Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

Play trailer Poster for Tim Burton's Corpse Bride PG Released Sep 23, 2005 1h 16m Kids & Family Fantasy Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
84% Tomatometer 199 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Victor (Johnny Depp) and Victoria's (Emily Watson) families have arranged their marriage. Though they like each other, Victor is nervous about the ceremony. While he's in a forest practicing his lines for the wedding, a tree branch becomes a hand that drags him to the land of the dead. It belongs to Emily, who was murdered after eloping with her love and wants to marry Victor. Victor must get back aboveground before Victoria marries the villainous Barkis Bittern (Richard E. Grant).
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

What to Know

Critics Consensus

As can be expected from a Tim Burton movie, Corpse Bride is whimsically macabre, visually imaginative, and emotionally bittersweet.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More (199)
Kevin Maher The Times (UK) It’s close to a perfect musical, and certainly a perfect animation. Rated: 5/5 Sep 19, 2025 Full Review J. R. Jones Chicago Reader This may be light family entertainment, but it’s also a pleasingly perverse celebration of Victorian morbidity. Jun 29, 2022 Full Review Dave Calhoun Time Out As fun as the film occasionally is, it just plays like a compilation of greatest hits. Aug 16, 2007 Full Review Douglas Davidson Elements of Madness In concert, the narrative elements, the technical elements, and the performative elements combine to create one of the most imaginative and moving gothic love stories in which the best lesson is that loving yourself is the most important thing above all. Sep 28, 2025 Full Review Jeff Beck The Blu Spot It stands as a fascinating, captivating, and unique tale that features wonderful animation, some fine tunes from the great Danny Elfman, and a fantastic vocal cast, culminating in a delightfully macabre experience that's very much worth a revisit. Rated: 3.5/5 Sep 23, 2025 Full Review Petrana Radulovic Polygon It is a romance first and foremost, dressed up with Halloween-y scares, spooky supernatural elements, and Tim Burton's usual Hot Topic aesthetic (I mean this in a very good way). Oct 20, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More (1000+)
natasa p Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride is a visually stunning masterpiece, blending dark whimsy with gothic charm. Every frame is meticulously crafted, from the hauntingly beautiful stop-motion animation to the eerie yet enchanting character designs. Burton’s unique style shines brilliantly, making the film both a hauntingly romantic tale and a feast for the eyes—truly a top-tier example of his artistic genius!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/06/25 Full Review Ry N A groom gets cold feet and accidentally marries a murdered corpse. This was fun for a quick watch, minus the musical bits. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/07/25 Full Review Claudio C Corpse Bride (2005) Wonderful Love Story (11,950 –29 Sep 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho) My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): "A Noiva Cadáver" ("The Corpse Bride") If you want to read my review, visit my blog. RT mysteriously did not publish it and I refuse to change it. I do not understand why. My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/ Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/30/25 Full Review TheMovieSearch R For the first time, I finally watched Corpse Bride. I’ve always been familiar with the characters—Viktor and the titular bride—but I had never really seen the full story. Going in, I was curious about the much-lauded Tim Burton aesthetic and storytelling. First off, the story is undeniably well-written and layered, but it requires full attention. Even missing a single beat can make the plot confusing, which is a bit heavy-handed for an animated film. Typically, animated movies let you lose yourself in the visuals and the world itself, feeling carefree and imaginative. Corpse Bride, however, is dense and emotionally complex. The story revolves around Viktor accidentally marrying a deceased bride while still being in love with his living fiancée—a premise that explores jealousy, betrayal, and the consequences of choices, but in a dark, morbidly whimsical way. The tone is strikingly dark for an animated feature. Themes of forced marriage, obsession, and violent retribution dominate much of the film. While it’s creative and unique, it’s arguably too mature and complex for younger audiences. Children might struggle with the nuances, and some of the darker elements—anger, obsession, and mortality—may feel unsettling. Visually, the film is classic Tim Burton—gothic, imaginative, and detailed. The stop-motion animation brings the characters and the eerie world to life in a way that’s captivating and distinctive. The artistry alone is worth seeing, even if the narrative isn’t something I would revisit on my own. In terms of story and craft, Corpse Bride succeeds. The characters are well-defined, the themes are intricate, and the emotional stakes are surprisingly high for an animated film. Personally, though, I didn’t connect with it on a level that makes me want to watch it again. I appreciate its creativity and can see the appeal, but it’s not a personal favorite. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/29/25 Full Review Kalissa H Really good. I like the characters in this. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/29/25 Full Review Jed I 5.0/10 — "Poor"/"Inferior"/"Amateurish" Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 09/26/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Coraline 91% 74% Coraline Watchlist TRAILER for Coraline Frankenweenie 87% 70% Frankenweenie Watchlist James and the Giant Peach 91% 66% James and the Giant Peach Watchlist The Ant Bully 61% 42% The Ant Bully Watchlist Shrek 2 89% 69% Shrek 2 Watchlist TRAILER for Shrek 2 Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Victor (Johnny Depp) and Victoria's (Emily Watson) families have arranged their marriage. Though they like each other, Victor is nervous about the ceremony. While he's in a forest practicing his lines for the wedding, a tree branch becomes a hand that drags him to the land of the dead. It belongs to Emily, who was murdered after eloping with her love and wants to marry Victor. Victor must get back aboveground before Victoria marries the villainous Barkis Bittern (Richard E. Grant).
Director
Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
Producer
Allison Abbate, Tim Burton
Screenwriter
Pamela Pettler, Caroline Thompson
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Bros., Tim Burton Animation Co., Will Vinton Studios
Rating
PG (Brief Mild Language|Action|Some Scary Images)
Genre
Kids & Family, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 23, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 21, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$53.4M
Runtime
1h 16m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby SRD, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
Most Popular at Home Now