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"TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE"
(2005) (voices of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter) (PG)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Moderate *Heavy Extreme *Moderate Heavy
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Minor None Heavy None Minor
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Mild Moderate Minor Moderate Moderate


QUICK TAKE:
Animated Comedy: After unintentionally placing his bride's wedding ring on a corpse's hand, a young man is whisked to the underworld where everyone is very much "alive" despite being dead, including his new corpse bride.
PLOT:
It's the 19th century and Victor (voice of JOHNNY DEPP) is a young and shy man whose working class parents -- Nell (voice of TRACEY ULLMAN) and William Van Dort (voice of PAUL WHITEHOUSE) -- have arranged his marriage to Victoria (voice of EMILY WATSON) -- the lovely daughter of Maudeline (voice of JOANNA LUMLEY) and Finis Everglot (voice of ALBERT FINNEY). Despite now being broke, the Everglots still maintain their snooty, upper crust ostentation and look down on Victor, as does their clergyman, Pastor Galswells (voice of CHRISTOPHER LEE), when Victor can't remember his vows during the wedding rehearsal.

Headed off to practice them, Victor unknowingly wanders into a long forgotten cemetery where his vows arouse the Corpse Bride (voice of HELENA BONHAM CARTER) whose thrust-up, skeletal hand comes into contact with Victoria's wedding band, thus meaning they're now married, at least in her mind. After accidentally knocking himself out, Victor awakens in the underworld where his new bride, Emily, and the rest of the dead live and celebrate the arrival of the newly dead.

Victor is taken aback by what he sees and tries to tell Emily that he's already spoken for, but he's soon drawn in by her story of having died on her wedding day and thence forever waiting for a groom. With the help of Elder Gutknecht (voice of MICHAEL GOUGH), they return to the world of the living, but when Emily sees Victoria, she whisks Victor back to the underworld.

As Victoria then sets out to help rescue Victor while being unaware that family friend Barkis Bittern (voice of RICHARD E. GRANT) has set his sights on her, her dowry and the family fortune that he's unaware no longer exists, Victor must choose between the two women, both of whom he's only just met.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
It's a good bet many will.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG
For some scary images and action, and brief mild language.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • VICTOR VAN DORT is a shy and unassuming young man whose world is turned upside down when he accidentally marries the corpse bride while practicing his wedding vows for his pending marriage to Victoria. He must then choose between them while dealing with Barkis and his nefarious plans.
  • EMILY is Victor's corpse bride, a young and dead, but charming and alluring woman who originally died on her wedding day and now thinks she's married to Victor.
  • VICTORIA EVERGLOT is Victor's intended bride up in the world of the living who's lived under pompous and restrictive parents and sets out to help her betrothed any way she can.
  • BARKIS BITTERN is the conniving family friend who's set his sights on Victoria and her family's money with the intent of killing her for it, much as he's done in the past.
  • MAUDELINE and FINIS EVERGLOT are Victoria's pompous and snooty parents who are only trying to marry her off since their family is now broke.
  • NELL and WILLIAM VAN DORT are Victor's working class parents who've arranged his marriage to Victoria.
  • PASTOR GALSWELLS is the Everglots' clergyman who's lost all patience with Victor being unable to remember his wedding vows during rehearsal.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a brief summary of the content found in this animated comedy that's been rated PG. Profanity consists of a minor expletive, while some colorful phrases are also uttered. Some female (animated) figures are buxom, including one in a standard wedding dress that shows cleavage and the tops of her breasts (but nothing explicit). Various characters have bad attitudes, including the villain who plots to murder his new bride for her family's money, much as he did in the past with another woman. That eventually leads to a violent swordfight of sorts, while a man dies after unknowingly ingesting poison.

    Those scenes as well as the sight of the living dead (many of them still containing the weapons that killed them and all being in various states of decomposition all the way to skeletal -- but all are animated, most in a darkly humorous fashion) and some related scenes that are played as comical suspense might be disturbing or even downright scary to younger kids, but older ones likely won't have a similar reaction. Various characters smoke and/or drink, with most of the latter being done by the dead, with one skeletal character literally being falling down drunk.

