By Maddie Papcun ─ Staff Reporter

Tim Burton is well known in the entertainment industry for his dark direction of macabre cartoons and horror films, such as “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Yet, while animated movies in general lend themselves more to whimsical or high-spirited themes, Burton pushes the envelope again and again, especially with “Corpse Bride.” 

Released on September 23, 2005, and now almost 15 years old, “Corpse Bride” is the tale of Emily, a bride of the afterlife, and Victor Van Dort, her still-breathing groom. It is set in a fictional, Victorian-era village of England. 

As the film opens, Victor, the son of newly-wealthy fish merchants, is set to marry Victoria Everglot, the daughter of newly-poor aristocrats. The hope is that such a union will raise the social status of Victor’s family, while simultaneously raising the financial status of the Everglots. 

Nervous about marrying someone he does not know, Victor struggles through the wedding rehearsal and eventually runs away to the forest to practice his vows alone. As he places a ring on a branch, it manifests into the hand of Emily, a dead woman in a tattered bridal gown who agrees, saying “I do.” Thus, Victor is caught between two marriages, and struggles to find his place in both the mortal world and the Land of the Dead. 

The strongest point of “Corpse Bride” by far is the soundtrack. The movie is semi-musical in nature, as some of the plot is told by songs the characters sing. These songs reach a wide range of genres, but the best one is titled, “Remains of the Day,” and utilizes a New Orleans jazz style to explain how Emily came to be the titular  “Corpse Bride.” 

Another strength Burton’s “Corpse Bride” holds is the casting. Johnny Depp voices Victor, and Helena Bonham Carter is the voice of Emily. Honestly, this should not be a surprise, as Burton has a habit of casting the two actors in opposing roles of his movies. This would seemingly make the pairing overdone, but the opposite is actually the case; each applies perfect emotion and characterization through their voice acting. 

Additionally, “Corpse Bride” does a fantastic job of explaining typically difficult concepts to its younger audience. It is an animated film and is intended for children, but it also deals with heavy topics such as death, true love, and murder. Burton’s film does not struggle in explaining these concepts simply, rather it perfectly breaks each difficult point down while telling an entertaining story. 

While “Corpse Bride” is a movie that’s a little older, it is a timeless story of love and loss told through Tim Burton’s classic style of stop-motion animation, suitable for all ages. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

(Some information courtesy of imbd.com)