"Corpse Bride"

By Betsy Curry
Halloween often brings many “spooktacular” films to the theater. This season, with a little bit of spook and a lot of fun, brought about yet another animated Tim Burton film, Corpse Bride.

Burton is known for his witty filmmaking capability, along with the dark romantic classic films Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Corpse Bride was no exception to Burton’s well known attributes. The movie is a tale of love and heartbreak just as any well-made movie consists of.

Corpse Bride is set in a 19th-century European village. Victor (Johnny Depp), the main character, is destined to be married to the bride (Emily Watson) of his parents’ choice. Before Victor is wed, he is whisked away to the underworld where he finds himself married to a corpse bride. Victor then is forced to choose between love and loyalty.

Death is often presented in gore and heartbreak, but in Corpse Bride death is viewed in a softer light. It is more fun to be dead than alive in this film. One of my favorite lines was “Why go up there when people are dying to get down here.”

The film is animated with witty humor, appropriate for children of all ages.