    If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Miscellaneous dead characters drink what's presumably ale. One of them drinks and another pulls a sword from the first one's body, draining the ale into a mug. He then drinks from that mug, but the ale simply flows out from his skeletal body.
  • A character asks another if he wants another pint (of ale), but the dead man (who's previously been cut completely in half) says he'll take only half of one.
  • Various dead characters drink ale, including a newly arrived one. One skeletal character is literally falling down drunk and ends up as a pile of bones on the floor.
  • Various characters have wine with dinner.
  • A dead relative asks the Everglots where they keep the spirits (liquor) while holding an empty glass.
  • Part of a wedding vow is a line about the other's cup never being empty as they'll be their "wine."
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • While some/all of the following might sound severe and/or gross, most of it's played for macabre humor and one must remember it's all done with animated rather than realistic looking characters (although the last fact might not make any difference for younger viewers).
  • We see various fish heads chopped off with a meat cleaver.
  • The dead and partially decomposed appearance of Emily (part of her cheek is missing, thus exposing some of her teeth/jawbone, she has a hole in her wedding dress and side that shows exposed ribs, and some of her limbs are skeletal while others are fleshy, etc.) may be unsettling or scary to younger kids. The same holds true for other dead characters that are "alive" (some of which have the weapons that killed them still inside their bodies, one that's just a severed head and another that's previously been cut completely in half -- thus offering several views of his internal organs and bones, including his brain etc. that have also been halved -- and some are straight skeletons).
  • Emily occasionally has her eye pop or be pushed out by the maggot (that looks like a friendly worm) that's in her head.
  • A dead man's head falls off (played for comedy).
  • Emily's skeletal leg breaks off as she walks along (but it's put back on).
  • We see one dead character with an eyeball dangling from his eye socket.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Victoria's parents, despite now being broke, still look down on Victor and his parents.
  • Pastor Galswells loses his patience with Victor being unable to remember his vows during rehearsal and has a bad attitude toward him, culminating in him hitting Victor on the head with his staff.
  • Victor lies to Emily about going to meet his parents only to be able to get back to the land of the living and see Victoria.
  • After Victoria reports that Victor is married to a corpse, Mrs. Everglot says that her daughter is "completely mad," a thought shared by Pastor Galswells when Victoria tells him the same. As a result, Mrs. Everglot locks Victoria in her room.
  • We learn that Barkis earlier killed Emily (before this story starts).
  • Although not uncommon for the time, Victoria's parents arrange her marriage to Victor who she's never met. When that falls apart, they offer her to Barkis, despite her objections, saying that if she doesn't, they'll be destitute.
  • We learn that Barkis is after Victoria, but only for her dowry. We then hear him admit to himself that he plans on killing her for her money (saying she'll only have to suffer this union until death do them part which won't be long).
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed below as well as under "Violence" and "Blood/Gore" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers, but most other kids will probably think it's all fun and/or cool in appearance.
  • While some/all of the following might sound severe and/or gross, most of it's played for macabre humor and one must remember it's all done with animated rather than realistic looking characters (although the last fact might not make any difference for younger viewers).
  • While very young kids might be unsettled by seeing the bottom of Mrs. Everglot's dress on fire, it's played for comedy.
  • While practicing his vows out near a graveyard, a bunch of black birds converge in trees by him and a corpse's hand suddenly thrusts up out of the ground and grabs Victor's arm. He pulls back and the severed arm stays attached to him, and he then looks scared as a figure suddenly rises up out of the ground (but it turns out to be Emily). Victor runs, but trips and falls, hitting his head, as the arm crawls after him (and Emily picks it up as she also follows him). He continues to try to run away, but ends up twice running into the same tree, knocking himself out.
  • The dead and partially decomposed appearance of Emily (part of her cheek is missing, thus exposing some of her teeth/jawbone, she has a hole in her wedding dress and side that shows exposed ribs, and some of her limbs are skeletal while others are fleshy, etc.) may be unsettling or scary to younger kids. The same holds true for other dead characters that are "alive" (some of which have the weapons that killed them still inside their bodies including a sword through one, a knife in another's head, etc.; one that's just a severed head and another that's previously been cut completely in half -- thus offering several views of his internal organs and bones, including his brain etc. that have also been halved -- and some are straight skeletons).
  • We hear that Emily was murdered in the past.
  • As a wedding gift, Emily offers Victor his former dog, Scraps, that's now just a lively skeleton of a dog (played for laughs and charm, but it could be upsetting for kids who've had pets die, etc.).
