Toon Talk - From the Other Side: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
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(c) Warner Bros
The advancements in filmmaking since NBX’s debut are readily apparent in Bride. Whereas the first film had a charmingly rough-around-the-edges quality to it, a retro throwback to the glory days of Ray Harryhausen and maybe even Rankin/Bass, the new film is slick (with its cast full of Oscar nominees) and seamless (I even detected the slight shimmer of CGI in a few scenes), a fact that works against the spirit of the medium. Sure, the animation is technically proficient and looks swell, but it fatally lacks the awe required to be truly transportive. This Corpse Bride may be sans a pulse, but its also missing something even more important: a soul.
Toon Talk Rating: C+
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In this ‘Toon Talk’ feature, I’ll briefly highlight a recommended film or DVD, outside of the Disney universe, of similar interest to the main subject. Before Truly, Madly, Deeply, before Ghost, even before My Boyfriend’s Back, there was The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment), the original “beyond the grave�? romantic fantasy (in 2002, the American Film Institute named it one of the top romantic films of all time). Rex Harrison stars as the spirit of a salty sea captain who haunts the widow (an absolutely luminous Gene Tierney) who now lives in his ocean side house. Love develops and sacrifices are made along the way to a finale that is pure tear-jerking nirvana. |
Coming Soon in Toon Talk:
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Mighty Joe Young’s Bill Paxton directs Holes’ Shia LaBeouf in the true story of underdog golfer Francis Ouimet in The Greatest Game Ever Played (September 30th).
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The last Disney animated classic to make it to DVD finally arrives with the two-disc Platinum Edition of Cinderella (October 4th).
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The Oscar-winning duo from Aardman Animation star in their first feature film with Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Wererabbit (October 7th).
And Coming Soon from Buena Vista Home Video:
- You’ll be seeing double on September 27th with the release of two new holiday editions from the Classic Cartoon Favorites line: Classic Holiday Stories and Holiday Celebration with Mickey and Pals, plus another double feature: the original The Parent Trap and, for the first time of DVD, The Parent Trap II. You’ll also have some more Disney Sing Along Songs releases: Disneyland Fun, Beach Party at Walt Disney World, Campout at Walt Disney World and Flik’s Musical Adventure, plus more family fun with Hugo the Movie Star, The Phoenix and the Carpet and Sharks, Flipper and Lopaka.
- On October 11th, Winnie the Pooh stars in two new Disney Learning Adventure DVDs: Shapes and Sizes and Wonderful World of Words. Also available: Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows.
- Two recent Feature Animation favorites, Tarzan and The Emperor’s New Groove, find their way back to DVD with new Special Editions (October 18th).
- October 25th brings the DVD debut of this summer’s Herbie: Fully Loaded, as well as the fourth season of Alias and the latest Baby Einstein title, On the Go: Riding, Sailing and Soaring.
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-- Kirby C. Holt
-- Logo by William C Searcy, Magic Bear Graphics
Kirby is a lifelong Disney fan and film buff. He is also an avid list maker and chronic ellipsis user ...
Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.
The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted September 23, 2005