Corpse Bride (No Spoilers)

Usually when it come to Mr. Burton's films, I'm truly a Love It or Hate It kind of gal. Corpse Bride actually left me in the middle.

Shy Victor is set to wed timid Victoria, thanks to their parents arrangement due to money and prestige. Unable to perfectly recite his vows during the wedding rehearsal, Victor flees to the local woods to clear his head. While practicing aloud to himself, he is finally able to say his vows perfectly. Unfortunately for Victor, he happens to say them in the presence of the very dead Emily, who suddenly rises from her shallow grave, convinced Victor's vows were intended for her.

So I watched this flick about two weeks ago, and I'm just now getting to it. Sure I've been preoccupied, spending five hours in the doctor's office for a simple check-up and flu shot, but I think the main reason I had trouble getting around to finally saying something about Corpse Bride was because I mainly just didn't care. It wasn't good enough for me to highly praise, but not bad enough for me to want to rip apart. It was just...there.

I guess my main problem with the whole thing is trying figure out what audience this is truly aimed at. It seems too childish for adults, yet too adultish (it's a word) for children. It wasn't particularly funny, and not really all that dramatic. It was sort of romantic, but how involved can you get with a puppet love story? I had the bad guy pegged the second he walked in the door, so there was no mystery to be had. In short, it was promising, but didn't follow through.

But for all it's flaws and short comings, Corpse Bride never outstayed its welcome. Burton kept it short and sweet...well if you think a bride puppet being murdered on her wedding day is "sweet."

If you're a die-hard Burton fan maybe you'll like it, but other than that I can make no recommendations, because, as I said, I'm not sure who the hell this movie is really geared toward.

Rating: