Corpse Bride

I fully identify with Marigold's evaluation. From a formal point of view, it is one of the best animated films of the decade. Great visual concept and careful animation. This time it is not about finding new paths, but returning to narrative classics. With regard to its precise form, the overall impression is 90%. (05/07/2007)

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 (11/24/2005)

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. (04/01/2006)

Perhaps too readable is Tim, who musically and morbidly describes from Ukradené Vánoce (The Stolen Christmas), but still easily triumphs. Between Viktor and Emily, there is an incredible chemistry, and the main villain is excellent even in a small space. In combination with perfect vocal accompaniment, it guarantees a pleasant experience even upon further viewings. (02/26/2006)

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. (06/12/2011)