A grim film the whole family will love

Hollywood is fond of love triangles that create complications prior

to nuptials. Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride” is another classic story of

one groom and two brides. One of the brides is dead, but she doesn’t

see that small detail as being a deal-breaker.

Like “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” this is an animated

masterpiece that’s both wholesome and dark. It’s an entertaining film

and a fine piece of art.

“Corpse Bride” is one of those movies you can view over and over

and see new things each time you watch it. There are details and

little jokes everywhere that are easily missed the first time around.

This movie has a level of craftsmanship we rarely see anymore.

The animation was created using the same stop-motion technique

Burton used in “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Something that makes

this film different is that “Corpse Bride” was shot using a Canon SLR

still picture camera, not a movie camera. To make the bride blink

took 28 shots.

The story is focused around the prearranged marriage of two young

people. Victor (Johnny Depp) comes from a nouveau riche family.

Victoria (Helena Bonham Carter) comes from a family that is

aristocratic but broke. Each family has something the other wants,

and the best way to get it to use their children to form a merger.

As is typical of this kind of romantic story, neither child wants

the prearranged marriage at first, but they fall in love, and then a

complication arises. What’s not so typical is the hurdle they have to

overcome.

While stumbling around outside practicing his vows, Victor wanders

into a graveyard and suddenly finds himself married to a corpse.

She’s charming and sweet, and even sort of attractive if you don’t

mind the way her eye occasionally pops out. However, she isn’t

Victoria.

Both the Corpse and Victoria are sympathetic characters. We like

them both and wish them both happiness. Both of them love Victor, and

neither wants to share him. Trying to resolve this little conundrum

so everyone is happy isn’t going to be easy.

Even though this is a dark movie, it’s also something fun everyone

in the family can enjoy and appreciate. The writing is reminiscent of

the classic Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons from the 1960s, which kids

and adults loved even though the kids didn’t get half the jokes.

I think part of why “Corpse Bride” works so well with small

children is that the normally scary things like skeletons and spiders

are jovial, and little kids love that kind of stuff, as long as it’s

not too threatening.

In addition to having terrific art direction, this movie also has

a Danny Elfman soundtrack that’s incredible. It’s a pretty good bet

the soundtrack and the animation will be nominated for Oscars.

In addition to Depp and Carter, this cast also features Tracey

Ullman, Christopher Lee, Albert Finney and many other terrific

performers. They’re all clearly having fun doing voices for the

puppets.

Generally speaking, “grim” and “family-friendly” don’t usually go

together, but Tim Burton has a knack for making this all work. This

is a movie you’ll enjoy watching in a theater, and again when it

comes out on DVD.

* JIM ERWIN, 40, is a technical writer and computer trainer.

Primal fears in ‘Flightplan’

The companion of action in movies should be emotion, reflecting

our human nature.

People duck and dodge bullets because they have the instinct to

survive. When under attack, they defend themselves.

Movie audiences tend to react favorably to the story when actions

align closely with emotion, because it resembles reality. It is easy

for the viewer to relate to events resulting from deep-seated primal

feelings, especially the desire for a loving mother to protect her

child in danger.

In “Flightplan,” Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster) and her daughter are

flying home to America after a tragic death in the family. When her

little girl disappears on the double-decker aircraft, Kyle begins

frantically searching the immediate area, asking nearby passengers if

they have seen her daughter. As her search widens, Kyle’s intensity

gets the crew involved -- first the flight attendants, then the

onboard air marshal, and finally the pilot.

The woman is relentless, focused and intent on finding, or perhaps

saving and protecting, her daughter. After a thorough search of the

interior of the plane does not produce the little girl, everyone,

including the audience, wonders if the mother might be delusional.

Jodie Foster’s character accurately expresses the intense emotions

and relentless actions expected of a protective parent given the

circumstances. But when the girl fails to materialize, Kyle faces

public humiliation, criticism and pressure to discontinue the search

and settle down.

Reminiscent of survivors trapped on a small island, “Flightplan”

weaves the dynamics of a confined and vulnerable group into the

story. The action fits the emotion. Peer pressure plays to people’s

need to avoid fear and panic in such close quarters.

Once the group decides there is no child, Kyle loses certain

freedoms as a passenger; she is physically restrained from continuing

her search and following her maternal instincts.

The group pressure in the plot of “Flightplan” is a stand-in for

familiar social situations in which the outnumbered are pressured to

conform. Who are the heroes in such situations -- those who stand by

their convictions, or the team players?

This tension between the instinct of a mother to protect her child

and the group’s need to maintain equilibrium onboard, builds the

suspense of “Flightplan.” Even though these characters’ actions,

given the situation, are predictable, the story remains unpredictable

throughout the film.

This suspenseful drama having greatest appeal for the 25-plus

viewer, male and female, is worth the price of admission.

* PEGGY J. ROGERS, 40, produces commercial videos and

documentaries.