, but they don't mean much if it's rotten beneath the surface. Luckily, Corpse Bride also has a captivating story. Based on a 17th-century Jewish folktale, the story is quite straightforward and fable-like, but it serves the film well. The character relationships are quite complex. For example, the film resists the temptation of making Emily a villain, and she remains sympathetic throughout. It makes Victor's choice seem more difficult (although it was never really in doubt). Despite all the darkness on the surface, and all the talk of death, this is actually a film with a big heart and a positive message.
The cast, Depp aside, is largely made up of British acting and comedy legends. With such pedigree involved, it's unsurprising that they do a wonderful job. And it helps add to the whole Hammer Horror feel of it all, particularly considering the presence of the legendary Christopher Lee. Meanwhile, comedians like Paul Whitehouse and Jane Horrocks ensure the film is consistently funny.
The other major element of Corpse Bride is Elfman's score and songs. It brings the composer's usual manic energy and adds an extra dimension to the film. The songs are pretty catchy, although not quite up there with the classic tunes of Nightmare. They are also used relatively sparsely, so musical sceptics might not be too put off.
The film gets a lot of mileage out of the contrast between the land of the living and the world of the dead. Perhaps counterintuitively, the living world is depicted as dull and lifeless, with an almost monochrome colour palette. The land of the dead, conversely, is colourful, lively and full of high-spirited characters. Ironically, the dead are more full of life than their living equivalents.
Despite the heavy theme of death, and the horror-esque atmosphere, there's no reason this shouldn't be suitable for children- at least slightly older ones. It will particularly appeal to kids who like creepy crawlies and slime and all things gross. So in other words, most children.
The film has aged extremely well, and looks as good today as it did back in 2005- no, even better thanks to the 4K restoration. Corpse Bride is a stunning showcase for the art of stop-motion. And the fact that it's also a captivating story is the icing on the cake.
IN A NUTSHELL:
A Technical Masterpiece and a timeless fable. Corpse Bride is Dead Good.
