This Friday kicks off our extra special "Reader's Request" summer movie reviews! For our first week, we are doing "The Corpse Bride," as suggested by Jack and Persephone!
In Tim Burton's "Corpse Bride," a young man named Victor Van Dort is engaged to Victoria Everglot, in order to enrich the Everglots and raise the Van Dorts prestige in society. Victor is reluctant to enter an arranged marriage, but when he meets Victoria and finds that she is as quiet and shy as he is, he begins to persuade himself that it might work. However, during the wedding rehearsal, Victor is clumsy and causes an embarrassing spectacle. Rather than face everyone afterwards, he runs off into the snow-covered woods outside town.
On his own in the forest, Victor begins to practice his marriage vows, even slipping the wedding band on what he believes to be a twig. He soon realizes his mistake when a lovely, if very much dead, young lady rises from the ground and claims to be his bride! Emily, the revived corpse, kidnaps Victor and takes him back with her to the land of the dead. There Emily keeps insisting that Victor is her husband, while Victor keeps desperately trying to find a way back to the land of the living, and his fiancée Victoria.
The land of the dead is a much livelier place than a kitty would expect. The highlight of Victor's visit is when Emily reunites him with his doggie that crossed the Bridge, Scraps. It is wonderful to see the two friends reunited! It warms a furry's heart. However, even with Scraps by his side, Victor continues to try to get back to the land of the living, and eventually tricks Emily into helping him return. After Emily realizes his deception, she is both heart-broken and vengeful. Will Victor decide that he truly belongs with Emily in the land of the dead, or will he try to overcome his insecurities and marry Victoria and remain in the land of the living?
I give Tim Burton's "Corpse Bride" two paws up, and a tail poof for being musical, animated, spooky fun!