  • Emily and Victor go off to see Elder Gutknecht and their arrival there is initially played as scary (with such music, mysterious visuals and the sight of a shadow approaching them), but it and he turn out to be benign.
  • We learn that Barkis is after Victoria, but only for her dowry. We then hear him admit to himself that he plans on killing her for her money (saying she'll only have to suffer this union until death do them part which won't be long).
  • During a piano duet with Victor, Emily's hand comes off and keeps playing until it climbs up him, but he thinks this is cute and simply reattaches it to her arm.
  • Emily's head maggot states that they'll have to kill Victor as the only way to keep him down below with Emily, but Victor willingly agrees to die to be with her (with the idea that he'll drink poison).
  • The sight of two dead (but "alive") children could be disturbing to some younger kids (but they're played as lively rather than scary).
  • The living panic when the dead arrive up top and some approach them like zombies. One boy, however, approaches one such dead character and everyone's nervous, but we then see that it's the boy's dead grandfather and there's a happy reunion between them (and then the rest of the dead and alive characters).
  • Barkis takes Victoria hostage, holding a sword to her neck. Someone throws Victor a fork and the two battle with them, with Victor avoiding the various swipes while jabbing/stabbing Barkis with the fork on his clothed butt, along his side and to the bottom of his foot from below. Barkis repeatedly jabs his sword down through a table at Victor and then kicks him aside. We then see him jab the sword forward, but Emily then pulls that sword from her body (we didn't see the initial impact).
  • Not realizing it's poison, a man drinks what he thinks is wine. The dead, who couldn't do anything to him since he was alive, then menacingly approach him as payback (but we don't see what they do to him now that he's dead).
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Swords: Used to threaten and fight others. See "Violence" for details.
  • Presumably indicating how they died, we see various "living" dead bodies with weapons in them, including a sword through one, a knife in another's head, etc.
  • Mr. Everglot tells his staff to fetch his musket, and we briefly see it, but it's not used.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Shut up," "You ninny," "Little miss living," "She's completely mad," "I used to live in your dead mother," "Where do you keep the spirits?" and "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
  • Elder Gutknecht belches.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A heavy amount of ominous, suspenseful and dramatic music plays in the movie.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 1 damn.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • Victoria wears a very tight corset that accentuates her buxom figure.
  • Victoria's mother is buxom, but it's presented in an exaggerated rather than sexual way.
  • Emily wears a standard-issue bridal gown that's low cut and shows the tops of her breasts (nothing explicit) as well as some cleavage.
  • SMOKING
  • Various characters (dead and alive) smoke pipes in various scenes, including a carriage driver who coughs and then falls off his carriage dead.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Victoria's mother asks her if she thinks "your father and I like each other?" Victoria says she does, but the mother then follows that with "Of course not."
  • Barkis mentions being married before but that tragedy took his wife (when in reality, he killed her -- not seen -- and she -- now being dead -- doesn't realize he was the one responsible).
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Arranged marriages.
  • Death and being dead.
  • How the Underworld is more colorful and lively than the land of the living.
  • Victoria's mother asks her if she thinks "your father and I like each other?" Victoria says she does, but the mother then follows that with "Of course not."
  • Victoria states that she's not allowed to play the piano as her mother says it's too passionate for a lady.
  • Emily dissolves into a bunch of butterflies that then flutter away.
  • VIOLENCE
  • Pastor Galswells loses his patience with Victor being unable to remember his vows during rehearsal and has a bad attitude toward him, culminating in him hitting Victor on the head with his staff.
  • A corpse's hand suddenly thrusts up out of the ground and grabs Victor's arm. Victor runs, but trips and falls, hitting his head, as the arm crawls after him (and Emily picks it up as she also follows him). He continues to try to run away, but ends up twice running into the same tree, knocking himself out.
  • Having smoked a pipe several times, a carriage driver coughs and then falls off his carriage dead.
  • Victoria pushes Barkis away when she realizes he's only after her dowry (which he says is his right).
  • Barkis takes Victoria hostage, holding a sword to her neck. Someone throws Victor a fork and the two battle with them, with Victor avoiding the various swipes while jabbing/stabbing Barkis with the fork on his clothed butt, along his side and to the bottom of his foot from below. Barkis repeatedly jabs his sword down through a table at Victor and then kicks him aside. We then see him jab the sword forward, but Emily then pulls that sword from her body (we didn't see the initial impact).
  • Not realizing it's poison, a man drinks what he thinks is wine. The dead, who couldn't do anything to him since he was alive, then menacingly approach him as payback (but we don't see what they do to him now that he's dead).



  • Reviewed September 15, 2005 / Posted September 23, 2005

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