Curses and Corpses Triumphantly Return to Claymation
Wanna hear something spooky? Two movies are coming out within two weeks of each other. Both are a blend of comedy and horror. Both are made with stop-motion animation. Both feature Helena Bonham Carter as the voice of the romantic interest.
Coincidences like that creep me out. But unlike back in 1998, when we had competing giant-rock-hurtling-toward-Earth movies (“Armageddon,” “Deep Impact”), I’m not going to level my standard Hollywood-is-devoid-of-original-thought accusations. No, in this case it’s a simple matter of fortunate happenstance.
First out of the gate ... er ... crypt ... is “Corpse Bride,” the first animated feature from the fiendish Tim Burton since his remarkable “Nightmare Before Christmas” back in 1993. There are few surprises to be had – I’m of the opinion that if you’ve seen one Burton movie, you’ve nearly seen them all – but that’s not to say it’s a bad flick.
Johnny Depp (in his fifth Burton feature) stars as Victor, a rather milquetoast young man traveling to fulfill his obligation to an arranged marriage. Nervous about the impending nuptials, he pauses in the woods to practice his vows and goes so far as to slip the wedding band on a rotted stick. Except the stick is actually the rotting finger of a murdered bride (Bonham Carter). A bride who, reanimated by romance, has every intention of holding Victor to his vows. She drags him back to “meet the family,” so to speak, and though he is initially repulsed, he soon finds himself fighting for her (detachable) hand against the advances of an undead suitor.
“Corpse Bride” has the benefit of a rather dazzling cast – Emily Watson, Tracey Ullman, Albert Finney and Christopher “I’m In Everything Nowadays” Lee are among some of the glittery names lending vocal talent. Burton’s Gothic perspective gets to run amuck in an animated environment, providing a dazzling (if at times morbid) visual extravaganza.
The only real regret is that Burton didn’t push his own envelope a bit more. Halloween is his element, to be sure. The problem is, all of his films feel like Halloween films, so when he finally makes one specifically for the season, it doesn’t stand out.
Standing out quite a bit, however, is the second film on this double bill, the colorful and hilarious “Curse of the Were-Rabbit.” Nick Park and his fellows at Aardman Animation have finally delivered the first Wallace and Gromit full-length feature, and it’s simply brilliant.
If you’re unfamiliar with the characters, Wallace (a cheese-loving inventor) and Gromit (his loyal dog) are the stars of a series of three short films Aardman created in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. The shorts are unabashedly British in tone and humor (a quality that was toned down in Aardman’s first full-length feature, “Chicken Run”), full of visual puns and subtle jokes.
In “Were-Rabbit,” Wallace (Peter Sallis) and Gromit run a humane rabbit removal service – Anti-Pesto – and business is going gangbusters. Wallace’s latest contraption, the Bun-Vac 6000, is gently sucking bunnies out of neighborhood gardens, protecting the produce in advance of the annual Giant Vegetable Competition. But the competition’s sponsor, Lady Tottington (Bonham Carter), is nervous about reports of a hulking were-rabbit that’s ravaging backyard plots. This rodent, our heroes determine, will require a bit more work.
All of the familiar Wallace and Gromit quirkiness remains. Wallace’s inventions are as zany as ever, a collection of Rube Goldberg-like devices that, more often than not, actually work! Gromit is his usual long-suffering self, loyal (and mute) even in the face of humiliation and blessed with the most expressive eyebrows in motion-picture history. A subplot about Gromit’s attempts to make Wallace lose weight by forgoing cheese in favor of crudités is comic relief on top of comic relief. Wallace subverts his pal’s plans by stashing cheese behind books with titles like “East of Edam” and “Fromage to Eternity.”
It could be argued that “Were-Rabbit” is guilty of the same shortcoming as “Corpse Bride.” Director Nick Park doesn’t step out of his comfort zone, either. But unlike Burton’s characters, Park’s Wallace and Gromit are established; they’re a franchise. Both films play to expectations, and both films are good. But “Were-Rabbit” is just that little bit better, as Park takes the opportunity to spoof horror and sci-fi films, British society and class warfare, whereas Burton simply takes us on another madcap ride through his macabre mind.
A double feature of these animated offerings would be ideal. Both movies are about an hour and 20 minutes, so it wouldn’t be hard to see them together. But whether you see them together or separately, you should end up at Baileys’ Chocolate Bar afterward. The dark ambience and blood-red walls will appeal to Burton fans, while Wallace and Gromit aficionados can avail themselves of a scrumptious cheese plate. Don’t leave without getting something chocolate filled, dipped or infused, though; after all, what’s Halloween without candy?